Single-source entries: C (109)

Contract Labor Law

an Act of Congress, passed Feb. 26, 1885, and several times amended. Previous to the passage of this law it had been the practice of large manufacturers to recruit cheap labor in the poorer countries of Europe, even to the extent of paying for the transportation of immigrant workers and their families, this charge being later subtracted from their earnings. At first the courts interpreted the provisions of the law as applying only to unskilled labor, but on March 3, 1903, the law was amended, so that it now includes skilled workers as well. Infraction of this law now bears with it a penalty of $1,000 fine for each immigrant brought into the country illegally by manufacturers or their agents, and a fine of $500 and six months' imprisonment for the master of a ship who knowingly carries immigrants contrary to the law.

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Contralto

in music, the highest voice of a male adult, or the lowest of a woman or a boy; called also the Alto, or, when possessed by a man, Countertenor. It is next below the treble and above the tenor, its easy range being from tenor G to treble C.

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Contrate Wheel

A crown wheel. A wheel whose teeth are set at right angles to its plane and used ordinarily as a gear wheel for transmitting power from one shaft to another, standing at right angles to it. The escape wheel of the verge escapement.

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Contravallation

LINES OF, in military language, language, a chain of works round a besieged place to resist the sorties of the garrison.

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Contusion

a bruise or injury of the soft parts of the body, without breach of surface. If the skin be broken, is called a contused wound. See BRUISE. the injury

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Conundrum

a puzzling query, the answer to which involves a turn of wit, usually a pun. A conundrum proposes usually the discovery of a resemblance between things quite unlike, or the discovery of some odd difference between similar things. Q. Why is a blind beggar ungrateful? A. Because he would be glad to see the giver hanged. Q. How may a husband be made tender? A. By roasting. Q. Why do white sheep produce more wool than black ones? A. Because there are more of them. Q. Why does a duck take to the water? A. For divers reasons. Q. What state is round at each end and high in the middle? A. Ohio. Q. When is charity like a top? A. When it begins to hum. Q. What drums are never beat? A. These conundrums.

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Convallaria

a genus of plants, order Liliaceæ, tribe Asparageæ. The C. majalis is the sweet-scented Lily of the Valley. It is found in woods and coppices, especially in a light soil. There are a red-flowered and a double variety in gardens. C. majalis is a valuable cardiac tonic, administered in form of fluid extract or tincture. It has, to a considerable extent, superseded digitalis purpurea for heart disease, it being free. to a large degree, from many objections to which digitalis is obnoxious.

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Convent Garden

from having been originally the garden of the Abbot of Westminster, is a spacious square in London, celebrated for a great market held within it of fruit, vegetables, and flowers. The square was formed about 1631 from the designs of Inigo Jones. In the 17th century Covent Garden was a very fashionable quarter of the town. The market, now so famous, appears to have originated about 1656 in a few wooden sheds and stalls. It was long the property of the noble House of Bedford, but in 1913 the Duke of Bedford sold the property. London's most famous opera house, the Covent Garden Theater, is located there.

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Conventicle

a small gathering for religious worship. The word was applied to the schools of Wycliffe. Afterward it was used of Dissenters from the Establishment in Queen Elizabeth's time, but it did not come into great prominence till the passing of the Uniformity Act in 1662.

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Converse

FREDERICK SHEP- HERD, an American composer, born in Newton, Mass., in 1871. He graduated from Harvard University in 1893. After studying music in Munich, he became instructor of harmony at the New England Conservatory of Music. From 1904 to 1907 he was assistant professor of He commusic at Harvard University. posed many songs and other musical works, including "The Pipe of Desire," an opera; "Job," an opera; and many cantatas, tone poems, and other musical work. He was one of the best known of American composers. 1

FLORENCE, an American writer, born in New Orleans in 1871. She graduated from Wellesley College in 1893. From 1908 she was a member of the staff of the "Atlantic Monthly." Her novels include "The Burden of Christopher" (1900); "The House of Prayer" (1908); "The Children of Light" (1912). She also wrote "The Story of Wellesley" (1915) and "The Blessed Birthday," a play (1917).

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Conversion

A term in watchmaking signifying that a change of escapement is made, as a movement originally having a duplex escapement is changed to a lever escapement.

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Convex

Rising or swelling into a rounded body. The reverse of concave.

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Convexo-Concave

Convex on one side and concave on the other.

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Convexo-Convex

Convex on both sides.

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Conveyers

Conveying machinery is now to be found in successful operation in mills, mines, breweries, packing-houses, sugar refineries, coal-yards, boat-landings, brick, tile, and stone yards, in some machine-shops, but in very few foundries. The increasing demand for moulding machinery has made it absolutely necessary that some form of conveyer be used in the foundry, not only to carry the enormous quantity of sand used to the moulders, but to carry it hence from off the foundry floor to be tempered and screened for use, and by this means utilize the space for moulds that would otherwise be required for storing and mixing sand. The endless open-trough conveyer, made of roller carrier chain, or some of the many forms of spiral conveyers, are eminently adapted for this purpose.

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Convict

. See Penitentiary

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Convict Labor

the employment of convicts in the production of useful commodities as a means of lessening the the cost of prison administration and for moral betterment of the convicts. This has been accomplished through various systems, the first of which, in point of time, is the "lease system," still employed in many Southern States. Here over to priconvicts are directly turned vate contractors or employers, and practically the whole responsibility devolves been the on them. Many abuses have result, convicts being often retained in slavery long after a condition of chattel the expiration of their terms, in many cases imposed on them for trivial ofis now universally fenses. This system condemned and is fast going out of practice. Instead the "public account" system is being adopted by an ever-growing number of States. Here the labor is State premises and the performed on prison authorities are in full control. In the commodities mansome of the States ufactured are sold on the open, competitive market. This method has aroused labor. In other States only such commodities are manufactured which can be used in other departments of the Govespecially favored ernment. This plan is by the national Commission on Prisons and Prison Labor. In several States, as in New Jersey, the convicts are paid regular wages, which they may collect terms. In at the expiration of their 1920, however, no employment was given prisoners in 29 States.

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