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THE' WAGE WORK
Vol. i,
Lincoln, Nebraska, May 20, 1904.
No. 6.
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER WITH A MISSION AND WITHOUT A MUZZLE THAT IS PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WAQEWORKERS EVERYWHERE.
ER
1 A
IT IS A PRETTY SIGHT
St. Louis Retail Clerks in
Good Condition.
Employer Well Satisfied and Insist
On Having Their. Clerks Be
long to the Union.
Not all the pretty sights in St. Louis
are within the exposition ground.
There is enough, within the grounds to
keei the average sightseer busy to a
mouth and then not get all of it.
But one of the prettlct sights is not
inside the grounds, a-u'. it cost but a
few cents in Uncle Sam's money. How
much of labor and sacrifice it costs no
one will, perhaps, evei know. This
sight Is small. It is o'ubably 10x14
, inches la size and is in two colors
white and red. It looks something
like this:
UNION STOKE.
St. Louis Retail Cltrks'
Union.
Nearly every' big sti in St. L uis
and there are many bt. stores show
this pretty little sign prominently in
the front windows. It iray be seen on
every side, and that tne retail clerks
appreciate their strengtn, and that the
public is benefited, is e ldenced by the
. fact that nowheia in America are pa
, . trons treated wl'h moil: courtesy; no
where is the ke rvice Detter, and no
where is a stranger g.eeted more
Kindly and wailed on with more skill.
St. Louis is thoroughly union. The
( St. Louis public insists upon unloniL-.n.
' This was discovered by the St- Louis
Rapid Transit company several months
ago when it undertook 10 break up tne
Street Railway Employes' Union. The
general public refused to patronize the
trolley cars, and the cabmen reaped a
harvest. The street railway people
came to time. The teamsters struck
.for better pay 'and shorter hours, and
the Imported strike breakers found
ttiomsielvcs drawing pay and doing
nothing. Every available horse, mule,
cart, dray, wagon and buckboard was
pressed Jnto service by union team
Y iters, and the bosses saw their profits
'fading away. The public insisted on
having union teamsters, and the team'
titera soon won their contention.
The newspaper stories of rioting
during the teamsters and street rail
way strike were grossly exaggerated.
A few hothead? threw some stones,
and once or twice concerted attacks
were made on scriko br- akers, but the
officials of the unions refused to stard
by the rioters and lent every assist
ance to the pollco in preserving order.
The unions won out bv having pub'ic
sentiment behind them. The editor of
The Wageworker talked to a member
of one of the largest retail firms 'n
St. l outs in fact, one of the largest fn
the country. He freely admitted that
the retail clerks' union had been of
.' mutual benefit. The members of the
union were spurred to better efforts;
the employers could deal directly with
committees tepresentip" the employes
instead of trying to deal with a thou
saiul separate individuals.
"Wo opposed the union Idea at the
Rtart." he said, "and even went so far
as to post notices that we would dis
charge any employe who joined. We
were compelled by public sentiment
and by business reasons to submit.
. Now we Insist that every new employe
shall become a member of the union.
It has been beneficial to our business."
Last Tuesday a party of twenty or
thirty Nebraskans were making the
rounds. A' big shoe niauulacturing
company of St. Louis has a complete
. plant in operation, showing the emire
process of making shoes. The Ne
braska crowd started with the man
, who cut the leather and followed that
particular bit of leather until it came
out in the finished shoe A man went
' along explaining each process. When
the shoe was complete the editor of
The Wageworker innocently asked:
'4 "Where is the machine that puts on
the union label?" '
"We do not use the label, sir,'' said
the guide.
"Good-bye," said the editor, starl
ing away. And the entire Neiiraska
delegation followed, leaving the guide
wtarlng Into vacancy.
i.-yThere is a too general public un
""ftcrstandlng that labor unions are cr
1 ganizod merely for the purpose of forc
f lng employers to pay higher wages.
