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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
