"y - -J
THE
WAGEWORKER
A Newspaper with a Mission and without a Muzzle that is published in the Interest of Wageworkers Everywhere. , ' ' ''
. . ' i" ' 'f
VOL. 2 LIXCOLX, NEBRASKA, J UXE 1G, 1905 '. KQ 1(
The Frtfits of
The 8-Hour Day
' ' The opponents of the eight hour day are divided into two classes.
First, there are those who labor under the delusion that the demand
for the eight hour day is based solely upon the desire of wage earn
ers to secure shorter hours for their own convenience. Second, there
are those who want a wage earner to work as many hours as possible
for a day's pay for the purpose of exacting a larger profit from his
toil.
The members of both classes are laboring under a grievous mis
take. The first class is mistaken in believing as it does, for the real
truth is that the demand for eight hour day is based almost wholly
upon economic grounds. A shorter work day is demanded on the
grounds that a man can do practically as much work in eight hours
the year 'round as he can in nine or ten hours, and also on the ground
that the shorter the work day the more numerous the opportunities
for work. This may appear paradoxical to the superficial observer,
but the careful student will not be long in grasping the point. The
second class bases its opposition on selfishness, and the selfishness
is based on ignorance. Therefore it is not necessary to waste any
time arguing with them. They must be compelled to learn by ex
perience. Just now the government is unintentionally giving a demonstra
tion of the claim that the union workman working eight hours a day
does more and better work than the non-union workman working ten
hours a day. Ethelbert Stewart has written an article on the subject
for the Chicago Commons, and to this article we are indebted for the
facts herein quoted. That they are facts is demonstrated by the other
fact that they are gleaned by Mr. Stewart from a report made on the
subject by Frank J. Sheridan, agent of the government bureau of
labor.
The government is having two battleships, the Connecticut and
the Louisiana, built one by contract and one in the government
ship yards at Brooklyn. The Louisiana is the contract ship, the Con
necticut the government built ship. On the Louisiana non-union
men work ten hours a day. On the Connecticut union men work
fight hours a day.
From the date of laying the Connecticut's keel to the launching
was 508 days, and the percentage of work done was 54.5. In the
case of the Connecticut the elapsed time was 570 days and the com
pletion 53.59. To all intents and purposes the eight-hour men accom
plished as much work as the ten-hour men, but really they accom
plished more.
The men who furnish the material for the Connecticut are inter
ested in having the work done by private contract, therefore they
have delayed the government work by holding back material and
furnishing material which they knew would be condemned and
refused.
But there is a better evidence than this in favor of the eight
hour workmen. The Louisiana workmen worked 2,413,888 hours,
and averaged 5.0608 pounds of iron work per hour. The Connecti
cut workmen worked 1,808,210 hoursand averaged G.2995 pounds per
hour. Working 20 per cent longer hours the non-union ten-hour
men performed less than 1 per cent more work. The non-union men
on the Louisiana averaged 50.008 pounds per day of ten hours, and
the Connecticut workmen averaged 50.39(5 pounds per day of eight
hours. An average of 500 men a day worked ten hours a day on the
Louisiana; an average of 470 men worked eight hours a day on the
Connecticut and the 470. men in eight hours performed practically
as much work as the 500 men in ten hours. Mr. Stewart says :
"So far, the claim of the labor leaders that the eight-hour day is
productive of better work and just as much of it in the skilled trades
as the ten-hour day, seems to be amply sustained."
Mr. Sheridan gives several reasons why the ship being built by
the navy yards is progressing faster in proportion to the hours
worked than the one being built by contract at Newport News. His
reasons are as follows : .
"1. Higher rates of wages are paid at the navy yard than by
private companies in Greater New York and vicinity, and the rates
of the latter average higher than private companies elsewhere.
"2. Employment the year round is steadier and more secure
than in private yards.
"3. The higher wages, shorter hours and steady employment
attract the best grade of workmen to the navy yard, where a tacit
recognition of an asserted economic theory prevails that the best
workmen can not be induced to work extra hard without larger pay
than the average.
"4. Prompt recognition of good work by advances in wages and
promotion in grade.
' "5. A large waiting list of mechanics and others from private
shops to select from.
"0. The expectation or belief that if the Connecticut were built
in record tine the building of another battleship would be given to
the Brooklyn jiavy yard.
"7. A zeal generated by the general challenge of the country to
the navy yard workmen to make good their claims in this test.
"8. Prompt discharge for inefficiency.
"9. Dismissal of workmen who could not or would not come up
to a required standard of output in quantity and quality.
"10. No restriction of output, individually or collectively.
"1. Loafing, soldiering, or 'marking time' not tolerated.
"12. Workmen required to begin work the moment the whistle
blows, and to continue working until the moment the whistle blows
at quitting time".
"13. Strict technical and exacting supervision of a high order
of skill and experience.