5 Careful investigation of the facts at
' St. Louis disprove this iaea. The car-
penters' scale in St Louis today 'is no
higher than in the average city of 150,-
v nOO or more. Yet the demand for tai-
penters Is enoimous and every pood
one draws far more than tlie seal-
But the sight of tliRt little ca-d.
t neatly framed and uppcaring in neor'y
every retail store's display windows,
is one of the prettiest sights in Vt.
Louis to the union man.
It would look even p eitier in Lin
coln, Nebraska.
?
RETURNS FROMTHE COAST
E. Blake, a well-known Kansas Ci'y
union carpenter, is home from a trip
to the Paciiic coaat. Last November
Mr. Blake went to the coa-st because
of the many advertisements saying
men of all crafts were wanted on the
coast.
Mr. Blake says the labor field is
glutted and that there are several men
for every job. He says many men are
working for a place to sleep and two
meals a day. 'the feeLng is very bit
ter toward the membtrs of the citi
zens' alliance, who were parties to
the contemptible scheme which caused
so many workingmen to go to the
coast in the hope of securing emp"",y-
ment.
The plans were deliberately laid by
th members of the citizens alliance
to so glut itae market with wor kins
men that the men out of work would
A Friendly Word WitK
The Wageworker has not asked
of Hie Commercial club whether the
butting into the plumbers' strike.
In the first place The Wageworker
to risk insulting the intelligence of
membership by asking the question.
rumored on the street that the club
of its membership was considering the propriety
of butting into the strike and taking the part of
the boss plumbers. It may be only
Wageworker will not believe the Commercial club
is so foolish until it has boen demonstrated by
actual exhibition.
The Commercial club has plenty
out butting into this strike, it can
tunities for all of its activities in looking out for
Lincoln's trade expansion, in searcning for new
industries that will employ more labor, and in
spreading Lincoln's fame abroad. It
plish but one thing by butting into a
pute TROUBLE.
The plumbers and the bosses will
matter. They always have. This is
first little tin. But out of the trouole
an understanding and an agreement.
be, forced to fight for a livings,, the
scheme turned out just us was planned
and there are more idle men in South
ern California than there are at work
and the advertisements are btill
bringing more men to the coast.
Kansas City Labor Herald.
OUTRAGED
Every American rigtt continues 'o
be outraged by the autnui lties in Colo
rado. Outrage that set American
blood on fire in the ante-revolut'on
days is winked at in ILe mining dis
tricts of Colorado, and scenes ate en
acted every day that would, were they
enacted in some foreign countiy,
arouse American sympathy and call
forth Amerkan denunciation. And yet
these crimes against liberty are
winked at and receive only a passing
notice from the metropolitan press.
In Las Animas county a military or
der was promulgated commanding ev
ery striking miner to register at mili
tary headquarters. One hundred strik
ers, all American citizens, refused to
comply with the ordei and were ar
res'ed by the military satraps in con
trol. They were marched eighteen
miles across the country and thrown
nto a "bull pen" without being ac
corded a trial by a jury and without
warrant of law. In this "bull pen"
they are being herded like cattle, only
they do not receive the treatment that
the average cattleman gives to his
steers.
Will workingmen in this country
ever arouse to a sense of the danger
that confronts them? Will they never
awaken and demand their rights under
the law? How long is civil law to be
ignored and the righU. ot freemen to
be vio'ated by the corrupt, beastly and
aw-defying oligarchy that is now con
trolling things with a high hand -"n
Colorado?
THINK OF IT
Thi National Consumers' League re
ports that it has found in New York
rity hundreds of sweat shop rooms
which have no windows or skylights,
and whose only opening is a door lead
ing into a dark hall. 'he tenant is
compelled to work by gcjilight all the
time, and go without a breath of fresh
air save when going after or deliver
ing work. Women who are always
hunting for "bargains should think
of this appalling state of affairs.
