Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-???? | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 1905)
T3r i Patronize I Tlie WaivorKel-v Hi , Advertisers -i-Va " " i i a. a. A- Ay a. a- tif u a. ,- i- Jt- & Jh jqJftthw & villi & &&M&t9mM A Newspaper with a Mission and without a Muzzle that is published in the Interest of Wageworkers Everywhere. Lincoln, Nebraska, jaxuaby is, Qo& '-- - trrrtlTT TT n TTTT T A V IT H TI tl 7 v TTT TT W H TTTV If 111 lb W AO ID W U VOL. 1 , I si l r I For lianl L. Douglas, tie fa- Urocton shoe manufacturer, lormany inancuraicu kuwi- January 5.' His inaugural ad !rcss was a nuxkl of brevity and sound sense, but lliosc pcrtions of it dealing with labor problems are of especial interest to work ingnicn everywhere. The W'age--Nvvrker takes pleasure in repro tlucinR what Governor Douglas said concerning labor legislation, arbitration and conciliation and industrial and trade schools. The address should be carefully read and considered by every toiler in . i , i . Labor Legislation. "In no commonwealth of the I'nion is such a large proportion of the people engaged in indus trial 'pursuits as here ia Massa chusetts. Upon the intcllicc, s.kUl,and willingness of jjieawyrk t rs depends the supremacy of our the world,. Massachusetts ininany enlighten '- labor measures j has been the leader of the states;;' and while much has :n accomplice!, vet ther? remains more to'jdo. Tbt f ci a"?rcd or ch'aing ct f'li o'W- should -not tunv us fr..rr tV..U broad aud humane ew tli.it tat -.borer is v-X-f Tiy 1 1 l.t ii u iciv. ilivi a ------ .ixiiCiifl! 4 11 T IIP 111 irKCLt til worlliv of lire, ',a i-j cvr-pl in the Urrt tin: ntc ic t prowle silics of lim- clevate hln o an cmpljy- vtomc the ji- he burden of ifT tihiig . 1 : that our ii-i. liould be su nt reliable coi- gressjvc stafcs s. Ouj workii g t 'be forced to ions by lower- rds of It ... ves this CJener- a,e any and all to promote a rade of manu onimonwealth, skill of Massa- STTs.'n.iy In; utilised pt ct.jiH, Hi,'! not g U ,- into opi comt''tition Ailh liie crude, yoduct o mills c-'l "factories t other - states pub'ic setimcnt has not en -Mtfficientlvarouscd to pre- ,VV v11-1- -"e ucijcintiiriii 01 une. wuo ( ii ..II ',4 ( IThc movemen'tfor the shorter orkdav s proressing. Most t f the cities an h towns of the f t Mate are on rcrcl as iavormg his 1 Von I 1 J l fnnd practicing at 'but, singularly, l.e crtninonr.-;.i f has been en KICK Ward ill" ;Usr : uch lecis- fcltlofl. 355 wo' :. lact . our state in thrd 'L.-niun. iMaclories and actions of the tret conies ail iot go unhced- lon of the wo- l'r the cnact- rohibiting the factories and lible hour. To led with due rned. I com Imsideration. rving more ienic con t'd factories. Ilie promo- ould be worker The light I'ceivc the Toilers .Conciliation and Arbitration. vjln the enactment of laws, the creation of the necessary board for their execution and the adop tion of the principle by those who work and those who pay, Massa chusetts leads all other states of the Union in conciliation and arb itration of industrial disputes. It is on eof the hopeful signs of the times that the demoralizing strikes is of less frequent occur ancc in our commonwealth. In dustrial peace has reigned almost supreme in those manufacturing centers where this golden rule of commercial conduct has been adopted. .Against the old method of strikes stands out this safe and sane method of conciliation and arbitration. By its adoption dif ferences between the employer and employe have been lessened. Its practical effects are evidenced in those communities where the wheels of industry revolve stead-, ily, and the full-pay envelope comes along regularly while dif ferences of opinion are being set tled by reason rather than by might. The conciliation branch of the work, which includes trade agree ments, the adjusting and compos ing of difficulties before they reach the acute stage, is as im portant as the board's other func tion of arbitration. The benets of conciliation and arbitration to the community, the worker and the employer are not as well understood as they should be for the welfare of the common wealth, and I trust the General Court may devise some method to educate those most vitally in terested in the subject to a bet ter understanding of the wisdom of submitting grievances to an impartial 'board of arbitraters; also that you, gentlemen, will fa vor such legislation as tends to promote the better working of the vtcm already established in the state. The work of the board can with advantage be extended to include the authority to appoint at its discretion persons whose duty it shall be to make examination and investigation of industrial con ditions in localities within the commonwealth, as directed by the board, to the end that the board may be seasonably informed of matters which