LABOR LEGISLATION BY THE LAST LEGISLATURE
Just two years ago next June the
Neraska State Federation of Labor
was organized in the city of Lin
coln by men representing eighty
three different local labor organiza
tions within the state. Many were
pessimistic, believing that previous
failures to maintain a state organiza
tion would make it impossible to rally
the workers into another compact
state body. But the effort was made,
and success was accomplished.
The first convention after the or
ganization was held in South Omaha
in January, 1910. The second con
vention was held at Havelock last
January, at which time it was de
cided to meet hereafter in September,
and Omaha was selected for the next
convention city. At the Havelock
convention it was decided to get into
the legislative game and make an
effort to secure some legislation in
the interests of the wage earners.
For the first time in the history
of Nebraska unionism an organized
effort was made to secure legisla
tion and the results of this initial
effort were so great that the future
of the State , Federation is assured.
That success will impel unions not
now affiliating to get into the fold
and have a part in a work that is
bound to push further and further
ahead. Today less than one-half the
local organizations in the state are
affiliated with the state body, yet
despite this lack of interest and sup
port the Federation took the plunge
and it has made good. What shall
be accomplished in future depends
wholly upon the support accorded
the state body by the local organiza
tions. At the Havelock convention a legl
islative committee was appointed, and
the president, as chairman of that
committee, was empowered to make
selection of men whom he thought
best.fitted to attend to the work. It
was understood that the finances of
the organization would not permit
keeping the entire committee at work,
but there was enough money to keep
one man on watch all the time, and
two men a goodly part of the time.
President Maupin selected H. M.
Bridwell of Omaha and Frank M.
Coffey of .Lincoln as the men best
fitted to attend to the work. Mr.
Bridwell performed efficient service
until ill health and a pressure of
duties in connection- with his Omaha
work compelled him to retire. Mr.
Coffey, whose experience as a lawyer
peculiarly fitted him for the work
remained on duty day and night while
the legislature was in sessicn, and
he drew most of the labor bills in
troduced. President Maupin gave the
work all the attention possible, and in
this way it was pushed to th3 limit.
The success that crowned the efforts
of the committee is a source of pride
to its members, and should be appre
ciated by the rank and file.
In all four good laws were secured,
two of them being of especial value,
and one law aimed solely at the wage
earners was defeated by an appeal
to Governor Aldrich.
The law providing for the proper
safeguarding of the lives of workers
on buildings, bridges, and viaducts is
of especial importance. This bill was
drafted at the instance of the men
in the building trades, and it met with
fierce opposition from the start. A
misunderstanding caused the bill to lie
in committee for several weeks, but
as soon as the legislative committee
was permitted to exercise a free
hand it was speedily brought to the
front. By almost superhuman efforts
it was put through the senate only to
get into the ruck in the house. At
the session's nearing close it was
still far down, and was nowhere in
sight when the sifting committee of
the house was appointed. Then Cof
fey and Maupin got busy and by
working day and night had it lifted,
put on its merits and ordered to third
reading. The oposition was well or
ganized, but the legislative commit
tee had worked a bit, and when the
bill came up for passage it went
through with a whoop. Coffey fol
lowed it to the engrossing room and
by reason of his persuasive manner
soon had it before the governor for
his signature. It is now the law of
the state.
The factory inspection bill had
easier sailing. It is not all that could
be desired by any means as the labor
commissioner has no money with
which to make it really effective.
But it is a long step in the right di
rection and means a great deal to the
wage earners in Nebraska mills and
factories. It. provides for factory in
spection, the proper safe guarding of
dangerous machinery and proper
sanitation.
The state printing bill provided
that the governor should be the com
missioner of printing, with power to
appoint a deputy at a salary of $1,500
a year. The deputy must submit bids
in accordance with specifications, and
the law requires that when an official
or department specifies any "trade
marks, monograms, designs or orn
aments" the deputy must see to it
that the same tappears on the printed
work. In this connection it may not
be out of place to mention that all
union labels are registered as trade
marks. It is now possible to demand
and secure the label of the allied
printing trades on all printed matter,
and the label of the papermakers on
all paper. While the grave and
dignified senators were wrangling
over a union label bill, and listening
to the plaints of those opposed to
such a law, the state printing bill was
making its- way without much trouble.
It was introduced in the house and
went through with only three op
posing votes. But it was among the
last of the bills considered and it took
some tall hustling to get it over to
the senate and lifted by the sifting
committee. The legislative commit
tee succeeded, however, thanks to
the interest shown by Senators Tan
ner, Talcott, Bartling and others.
There was not an adverse vote
against it in the senate.
Another bill backed by the Feder
ation was one providing for in
spection and safeguarding of moving
picture theaters. The compensation
bill drawn by the committee, with
the help and counsel of Representa
tive Evans of Adams, was bitterly
fought before the committee by rep
resentatives of organized employers.
The legislative committee knew from
the beginning that there was no hope
of securing such a law at this ses
sion, but it believed that by agitating
it strenuously people would be set to
thinking and the matter would be
more thoroughly investigated. The
bill was practically withdrawn before
an adverse report could be made, but
a resolution was secured providing
for a commission to investigate the
entire subject and submit a report to
the next legislature. By getting such
a resolution through the legislative
committee will be able to secure the
services of the state reference bureau
thus liminating any jpxpense to the
Federation for postage, stationery
and stenographer's services. The
governor will appoint? a Tjoard of in
vestigators who sha serve without
remuneration. The f Federation and
the National Civic Federation will co
operate in sharing the small expense
incident to the work.
