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About The Wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-???? | View Entire Issue (March 10, 1905)
THE WAGE WORKER A Newspaper with a Mission and without a Muzzle that Is published in the Interest of Wageworkers Every where. VOL.1 LINCOLN, NEUBASKA, MARCH 10, 1905 . . .. , ... NO. 4, j A Very Humble Apology Offered Last week The .Wageworker inadvertently did an injustice to the committee on public printing of the senate by charging its mem bers with discourtesy to the printing trades. The Wageworker as serted that the allied printing trades label bill had been referrd to the committee on public printing, and by it reported for indefinite postponement. The editor naturally supposed that, a printing bill would be referred to the printing committee. This is where he made a grave error. lie failed to take itno consideration the fact that Mr. McGtlton is Untenant governor of Nebraska, and by virtue of his office called upon to preside over the dclibcrtaions of the senate. With a judgment little short of marvelous and altogether astonish ing, Lieutenant Governor McGilton referred the bill to the commit tee on public lands and buildings. If he has followed this plan of referring bills throughout the session, he certainly has mixed things up proper. Imagine the committee on public charities gravely con sidering a bill to change the revenue laws, or the committee on fish and garnc considering with owlish wisdom a bill. to amend the bank ing laws. Hut this printing bill went to the committee on public lands and buildings, and was by that committee turned down without giving the men vitally interested therein a chance to present their side of the case. That committee is made up of the following eminent au thorities on the subject of printing: DIMERY OF BEAVER CROSSING. TUCKER OF HUMBOLDT. NIELSON OF BANCROFT. THOMAS OF OMAHA. GIFFEN OF GOTHENBURG. HARSH OF LOWELL. GOULD OF WOLBACH. PETERSEN OF CAMPBELL. HALLER OF BLAIR, It's a safe bet that neither of the reverend senators named above knows the difference between an em quad and a galley rack. The Wageworker tenders its humble apologies to Senators Whalcy, Good. Wall and Breese of the committee on public print ing. Ditnery of lieavcr Crossing is a member of the public printing committee,, but he is not included in the apology for the reason that he is a member of the committee on public lands and buildings. ( )wing to rules and regulations laid down by the postoffice de partment Tlic Wageworker will not say what it thinks about a pre siding officer who would refer a printing bill to the committee on public lands and buildings. - CAPITAL AUXILIARY. Capital Auxiliary met in regular semi-monthly session at the home of .Mrs. William Bustard on March 5. After the trannaetion of the usunl rou tine business a two-course luncheon was served by the hostess. It might not. be amUs at this time to note a seeming lack of interest or exhibition of negligence on the part of a portion of the membership. There were only sixteen members present at ilie last , meeting. Mrs. Charles H. lighter has been seriously ill for the past, two weeks, suffering from a severe -attack ot quinsy. We are pleased to note a de cided improvement In her condition. The next meeting of the Auxiliary will be held at the home of Mrs. Brown, 2314 N street. ' No. 209 has about 98 members in good standing. So far 97 have ex pressed a willingness to accept election ns delegate to the Toronto convention. The Cummins memorial committee is not idle. It is framing up sometning that will boost the memorial fund "right smart." Wait for the commit tee! The "smoker" is next lr order, and the printer man who falls to show up will be fined 'steen dollars and barred from all future 'sessions of the "Roast ers' club." ' ' The b'boys had lots of fun voting on the contract at last Sunday's meet-in,-;. As the roll was called and the mombera voted the "anarchists" were loudly applauded as they marcneu ror ward. President Coney was hi Kansas City a couple of weeks ago, and be went down and back between the linen sheets of a Pullmart. "It was differ ent from one or two Kansas City trips 1 have taken," says Coffey. The last Typographical Journal con tains a lot of "hot stuff." The execu live council has made charges against hevcral members of the Philadelphia union and demands trial on tho charges. That Philadelphia muss prom lees to result in some nasty business. , "On to Toronto" is now the cry of the printer man, and if everything goes well Lincoln will be well represented at the next meeting of the International. An "On to Toronto" club is being or ganized. The plan: is to pay weewiy PKHPHsments from April 1 until August I. and then charter, a 'car and make the trip as a body. Next week this depart A C LOS On Sunday, February 5, Lincoln Typographical Union No. 20!. and the employers representing the State Journal