GARRICK DEAD
General Secretary Garrick of the 'n-tc-national
Painters' and Decorato"
Union is dead. Mr. Garrick died at
San Francisco on Wednesday, May 11.
He had been an official of the union
for a number of years and was active
ly, allied with the union labor move
ment. .
CONSUMERS' LEAGUE
A National Organization
Doing Great Good.
Working to Abolish Sweat Shops in
Big Cities and Secure Good
Wages for All.
A companion organi atton to the
Women's Label League i3 the National
Consumers' League, with headqu -inters
in New York city. This league is
organized for the purpose of securing
equal pay for equal work, shorter
hours, sanitary condith ns and belter
safeguarding of life, t he officers are
as follows:
President, Mrs. John Graham Books,
Cambridge, Mass.
Vice presidents, Mrs. Robert H. Gar
dener, Boston, Mass.; Mrs. Frederick
C. Nathan. New York.
Treasurer. Mr. John &heeuy Wad,
jr.. New York.
any members
worker could have jumped in and written a lot of
sensational stuff about the present strike, but it is
not in the sensation business. Its mission is to
prevent strife not to foment it. Its mission is
to cultivate a better understanding between em
ployers and employes. not to make each believe
that the other is its enemy. For this reason The
Wageworker has said Very little about the present
difficulty in the plumbing business.
But if the Commercial club wants to stir up
strife; if it wants to breed trouble, if it wants to
endanger the present era of peace and compara
tive prosperity; if it wants to incur the enmity of
organized labor instead of cultivating its friend
shipIn fact, if the Commercial club wants to
measure swords with organized labor in this town
it will get a game that wiil kejep it guessing.
The Commercial club has clone good work for
Lincoln by attending to its legitimate functions.
It can do more in the future by keeping right on
attending to its legitimate functions. But just
the minute the organization allows ltselt to be
used as catspaw to pull some other organization's
chestnuts out of the tire, just that soon it will
cease to be a factor in Lincoln's upbuilding.
The Wageworker does not believe that the
Commercial club will be so unwise as to butt in.
club intended
was loath
the club's
It has been
or a portion
rumor. The
to do with
find oppor
can accom
labor dis
settle this
not tneir
has grown
The Wage-
Recording Secretary,. Mrs. Itanry P.
Bailey, East Orange, N. J.
Corresponding secretary. Mrs. viol
ence Kelley. New Y6rk.
The National Consumers' League has
adopted a standard for a "fair house"
employing both men and women, and
this standard snould be the object and
aim of every man and woman inter
ested in the cause of labor. The stand
ard is as follows:
Wages-A Fair Houe Is ont dn
which equal pay is given for work of
equal value, irrespecti- e of sex. In
the departments where women only
are employed, in which the minimum
wages are six dollars per week for ex
perienced adult workers, and fall in
few instances bnlow eight dollars.
In which wages are paid by, the
week.
In which fines, if imposed, are paid
into a fund for the benefit of the em
ployes. In which the minimum wages of
cash girls are two dollars per week,
with the same conditions regardirg
weekly payments and flues
Hours A Fair House is one In
which the hours from 8 a. m. to f p.
m. (with three-quartci s of an heir
for lunch) constitute the working uay,
and a general half-holiday Is given on,
one day of each week during at Inst
two summer months.
In which a vacation of not less than
one week is given with pay during the
summer season.
' In which all overtime Is compen
sated for.
Physical Conditions A Fair House
is one in which work, lunch and re
tiring rooms are apart from each
other, and confirm in all respects to
the present sanitary laws.
In which the present law regaining
the providing of seats for saleswomen
is observed, and the use of seats per
mitted. Other Conditions A Fair House is
one in which humane and considerate
behavior toward employes is the rule.
In which fidelity and length of ser
vice meet with the consideration
which is their due.
In which no children under fourteen
years of agj are employed.