may grow into misunderstandings before such .,.u I,.,..,...... . . i .tiaii iiiiiuifY ei MCh, aiiu ultimately, perchance, result in strikes or lockouts, thus disturb ing the industrial peace of the commonwealth. . .Industrial and Trade Schools.. . Xo effort should be spared to keep Massachusetts to the front in the industrial world. Since the practical abolition of appren ticeship systems and the special ization of labor in most of our mills and factories, there is but little opportunity for learning a trade. Today most workers un derstand but one small part of an industry. Their opportuntics for promotion are greatly lessened by this fact, and. the difficulty of obtaining men qualied for fore men and superientendents is often great. A practical knowledge of an industry as a whole, and of the sciences upon wJuch it rests. would open the doors to promo tion for many bright workers now compelled to work at a machine or bench. If a considerable par: of our factory employes had fj more .comprehensive knowlc' of the industry in which- tji. v were engaged', thev wo'uUf h- quickef to appreciate- a improvements, we woi '"Id '.iave better tore men and sua. riitf nd- ouf' factories wxr) be bet- x conduced and fnr industries d make greater nrocress. my o;,mon the industrial I o ides- sch,,-. are kreelv 51c orjp.f. great advance i " .f Zt'ty"? '-"sines in iir-Wjsian.n. We now ilious jof dollars worth tbsjiccld aiicV. should roi"''ii ''. 4 licfc. Technical ivotikfijot only enable work .?' s to.- ptoduce these s :it home, but would greatly mcrease ,our export trade. In my judgment Massachusets made a good investment when it gave financial encouragement to our textile schools and our nauti cal training schools. I believe we should have similar schools in other industries. I would also suggest the advis ability of agricultural schools, where a practical knowledge of horticulture, forestry and of the animal industries shall be taught. Small rural schools of this kind, scattered throughout- the state and extensively conducted, would, in my opinion, not only do much to keep the count: y boys at home, but would cause our New Eng land farms to become as produc ive and profitable as possible. Doing Some Excellent Mission- TEAMSTER'S UNION. Doing Some Excellent Mission ary Work For Unionism. The Teamster Union is busy these days, doinr; some excellent work in the cause of unionism. A committee is out and hard at work showing employers where it is to their interests to employ union team drivers, and several employers have already been con vinced. As a result more union drivers are at work than ever be fore. The coal season has given a boom to the drivers and they have not been slow to take ad vantage of it The committee is also visiting other unions and urging the membership to remem ber the Teamsters' Union when having anything hauled. Xcw members are being ini tiated at every meeting, and the indications are that the city will soon be thoroughly unionized so far as the teamsters are concern ed. A FETCHING AD. You Can't Miss It, But This Calls Your Attention. It is impossible for any reader of the Wageworkcr to "overlook the two-page advertisement of the Armstrong Clothing company in this issue, but just the same wre stop the press long enough to in sert this notice calling your at tention to it. This "after inventory" sale is one of the greatest of the great bargain offerings ever made by this popular firm, and the bar gains are worth going miles to secure. The Armstrong Cloth ing company has always made good on its advertising, and the splendid bargains offered now will be eagerly sought for by the wise buyers of clothing It is by keep ing faith with the people that this firm has been able to build up a business second to none other in the entire west, and today the store carries as fine and large a stock of gaads as any retail clothing store between the Mis sissippi river and the Pacific coast. Kmc is always assurea ot cour teous treatment at this popular store, and the customer may al ways rest assured of one thing whatever is sold, is sold strictly on its merits without misrepre sentation in any way, shape or manner. Long years jtf business in Lincoln has rnab'ed Manager Armstrong to accurately guage the wants of the public, and the immense stock enables the buyer to have an vmtranuneled selection A careful reading of the splendid two-page. -'advertisement will pay every patron of The Wageworker. THE BARTENDERS. Organization in .Healthy .Shape and Improving Rapidly. The Local I'artenders" Union i in good shape numerically and financially, and the membership is feeling encouraged. Every bar in the city with two exceptions are "square", the exceptions be ing a hotel bar on rest O street and another hotel bar on East O stret, where a "scab" plumber is interested. This Fast O street bar is in charge of a bar-tender who dropped out of the union in 'order to get the job. Reports of defalcation of ' the treasurer of the Des Moines, la., Bartenders' Union are believed by Lincoln men to be grossly cvag- crerated. The Associated Press put the amount, of the defalcation to upwards of .