Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1905 — LABOR NOTES [ARTICLE]

LABOR NOTES

American railways handle about $12,. 000.000 worth cf grain a year. No less than 8,132 women in lowa are employed in agricultural pursuits. The net profit from the Russian government monopoly in the sale of spirits last year exceeded £40,000,000. Almost the entire commercial wealth of India, with its population of 300,000,000, is said to be in the hands of less than 00,000 persons. The building trades of San Francisco, which include sixty unions and 21,000 men, intend to erect a “temple,” which will accommodate all the unions and the general officers. It is expected to cost about SIOO,OOO. In 1903 we were Switzerland’s best customer, with the sole exception of Germany and Great Britain, leaving behind and far behind, all other countries, even France, Italy and Austria-Hungary, on its own borders. Official statistics show that the area under crops in Great Britain showed a decrease of 25,009 acres last year on the figures of 1003, the acreage under wheat being 1,375,284, which is the smallest area ever recorded. The restriction that salmon may not be taken from the waters of southeastern Alaska untilmfter July' 1 of each year has been removed, and in view of this it is expected that the catch will be very much larger this year than previously. It is said that the most costly leathet in the world is known to the trade as piano, leather. The secret of tanning this leather is known only .ta a family of tanners in Germany, though 'the skins from which it is tanned come almost entirely from America. Working girls in Berlin overage nine hours nud a half each day, for which they get about $2.80 a week. Only ons in five is able to have her own bedroom; the others share their rooms with from one to six other girls. Some of them hardly know what a warm meal means, ryn bread beieg principal food.