In addition to making a list of "fair
dealers" the league is making a list
of "fair ma lufacturers " and this list
is being increased rapidly, owing to
the fact that the league is exerting a
growing Influence with those who buy
and who desire to further the interests
of workingmen and women. .These
are called "white lists, and all en
titled to a place thereon are provided
with a label. This la".)el on any ar
ticle means that it was made by peo
ple receiving fair wages and working
in sanitary stores and factories. The
league is also making war on sweat
shops and chiltl labor ind is meeting
with gratifying success.
A. T. PENTZER. DELEGATE
A. T. Pentzer of the local Typo
graphical Union was elected delegate
from Lincoln to the ints' national con
vention of the union to be held in St.
Louis in August. O. C. Fodrea was
chosen alternate.
This result followed an exciting
election held Wednesday afternoon -the
union in its headquarters in the
Fraternity building. Candidates were
numerous and the po-1 officers were
busy all the afternoon until the clos
ins hour, G:30.
Officers or the international union
were voted upon at. the same time.
James M. Lynch of Syracuse for pres
ident received the larger vote as
against Charles E. Hawl-es of Chicago.
J. W. Bramwood of Denver got a ma
jority over W. A. Graham ot St. Jo
seph; for the office of secretary-treas
urer. ' The two high candidates for
trustees of the Printers' Home in Colo
rado S'prings were F. A. Kennedy of
Omaha and Eugene Kirk of Kansas
The Commercial CKib
It will not
game wnicn
But
roost if
01 piaymg
City. For printer delegates to the
American Federation of Labor Wil
liam M. Garrett of Columbia, Frank
Morrison of Chicago. For allied crafts
delegates to the A. F. of L. Victor L.
Berger of Milwaukee Newspaper Writ
ers and P. G. Nuernberger, Chicago
Typefounders' Union. For allied crafts
trustee of the Union Printers' Home,
H. H. Rogers of the Chicago Typefovin
ders' Union, received the high vote.
TO TRADES UNIONISTS
TO THE TRADES UNiONISTS..
Brothers and Sisters: This circular
is sent you to make known to you the
true condition of labor on the Pacific
coast.
The citizens' alliance the Califor
nia Promotion society, and the ever
ready agents of the enemies ot trades
unions the employment agencies
have for some time beta busy flood
ing the eastern states and foreign
countries with lying and misleading
advertisements regarding the Pacific
coast, and California in particular.
The transportation companies, eager
for profit, have aided greatly in these
frauds perpetrated upon the working
people.
The convention of the California
state federation of labor, held in
Fresno, Cal., Jan. 4-9, 104, having in
view the facts of this important mat
ter, adopted the following resolution,
and ordered its circulation among the
workers of the country:
Whereas, Through scarcity of work
there are at present Hundreds of
workingmen in Fresno and thousands
on the Pacific coast who cannot ob
tain employment; and.
Whereas, By the false representa
tions of real estate brokers, railroad
companies, merchants' exchanges and
other boomers and promoters, there
is a constant influx of workingmen
from eastern and middle states, often
consuming all their limited means to
reach the coast, relying on the allur
ing misrepresentations above refened
to, they expect to find immediate and
remunerative employment, but inftead
they are in the sad phgnt of strang
ers without woik or money; snd,
Whereas, Said deceit works great
injury both to our brothers of the east
as well as to he overstocked labor
market of the coast; therefore be i.
Resolved, By the Laborers' Protec
tive Union of Fresno, that we call the
attention of the State Federation of
Labor, now in session la this city, to
this evil, and request said honorable
body to take such action as in Uieir
judgment is necessary to counteiact
this imposition which is working un
told injury to labor east and west.
This resolution, emanating from the
Central Labor Body of California, is
an expression of the sentiments of the
workers, and bring forcibly to the
reader the true condition of affairs in
the industrial field on the l-ac:nc
coast.
There is nothing to encourage work
ing people to come to California ex
cept the misrepresentations of those
who wish to break up the unions on
this coast, or make a ' font bv sun
plying and transporting help for that
purpose. Yours fraternally,
G. B. BENHAM,
Secretary-Treasurer CaMornia State '
Federation of Labor.