$2,-000, but as the Des Moines union is little if any j larger than, the Lincoln union, this would seem to be consider ably above the real amount of de falcation. When President Sulli van was here a short time ago he said that the Des Moines union was in fair shape, but hardly up to Lincoln's standing in point of strength and effectiveness. CUT RED TAPE. Roosevelt .Was .There .WithVa4 Good Sharp Knife. A day or two ago President Rosevelt seized his trusty pocket knife and slashed a bunch oLred tape all to pieces. . It took him about ten seconds to do it after he became acquainted with the fates. ' For many years -soldier's wid ows and orphans living near Schuylkill arsenal, Philadelphia, have been given the work of mak ing the' trousers furnished to Uncle Sam's soldiers? Last Oc tober the war depattment figured that it could save about $50,000 a year by awarding the contract for making the trousers to the lowest bidders. ; The contract was won by a sweat shop con tractor, but he 'will not make the trour.ers. The widows sent a del egation to Washington and laid the . mater before the president. He called up the war department and was told that under the cir cumstances 'the contract had to go to the lowest bidder. Red tape stooil in the way of giving the work to the soldiers' widows and orphans. "O, just a little red tape?" queried the president. "T'ell with red tape,'' or words' to that effect. And with his little old jackknife he severed "the red ; tape. The sweatshop contractor is looking for another job, and the soldiers' widows and orphans living near the Schuylkill arsenal are mer rily sewing away on the oo.OOO pairs of ' trousers tlffft as ill be needed by Uncle Sam's soldiers boys as soon as "warm weather sets in. CAPITAL AUXILIARY. New .Officers .Installed .at .the Last Meeting. The afternoon of January o found the Auxiliary in session with Mrs. Wright on North Twenty-second stret. There was, as usual, - large attendance. The feature 1 the day was the in stallatior of officers for the com ing six ii- nths. After t king the obligation the newly ele.-ted officers were seat ed. The retiring president, Mrs. Harngrover. cordially congratulat ed Mrs. Smith, and in a graceful little speech, asked for her the same loyal support and faithful sf rvicc, for which she thanked the ladies in her own behalf. The re port of" (he secretary and treas urer were now in order, and gave substantial proof of progress, nu iiKi -it-ally, socially and financiail Indeed,, we are "financially re spectable." , liiglit here I think we snoulu tnaiiK tne w age worker" for much of our money success, together with Typo graphical Union Xo. 200, who have always dealt so generously with its Auxiliarq. Gentlemen, don't you wish you were all married, and your wives members of our organization? For the ladies will banquet their husbands on their birthday, and entertain them royallv. The reports of committees were accepted ar.d placed on file. The motion was again made and car ried, that the ladies alphabetically "cudgel their brains" for inspira tions and send the result to the "Waegworker." The Auxiliary enters with en thusiasm upon its third year, fondly believing that bright and fruitful davs are in the future. Don't Forget It. Don't forget the oyster supper and dane'e to be given by the Cen tral Labor Union on January 21. A good time is guaranteed all who attend. The proceeds arc for the pupose of replenishing: the treasury of the central body. An Orr ission. The advertisement of Mrs. Roy Rhone was ommitted last week and the week before through oversight. Mrs. Rhone is build ing up a splendid class in mando lin and guitar study, and her methods and experience enable her to give unusually profitabe results to her pupils. The Wage worker takes especial pleasure in recommending Mrs. Rhone to those who desire instruction upon either of these favorite instru.l ments. iWHAT ARE YOU DOING? Are You Booming the Label or Letting It Slide? Look here, Mr. Union man, are you really honest in your union ism? Is your unionism of the heart as well as of the mouth? We know you talk unionism in your local, but do you practice it in your daily life? Stand up and answer! You've a union card in your pocket, I know, but that's non union tobacco you have in your mouth. O, it's your favorite brand, eh? Well, you'd holler your head off if your employer! suddenly took a notion that your, unionism wasn't the right thing for him. wouldn't you. O, in a hurry, eh, and didn't have time to walk across the street where they sold union tobacco? That excuse is