company, the Jacob North Printing company, the Woodruff-Collins Printing com pany, the Press Publishing company, The Star Publishing company: the Nebraska Independent and the Western Newspaper Union, rati fied and entered into a contract dated February 6, 1905 and continu ing for a period of four years from date. By the terms of this contract Typographical Union No. 209 and standing of the union. The job 'floor men" are raised to the machine scale, and the eight-hour day recognized in daily newspaper and contract provids that negotiations pose of considering hours of work, by the International Typographical Union for the universal adop tion of the eight-hour day. This is the first contract Lincoln Typographical Union has ever made on its ow n motion, and while the union did not . succeed in getting all that it asked, it did sions, and conditions today are more satisfactory and favorable that! ever before in the history of the The negotiations between the ciation have been in progress for upwards of three months, and while many of the sessions were long, there was never a moment when the utmost "good nature did not prevail. Members of the em ployers association have assured The Wageworker that they never met with a committee equal in ability, earnestness and desire to do right to the. committee representing the Typographical Union. On the other side, the union's commitec speak in the highest terms of the fairness shown by the employers' association. All in all, every thing accomplished has been accomplished without any ill feeling whatever, and while disappointments have been experienced by both ment expects to be able o give an ap proximate estimate of the expense ot the trip, and then the projectors of the Hub will be able to give Jetailed plans. V. C. Greenley and Colonel McQultty have reached that point where they turn pale at the sight of pink colored ice cream. The cheerful way in which the boys are paying their little old half-cent as sessment into the 8-hour fund argues well for the success of the movement. This one-half of one per cent assess ment 13 more than some local unions pay altogether but up to date no print er has been heard to make a "holler." ' "A machinist," says Charley Bowers, "is a man who has to stand for the work of bum operators." "That's not so," says Ollie Mickel. "A machinist Is a man who draws easy money for looking after machines that good ope rators never put ,on the bum." The matter will be officially decided at the next . regular' meeting of the? "Roast ers." '.',. ..."' '. . " :," :" ' " ";'"' BLOWN ABOUT A BIT. A Gasoline Explosion Jars a Couple of Lincoln Boiler Makers. L. D. Foscutt and Manager Daven port were the victims of a combination of a match and gasoline gas the other day. The accident occurred in the Cap ital Boiler and Sheet Iron works. Fos cutt and Davenport were repairing a tank that had contained gasoline. The tank -Had- been empty for some time, but when Foscutt held a lighted match to the opening to see if the tank was all right inside, there was an explosion that sent the two aen ballooning. Foscutt was severely burned and bruised, and Davenport was uncere moniously blown through a door and landed in a heap. The printers' strike in Kansas City is not spreading. On the contrary sev eral of the offices have signed up and the indications for satisfactory set tlement all around, are goo.' THESE EMPLOY UNION TEAMSTERS. This is not an advertisement. It is a guide for union men and women who buy coal or building material and want it hauled by union teamsters. But one of these firms- Hutchins & Hyatt ad vertises in The Wageworker, but all of them employ union team sters and are therefore entitled to union patronage. All of them should be Wageworker advertisers, of course, and, of course, the firm that is entitled to especiai patronage from Wageworker read ers. But, at any rate, give your patronage. to fair employers and the following are fair: THE ADAM SCHAUPP COAL CO. THE F. W. BROWN LUMBER CO. WHITEBREAST COAL CO. HUTCHINS & HYATT. LANDY CLARK. AGENT. UNION FUEL CO. MARSH-BURKE CO. BADGER LUMBER CO. SEARLES & CHAPIN. E D SHOP CO N the employers recognize Lincoln will employ only members in good scale is increased $1 per week. weekly newspaper offices. The may be opened only for the pur thus providing for the time set succeed in securing many conces union. union and the employers' asso THE LABOR TEMPLE PROJECT. The labor temple project need not scare anybody. The idea is a feasable one, the chief difficulty being to get union men to take hold of the project. It is not necessary to raise, all the money, at once. Certainly 1,800 union men are able to raise money enough to buy a good lot in the business section. The lot once bought and paid for will insure the erection of the building. Rents will more than take care of the interest on the deferred payments, the taxes and the insurance. A sinking fund