CLERKS WIN LONG STRIKE,

LAFAYETTE, IND., Jan. 17.-After a strike of over a year and a half against the department store of Loeb & Hene, peace is again restored with the signing of an agreement between the Retail Merchants' Association and the Retail Clerks Union. A minimum wage, increasing with the length of service, is provided for the women clerks. Hours of labor are fixed, the merchants agree not to discriminate, and several holidays are recognized. Employment will be given all strikers, and some of them will be placed in the other stores that are parties to the agreement, which places dry goods and department stores on the same basis as men's stores in regard to opening and closing hours. The strike has been conducted vigorously by the Retail Clerks' Union, and the salaries of the strikers were paid by the union.

INCREASE FOR IRON WORKERS.

INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 17.-After a short strike for higher wages, the Structural Iron Workers of this city and the General Contractors' Association have signed an agreement carrying wage increases of 3 cents an hour for the present year, and 70 cents an hour from January 1, 1915, until April 1, 1916. The former rate was 65 cents.

The men struck for a 5-cent increase. The agreement contains several clauses governing working conditions that are in the nature of betterments.

TO EXCLUDE CHEAP LABOR.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17.-Having for his purpose the debarring of cheap foreign labor, Representative Gillette, of Massachusetts, has introduced a bill to exIclude from the United States any alien laborer who within one year previous to his admission to the United States has not earned 30 per cent. of the wages paid in this country for the same work.

PROGRESS IN NORTH CAROLINA.

COLUMBIA, N. C., Jan. 17.-The new child labor law has been force since the first of this year, and while it indicates progress, a movement to raise the age limit is already under way. The new law makes county school superintendents the factory inspectors for that district. Children under 12 are prohibited from working in factories or manufacturing establishments, and no person under 16 is permitted to work in these places between 9 p. m. and 6 a. m. No child under 16 is permitted to work nights, and none between 12 and 13 is allowed to work in a factory except as an apprentice and only after having attended school four months in the preceding twelve months.

Carrying a rabbit foot for luck does not protect Brer Rabbit in the hunting

season.

Marriage is the giving away of onehalf of your food in order to get the other half cooked.