no good. How you would howl and holler if your boss hired a "scab" because it might have taken an extra min ute to find, a union man. Differen't in your case, isn't it? Because you are a union man you want everybody to chase over and help you maintain )-our union by patronizing stuff bear ing your label, don't you? And yet you are so infernally lazy you won't take an extra step to help a fellow unionist, or so prejudiced in favor of a certain 'scab" brand that you won't look for some thing equally good or better with a label on it. You never forget to push your own label, but j-ou never think to specify a union teamster when you want coal de livered, or a cigarmaker's label when you buy a cigar, or the boot and shoeworker's label when you buy shoes, or the garment worker's label when you buy a suit. Laziness and indifference, coupled with mouth-unionism is the curse of labor unions today. Every time you smoke a "scab" cigar, or fill jour pipe with "scab" tobacco, or neglect to specify union teamsters when you want something hauled, or fail to de mand the label on your clothing and shoes in fact every time you buy "scab" goods you give the lie to your professions of union ism and give aid and comfort to union labor's enemies. Shout and holler and pose and prace all you will in the union hall, if you don't practice what you preach in spite of difficulties and discour agements, you are a "scab" at heart and a detriment to the cause of union labor. - Get i:ito the game 1 ' Either go to "scabbing" in earnest or be a union man fro msoie to crown, from stem. to gudgeon, from Al pha to Omaha, from hell to break fast. Agitate for the label! If it is possible to get the article you want with a label on it, get it if you have to hunt through the town with a fine-toothed comb. If it is worth making some uinon men and women are certainly employed, somewhere, to make it. If you are not pushing the la bel v'our unionism isn't worth three whoons in Hades. The Hodcarriers. At the regular meeting Tues day night the Hod Carriers' and Building Laborers' I'nion elected the folowing officers: T .W,. Calkins, president; L D. Wertz, vice president ; Miles Burk, recording secretary ; A. L A. Schiermeyer, financial and cor responding secretary ; F. W. Swanson, treasurer; T. Tryne, sergeant-at-arms ; John H. Schleuter, F. W. Swanson, A. L. A. Schiermeyer, delegates to Cen tral Labor Cnion. The selection of committees was postponed until the next meeting, when the officers-elect will be installed. Every member is urged to be present at the meet ing, arVi- 1 Suffering Cattle Mrs. Minnie Maddern Fiske, the popular actress, is heading a cru sade having -"for its object the more humane treatment of cattle shipped by rail from the range to the stock yards and slaughter houses. As Mrs. Fiske is too popular to need the services of the "stolen diamond" and "di vorce" press agent, we are quite certain that she is in earnest in this matter, and we hasten to con gratulate her -upen her interest in the physical comfort of our dumb animals. , There is certainly room for vast improvements in the methods now in vogue among cattle ship pers. The poor beasts are al lowed, to freeze or suffocate, ac cording to the weather, and en dure the pangs of hunger and thirst for manv weary hours. Much of this could be obviated by a little care and thoughtful; ness, and it seems stange that it should remain for an actress, to take steps looking towards an im provement in present methods. One would naturally think that the'Miumane societies should take the lead. - But while congratulating Mrs. Fiske upon her regard for the dumb cattle of the. range, we rather opine that a greater work lies right at her own door. While Mrs. Fiske is shedding tears oyer the cruelty inflicted upon cattle, tens of thousands of women and children are starving and freez ing within a radius of five miles of her own palatial. .New York resi dence. Over 75,000 . children in New York City are deprived of schooling because the is not ade quate facilities in that city. Has Mrs. Fiske ever -shed -any -tears because of this deplorable fact? While she is bemoaning, the fate of the range steers has she "ever given a thouerht to the mis.erv and squalor all about her ?.' Has " .--IT., she ever headed a crusade to WnneiT-will torget to go to the iai. away? with the horrors of ; the New York sweat shop? ; If Mrs. Fiske wants to se mis ery in all its horrors, let her go over on the East Side and spend a few hours in ' the" tenement blocks where dozens of men, wo men and "children eat, sleep and work in single rooms that have no outside openings, and which are-lighted by flaring gas jets day and night. Let her study the pinched and starving faces of widowed mothers as they bend over their sewir.