will not be difficult to secure. There is a demand for good office rooms and-store rooms in the central business sections. The unions of the city are already paying out over $1,000 .a year in rent, and that is 5 per cent interest on $20j000 enough to put up a fine building. There is a demand for a good hall for socials, and the proper kind of hall will bring in a return of from $1,000 to $2,000 a year. Within the last thirty days labor unions have paid out $100 for a single hall in which to hold balls. All this money should be paid to a "terruMe fund." . The principal thing, to do is to get the unionists of the city tc take an interest in the project. , A little nerve, good business judg ment and a determination to win are the ingredients necessary to make the project a success. ; - When the Central Labor Union committee reports let the "knockef" lay aside'Jiis vocal, hammer, let the spineless unionists starch. . his :spmal. vertabraie, let. the weak-kneed get a. set of braces and let everybody take hold. It is possible to dedicate a labor, teni-ple-' in Lincoln Kefore another twelve months: slide by. into eternity. ",It is 'merely 'a question of doing. WELL, WHY NOT7 Ministerial Delegates Would Learn, and So Would We. The proposition to asV the Minis terial Union to' send delegates to tae Central Labor Union is creating some discussion." Why not? It would not hurt the ministers to learn a whole lot more about the needs and desires of the laboring man, and it wouldn't hurt the average laborlng man a bit to know a lot more about church' work.' If the Ministers' Union does send delegates the ministers' selected will be warmly welcomed, and they 'will not long be wondering why laboring men do not attend church. The delegates to the Central Labor Union are not in the habit of mincing their words. The Pressmen are now having their innings with the employers. So far the conferences have been marked by good feeling, and while no agreement has yet been reached'- lt is expected "soon. - sides, the contract is as a whole satisfactory to all parties interested The chief sticking point was on the question of hours. After everything else had been practically agreed upon, the eight-hour question came up. The employers wanted a contract for three years with the nine-hour day." This the committee would not listen to for a minute. It was a matter absolutely outside of their jurisdiction being a matter already decided upon by referendum vote of the In ternational Union. By that vote the International decided to put the eight-hour working day into effect on January 1, 1900. The local committee could not ignore that law. And there negotiations hung fire for several days. Conference after conference was held. Presi dent Lynch was asked to help out the local committee, but being sick he was unable to respond, and Vice President Hayes acted. Mr. Hayes was in Kansas City trying to settle a bit of trouble there,, and to Kansas City went one member of the union's committee and one member of the employers' association. These two met with Mr. Hayes, and the work of fixing the whole thing up to the satisfaction of both sides was a matter of a few hours. The wage scale is settled for four years, but the question of the work-day may be opened up This satisfied both sides. The contract Was thus drawn up and signed by the members of the employers' association, and last Sun day Lincoln Typographical Union No. 209 formally ratified it. The union's executive commitee had charge of the matter, and this committee was made up of the following members: Jesse E. Mickel, O. C. Fodrea and Henry Bingaman. President Coffey of the union acted with the committee throughout the entire negotia tions. After the ratification of the agreement a unanimous vote of thanks was tendered by the union to President Coffey and the com mittee. The Typographical Union has appointed a committee to arrange for a- "smoker," to be given by the union to the employers, and when it is held it will be a corker.- ' Capital Auxiliary Gives 1 A Colonial Tea Patty Last Monday evening Capital Auxiliary resumed its regular monthly sociables and inaugurated . the new season by giving a "Colonial Party" at Central Labor Union hall. The attendance was by no means as large as it should have been, and those who failed to attend missed one of the best socials ever given by Capital Auxiliary and . those who have attended-vforme socials know what that means. Members of the Auxiliary were costumed like the dames of the Revolutionary days, with powdered hair and black patches,, and several printers arrayed themselves in knickerbockers, ruffled shirts and huge wigs. ' , A short program. was rendered, Master Clarence Mickel and Dorothy Odell rendering each two piano solos, Mr. Donald Plumb vocal solos and Master Barngrover a clever recitation of Eugene Field's ever popular "Just 'Fore Christmas." Each of the perform ers was warmly applauded