The garnishee law, aimed solely at
the wage earners, was passed despite
the opposition of the. legislative com
mittee. - The committee owes much
to Representative Grossman of Doug
las for his splendid fight against this
iniquitous measure. When the bill
finally passed the committee, together
with Mr. Grossman, appealed to the
governor. The appeal was not in
vain, for Governor Aldrich vetoed
the bill. He voted against the same
kind of a measure when he was a
member of the senate four years ago.
This, in brief, is a synopsis of what
was accomplished the first time try
ing. If as much may be done in pro
portion after- all the local organiza
tions realize the benefits of affilia
tion and get into the fold, a very few
years will see Nebraska in. the f roe
front of the states having wise and
humane laws in the interests of the
great army of wage earners.
The list of legislators who - gave
splendid assistance to the Feder
ation's legislative committee would
be a long one, but especial mention
should be made of Representative
Grossman and Holmes . of Douglas,
Representative Evans of Adams, Rep
sen tative Lawrence of Dodge, Repre
sentative Leidigh of Otoe, Senators
Taner and Reagan of Douglas and
Senator Bartling and Talcott. With
out the assistance .of these gentle
men at the latter end of the session,
the public building bill and the state
printing bill would have failed.
Last fall, while serving as deputy
labor commissioner, Will M. Maupin
secured the conviction of two Omaha
employers on the charge of violating
that section of the female employ
ment law which prohibits the employ
ment of women in stores and factor
ories after 10 o'clock p. m. The cases
have been appealed to he higher
court and the Woman's Trades union
league and the National Consumers
league have pledged their assistance
in prosecuting the cases through to
the court of last resort. Deputy Com
missioner of Labor Guye . will enlist
the services of the attorney general
of the state and push the prosecution.
Richard Metcalfe Maupin is con
to his bed by a severe attack of
measles and as a result the editorial
home is under quarantine.
Secretary Chrisman of the State
Federation of Labor will come to
Lincoln in a few days, and with the
assistance of Messrs. Coffey and Mau
pin of the legislative committee will
make out a full and complete report
of legislative work for the informa
tion of all local unions in the state.
F. R. Lintner, formerly a member
of the local Electrical Workers, has
removed to Fremont. Mr. Lintner is
an expert in his business, a true blue
unionist, and a hustler for the good
of the organization. He will be a
great acquisition to the ranks of un
ionism in Fremont.
H. C. Peate announces his candi
dacy, for delegate to the San Fran
cisco convention of the International
Typographical union.
The Lincoln Typesetting Co. has
installed the latest model linotype in
the basement at 1201 M street, and
is prepared to do commercial com
position on short notice.
That it pays for organized workers
to forget their partisan differences
and elect representatives to the leg
islatures from their own ranks, is
evidenced by the work of Representa
tive Charley Fear of the Joplin, Mo.,
district. Fear, a union printer and
a republican, was elected to the legis
lature from a democratic district. He
introduced a number of labor bills,
among them the bill abolishing the
leasing of convicts, and secured the
enactment of seven in all, the convict
bill among the rest. Among the laws
he secured are the following: Com
pelling the timbering of mines when
needed, inspection of bakeries and
prohibiting children from working
therein, and prohibiting employers
from paying in checks when they
have no money in bank. There were
others, all good. More might have
been accamplished had Fear been
Articles of Incorporation of the
LINCOLN TYPESETTING CO.
Notice is hereby given of the incorpor
ation of the Lincoln Typesetting Com
pany in conformity with the following
articles:
I
The name of this company shall be the
Lincoln Typesetting Company.
II
The principal place of business of this
corporation shall be Lincoln, Neb.
Ill
The purpose of this corporation shall
be to engage in any or all of the various
branches of the general printing business;
to own, lease or operate any or all kinds
of machinery used in the general print
ing business; and to own, lease or control
any real estate necessary to the pursuit
of the purposes- of this corporation.
IV.
The capital stock of this corporation
shall be $10,000 divided into 1,000 shares
of a par value of $10 each. This stock
shall be preferred stock and in voting on
matters of business, policy or manage
ment each share shall entitle its owner
to one vote. Any such owner may, by
proxy duly filed with the secretary of
this corporation, authorize any other
stockholder to vote for him. Immediate
ly on the filing of these articles of in
corporation, the incorporators shall pro
ceed to the election of a president, vice
president and secretary-treasurer who
shall hold their respective offices for the
term of one year. The anmial meeting
of the stockholders of this corporation
shall be held on the Saturday next pre
ceding the expiration of the terms of the
officers of said corporation.
V.
The business of this corporation shall
begin as soon as 50 per cent of the au
thorized capital stock shall have been
subscribed. The term of the existence
of this corporation is . fixed at thirty
years from the date hereof.
VI.
The officers of this corporation shall be
those enumerated in section 4 of these
a r deles and their duties shall be those
ordinarily entrusted to such officers.
This corporation may adopt such by-laws
for its management as a majority of the
stockholders shall at any time determine
at the annual meetings or at any meet
ings called by the president, notice of
which shall have been duly served on all
stockholders
VII.
The limit of indebtedness of this cor
poration shall be two-thirds of its sub
scribed capital stock. By
GEORGE W. KLINE,
G. A. MOSSHART,
O. H. KLINE
Incorporators.
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