-g machines for eighteen hours a day, striving to earn the scant pittance doled out by the sweat shop employer. Let her interview the' thousands of hopeless women who have, as a last, resort, sold their bodies and souls, for the crusts that not even the pet -dogs and cats in the Fiske mansion would deign to touch. It her gaze upon the babies slowly starving to death as they tug at the barren breasts of de spairing mothers. Let her inves tigate all the miseries and hor rors and heartaches of the thous ands of human beings in her own home city, and if she really has a womanly heart in her bosom she will not give all of her sympath ies to the maltreated cattle ship ped from range to slaughter house. There are scores and hundreds of children in New York Citv to- ciay mat sutler tar more than-any: steer that ever grazed upon . a western range. Ther are women in New York City today who daily undergo more of physical to say nothing of mental suf fering than any western steer ever endured, be the weather ever so inclement. Not for worlds would we put a stick or stone in the way of any effort to reform the present meth ods of shipping cattle. But when we see some one like Mrs. Fiske paying all her humane attention to dumb brutes and none at all to su'fFerin;,',. humanity, we recall the words of the Nazarene when he talked about the sparows. One hungry .. and freezing child is worth more than all the - steers that ever ate' grass. Then why so lniich maudlin sentiment in behalf of the steers and not a; thought Starving Qyf for the orecioti' Towfcs . of "whom x-v. the i azarene (saul gitX )f gtfcJhn-T the kingdom of he Jtn,7 , : By all means improve the jjieth- ' J, ods ..of shippings steeds, but ,J, ; God's name let us first look s' the physica1 wellr rcinV jrf the u oi uioiisaiHi oi, inrtiK-j. vieiims i selfish and crrtSfciKreed:-.. ; warrant that '--t Hnnfo',' dern bfske wiT5sp, ""weelv vestigating condition- km the Es Side she will forget fh,t thee: ever such an animal, -as a steel -- " " CENTRAL . LABOR :;UTTCH . ' J-.Sf- z, K Gets BusyiTalking AMnt BotX ing The Union Lab?- The Central Labof.;Uiorig, t.'.s 'Wonderfully! enthusiastic oyer,g"; union label at its meetingjrues-"::' ' day night, and 1t-appointed1im''-. mittee to draftf a loUfoi resolu- "T . tions calculated -to" help, the: good . work along. It alsq appointed a s, committee to look aJjter-some la- :"" -. bor legislation, ' and' ;tnadc some -recommendatiOnsf.w-It also took- a dip into nationaTpilitics and voic- ed its protest against lowering ! the- .duty on manufactured cigars . ;T from the Philippines, Porto Ri&i and Cuba. Thc-unlon cigarmak ers do not want to be forced into 'cpmpetitioii ,..with ;cigarmakers who make-. the munificent, wage of 30 cents a dafnBour "foreign . possessions " V 4 - The Lincoln - Central - Labor Union, will act jointly with the Omaha body . in opposing, the proposed garnishee law, and vvlli' also ask theeajtctment of a-vls'-' compelling all convict .rnide goocis 10 dc Dranaect conv t. . - and detrrmrlC-d to,as; the Stt'-' : Agricultirai'socWy to engage union bsad for service at thftnex't1 fair.-- I the bardgives no heetlr.'wi- to the petit ton a lot ot the uniotv; .. - - ' - ' Of course they woman t boycott it, for that is illegal.-,. But there is no law to prevewt a man from for- 4. s getting to go to. , a - place where the music is not nn the square. The central body also endorsed', the bill to be introduced by Lin- . -coin Typographical, - Union No. -209, asking that the Allied Print- v ing Trades Council abel be de clared the standard of excellence for all state printing..It was also i : decided to ask the -Lvfic and OI-'; iver theatres to putthc label o their programs. - Delegates .-present - report edon trades and-with one.-. or two ex ceptions all reported-; work good. - Then there . was'-j-some talk?. about the oyster supper andr-v: 3 dance to be given on Tuesday ev- ' ening,- January 24. That, jvill be . V a joyful occasion. .,. You can have 51 oysters and plenty, and dance til ' ; - V yvri.il J. riutu.jui IMC anient auill; of a quarter, and the Central La- . - Dor union guarantees you - the time of your life. Don't forget the date. :.-.- . ' -"jr . State of Trade. l'radt" is food in cvprv lino e( organized industryw-in LincolriHf. and m some lines is umi!yafty ? r good. BricklaA'ers and-"Carpen- ' f ters report trade Untisually good .. , in their lines for this season of XnttVtnt,: and the printers r-.vsKC: ) wiis s better than evr .tmiari-P avera"ge. i ' ; . J1 C - . . - - - - ' Two OJeicsgate - -, v . Oscar "Moore left last Stx, for Minneapolis, yhere hc-r " " " as a delegate from ' local to the nation' convei Hod Carriers 'ai Buildir borers. The lail tic 'r- month FtcrC Bloom ingtonl Jl.,t from the I-injcolnJ' tional convej t r..: : u-il Vi null. iJWljA. are capableme credit ..tuioa-'tnr- - The 'nianrwi own intCf'''' hi(5f?y of 07 paresis I A 1 1 y, vis 1 . 4 J