THE LIBFRTY BELL
The "Liberty Bell" is about to leave
Philadelphia for a tour of the west.
Everybody should see it. Everybody
should take a lesson ana an lnspua-
tion from it. Not only does it tell
what has been done, bui it tells what
shall be done. It runs the knell of
political despotism, and ' it should
nerve Americans to overthrow Indus
tnal despotism. The Dell is danger
ously near a mockery when one re-
memDers mat wage Slavery worse
than African slavery ever was, exists
in this country today. There are men
believe it until the butt-In is pulled
on ana even tnen it will bo haid work. The
Wageworker will not insult the intelligence of
any member 01 the club by asking him if he
thinks the club should butt in. But the rumor is
growing, and The Wageworker takes time by the
forelock and submits these-lew remarks. Not by
way 01 tnreats u, no! we. abhor braggarts and
nave no earthly use tor agitators. We deplore
strikes, denounce violence and counsel peace and
forbearance. But perhaps some members of the
commercial club are not aware of what the club
would go up against if it butted into this little
in no wise concerns it.
Let the plumbers and the -bosoes settle their
little disagreement. They'll get together some
time or other. Perhaps both sides are a little in
clined to bow their necks just now. That s only
natural, nui gust aDout the time the public thinks
hades is going to break loose, the plumbers and
the bosses will fix it all up, iafl on each other's
necks and embrace; and the dove of peace will
flap her wings in joyous mood and settle down
for a long roosting snell.
there's no telling when she wiil so to
the Commercial club makes the mistake
tne part of Mr. Buttinsky.
who will throw their hats into the air
when they see this bell, and then gb
back to their offices and traffic in the
blood and tears of w ciows and or
phans. There are- men who will
cheer when they see it, and then go
back to their offices and crack the lash
over the bowed necks of sweat s' p
slaves. ' ' . 1 ,
The old beil has told us , a great
deal. If we listen it may tell us a
great deal more.
NOT JUST NOW
A subscriber who has been of ma
terial assistance in increasing the cir
culation of The Wageworker, and who
is one of the leading socialists of Lin
coln, asks The WageworKer to publish
the national socialist platform, 'lie
request cannot be complied with at
this time. The Wageworker is not a
political organ. If it publishes the
socialist platform it wi'l be in honor
bound to publ'fh the lepublican and
democratic platforms. Space is too
valuable arid composition too expen
sive. That is just now. Later we
may publish all the platforms.
OMAHA PAINTERS WIN
The Painters and Decorators' Un'on
of Omaha is no longer on strike. 1 he
strike was declared off ,'ast week, and
on Monday the men went back to work
for the master painters. Both sides
made concessions, but the strikers won
their main contentions. There was no
disagreement as to wages or hours,
the bosses 'inertly refusing to sign the
old scale and insisting upon the "oeen
shop." The shops are not "open," and
the scale haj been signed. In some de
tails the master painters won out, and
the settlement is satisfactory to ."I!
concerned. '
CIGARMAKER.S
A Herminghaus and Farney Hawk
ins are spending the week at Milford
fishing.
Fred L. Kulper was in Beatrice Sat
urday and Sunday visiting friends.
Frank Smith and Otto Schulz left
Monday evening for 'jeuver. ''ney
will go to work in that' city.
Charles Rose returned to Creston,
la., this week. T". W. EVANS.
BOGUS LABELS
Look out for bogus labels. Articles
manufactured in the Vlissouri peni
tentiary are being sold with a bogus
label attached. The St. Louis Central
Labor Union is collecting evidence
against the perpetrators of the fraud,
and have asked that everybody help in
the work. . . .
The very best Country Butter, 20c
per lb. The Butter Store, 143 So. listh.
THE SWEAT SHOPS
Spreaders of flisery," Dis
ease and Death.