as they deserved, for they entertained the audience well. The committee had displayed upon the walls pictures of all the presidents, each picture numbered, arid those present were asked to fit the names to the pictures. There was a lot of fun in this. From Lincoln down to Roosevelt was easy, but be tween Washington and . Buchanan, it was a harder job than one would naturally expect. The old fellows looked very much alike with their wigs and stocks. Will M. Maupin managed to fit nine teen names correctly and won the prize. V :'f4Mj The refreshment table was decorated with flags, and the lunch eon served was heartily enjoyed by everybody. Following luncheon dancing was indulged in until the clock warned the merrymakers that the Lincoln Distraction company was about to take its valu able cars in out of the weather. Before adjournment three cakes were disposed of to good adventage by means of three lumps of loaf sugar properly marked. This was a departure from the usual plan of selling them at public auction, and the departure was profitable, to say nothing of its being hilarious. The Auxiliary is doing a splendid work in the cause of union ism, especially the printing branch thereof, it is little less than a downright shame that the members of Lincoln Typographical Union do not show more appreciation. Members who haven't missed a day's work in a year pinch their little old fifteen cents just as if to morrow was bound to bring a walk-out and destitution, and show no appreciation whatever of the splendid efforts of as loyal and en ergetic a band of union women as ever insisted on the label and "roasted" a retailer for handling "scab" goods. Some of these days the printers are likely to meet up with a situation that will recall to them the fact that they missed it when they did not show apprecia tion for the Auxiliary's work. . T R ACT LOOKS GOOD. Outlook for the Building Trades Was Never Brighter Than Right Now. Prospects were never brighter for the building trades in Lincoln. In fact, the building season did not close up dur ing the winter, although the cold snap made a short vacatlpn necessary. But with the advent of spring building ope rations have taken on great activity. With possibly one excption every thing is pleasant in the building trades, and the exception promises to disap pear. Business Agent McKnight of the Teamsters' Union may be found at Car penters' hall. Business Agent Kent or the Carpen ters' Union keeps regular hours at the local's hall. Central- Labor Union meeting next Tuesday evening. All delegates should be present. '..;.. ' ' It is reported-that the 'job printing firm of McCartney & Simmons has been dissolved, Mr. Simmons retiring. AAAA THE LABEL LEAGUE. The regular meeting of the Woman's Union Label League will be held at Central Labor Union hall next Tuesday evening. It is especially desired that there be a full attendance at this meet ing, as plans for the summer's cam paign are to be discussed. ..".' The League committee has been vis iting the different iocal unions during the pa3t two weeks, striving to arouse interest iff the work of the League and secure new members. Tho committee has met with many encouragements and feel that the visits have been pro ductive of much good. . Members of the League assert that the grocer who will keep in stock a supply of union made broms will reap a goodly ; harvest. One member was sent a Lee broom by her grocer, and when she fired it back the grocer com plained about it; The lecture she gave that grocer was something worth while and he has doubtless been thinking about it ever since. .'The ''something just as good or bet ter" talk that some dealers put' up don't go with, the members of the La bel League any more.. It must .have the label, or it does not get into the house. ; . - . . A A A A A-AAAAArl - THE BARBERS. . U AAA A A A A A A A A'A A ' "Billy" McQuiston's dream of 'wealth Is over. For a year or two "Bflly'has been spending the thirty thousand plunks he had in his mind. He bought houses and lands and automobiles; ho founded colleges and libraries and made ' philanthropic stunts that put Carnegie on . the bum. All this, of course, in his mind! In other words, "Billy" was going to do all these things when he got next to the city treasury of Utica. But some one cougnea ana "Billy" woke up. It happened this way: "Billy" was arrested in Utica for selling something without a license. He was thrown into the donjon keep for an hour or two and the imprison ment, being unjustified, made him sore. So he sued the village for damages. But owing to the perverseness of twelve men he was defeated. However, "Billy" had the . fun of spending all the money several times over in .his mind. The local Barbers'-Union 13 growing steadily in strength and influence. The local now has upwards of sixty active members on the rolls,' and Interest in the work of unionism is growihg every day. t - v S' ' i i i