Some Plain Facts for Chronic "Bar
gain Hunters" to Ponaer on
for a Little While.
You women who are forever hunt
ing "bargains ' seeking to buy the
cheapest! Did you ever stop to think
that your desperate hunt tor bargains,
is a source of misery despair and
death to hundreds of our sex every
year? The cheap things you mske
such a desperate effort to buy are us
ually made in .-weat shops by 1 holt w
eyed women and children who already
bear the death damp upon their brows.
Every time you chuckle and con
gratulate yourself on having secu-ed
a wrapper at a bargain, just stop and
think that the poor woman in the
sweat shop receives Cie magnificent
wage of 49 cents a do?., n for making
them 4 cents each.
You buy a cambric dress, with lined
waist and some trimming at what you
consider a great bargain. ; . Do you
know that the life blood of one of your
sex is sewed into the seams of that
"bargain?" Some sweat shop worker
is making those dresses for 10 cents
each.
. That pretty nightgown, with tucked
yokes and insertion you got it at a
great ; bargain. Much cheaper than ,
you could bay the material and make
It yourself. Some pool woman in a
New York sweat shop is making those
nightgowns for one d"nar a dozen
less than 10 cents each. -Those
pretty aprons you got at si ch
a bargain. Some poor sweat snop
worker had to make a dozen of them
in order to earn 22 cen's.
Sweat shop workers are making shk
shirt waists and receiving the munif
icent wage of 98 cents a dozen in or
der that you may get -a "bargain."
Neckties are being made at a
gross less than a penry eash.
Trousers are finished I or from 2 V
10 cents, a .pair. .4 , , . , , v .
Men's coats and overcoats are being '
finished at from 5 to it; cent? a ear-,
mnt. .
The competition of. helpless chil
dren and overworked women euLs
wages until tenement workers are
practically made paupers, outside ot
the short rush seasons. , '1 .
Thus home work in the tenements
is turned into. a curse. It invades ail
the privacies of lite; It robs the child
of its schooling, its parents, its very
home. It breaks down the adult years
before his time by Its grinding pres- .
sure; it kilU the weak. In the sweated,
trades a man is old at thirty-five; his
trade life probably shorter than 'hat
of men In any other occupation, the
factory inspectors tell us. Tuberculosis
is the characteristic disease of both
men and women.
Yet all ' these tenement industries ,
exist to supply a demand; for these
goods there is always a purchaser, ig
norant, as a rule, of the antecedents of
his purchase. .
In God's name, good women ot
America, cease this mad rush for
bargains." Give women and children
, chance to live a little better Uan
gutter rats. Give them a chance to
get a breath of pure air once or twice
year. Give them a chance to ee
grass growing and leaves rustling in
the breeze.
Join the Woman's Union , Label
League and insist upon seeing the 'a
bel upon all you buy. The label means
health and strength an 1 happiness to -all
who work upon the article bear
ing it.
Stop and consider the fact that your
craze for "bargains" is starving wo
men by the hundreds, killing infants
by the score, stunting children men-
tally and morally, filling the alms
houses, recruiting the houses of pros
titution and piling up rich lees for the
coroner and the undertaker.
The sweat shop is on- of the gieat
est evils of the presem day, and. wo
men who love their God and their fel
lows can drive it out feiever. if they '
will but try. ;
BUILDING LABORERS -
International Hod Carriers' ' and .
Building Laborers' Union held an en
thusiastic meeting last Monday night
in their hall, between 8th and 9th on
O -street. John McDonald, president;
Oscar Moore, corresponding secretary;
Walter Swanson, treasurer.
The Omaha Credit Bureau is pub-,
lishing the names of 1.000 delinquents
who have failed to pay their bills. If
the dinner pails down that way are
full, then the contents have never
been, paid for. The same sort of thing
seems to be true In. the higher circles,
for Dun and Bradstreet do not fail to
remark each week that "collections
are bail."
)