"14. A desire on the part of naval constructors and workmen
to remove an impression of inefficiency growing out of former navy
yard construction of war vessels before civil-service regulations con
trolled employment there."
Reasons 6 and 7, as listed by Mr. Sheridan, seem to require some
qualification. The Machinist Union claims that whatever of in
creased speed may have been secured through the zeal of the men to
show the advantage of the government building its own battleships
in the navy yards direct has been more than offset by the delay in
the supply of material to work upon. The union officials, both na
tional and local, have persistently declared that material for the Con
necticut has been delayed ; that material which the steel manufac
turers knew would not stand inspection has been sent to Brooklyn
' to be condemned. This, it is alleged, is for the purpose of delaying
the work on the ship.
The heartfelt sympathy of every unionist in the country will go
out to John Mitchell vwhose little daughter died very recently. It
should be a great comfort to John Mitchell in his affliction to know
that the parents of thousands of little children whom he has rescued
from the serfdom and sweat shop mourn with him in his loss.
There is only one imbecile
"who always votes the republican ticket straight regardless of whom
The nominees are, and that one is the 'democratic union man who
always votes the democratic ticket straight regardless of whom the
nominees are. Don t be chumps.
Tht managers of the seven express companies doing business in
Chicago refuse to treat with the striking; teamsters. A little dose
of government ownership of the
make these arrogant managers thing a bit.
equal to the republican union man
express business would tend to
A SPLENDID ARGUMENT
Colonel McCullough's Defense of
Unionism a Masterpiece of Logic
There are about 1,5000 union men in
Lincoln who owe themselves an apol
ogy, to say nothing of owing an apol
ogy to a gentleman who came to Lin
coln at his own expense for the pur
pose of defending their cause. The
apologies are due because they did not
take enough interest in unionism to be
present, and did not show proper cour
tesy to a friend and a fellow unionist.
Some time ago the Central Labor
Union invited Mr. T. W. McCullough
of Omaha to deliver an address on
the topic, .'The Union or Closed Shop
Contract," and he finally consented to
do so. Last night the address was de
livered before a mere handful of union
ists at the Central Labor Union hall.
The hall should have been crowded
to the doors, for an abler and clearer
presentation of unionism's side of the
argument was never presented in this
section of the country, and as one
who has given the matter close in
vestigation the" editor of The Wage-
worker unhesitatingly declares that
it was one of the very best ever pre
sented anywhere.
There was no attempt at oratory,
no appeal to pathos and sentiment,
no striving after theatrical effect
merely a plain, logical and thoughtful
dissertation upon the advantages of
unionism to both employer and em
ploye A synopsis of the argument
would be inadquate. To secure any
conception of the address one must
either hear or read it. Mr. McCul
lough quoted from the government's
census, from economists and sociolo
gists, and showed clearly that every
authority on the subject presents un
answerable argument in favor of col
lective bargaining. As soon as pos
sible The Wageworker will present
this able addres in full. It should be
the pleasure and the duty of every
genuine unionist in the country to
work to give Mr. McCulough's ad
dress the widest possible distribution.
Mr. McCullough, who is managing
editor of the Omaha Bee, is a union
printer and for nearly thirty years
has been active in the work of trades
unionism. He has studied the ques
tion in all its phases. He has had all
the experiences common to the man
who works at a skilled trade, and the
result of experience and study have
been crystalized into the paper he
read Tuesday evening.
After the meeting Mr. McCullough
and several old-time 'prints" held a
session and nearly every railroad in
the country was traveled again in the
usual way. Frank Reed, editor of
the Shelton Clipper, and a union man
all the way through, was a member of
the session. Mr. Reed is postmaster at
his town and is here attending the
"Nasby Convention.'
THE CIGAR MAKERS
Putting Up Some Elegant Advertis
ing in the Interests of Their
Label
The local cigarmakers are engaged
in putting up some elegant lithos and
handpainted signs advertising their al
ready familiar "blue label." This line
of advertising is undoubtedly the fin
est ever put out by a labor union,
and it will certainly have a good ef
fect. If the employers were as en
terprising in the line of securing pub
licity as the employes a'' great deal
more might be gained in the way of
patronage. The cigarmakers have fa
vored The Wageworker with a lib
eral advertising patronage, but up to
date the manufacturers have aggre-
ated the magnificent total of $2. The
Wageworker, however, will go right
ahead boosting Lincoln made cigars
for two reasons. First, Lincoln mde
cigars are union made cigars, and,
second, the more Lincoln made cigars
there are smoked the more cigar
makers will be employed, "and the
more skilled tradesmen employed in
Lincoln the bigger and better Lincoln
will be.
Some time ago Alex Stewart put
on the market a cigar named "Police
Judge," and the box bore the familiar
features of Judge P. James Cosgrave.
The union men of the city very soon
discovered that the cigar was not
union made and the attention of Mr.
Stewart and Judge Cosgrave was
called to the fact. Mr. Stewart, who
has exhibited his friendship for union
ism on more than one occasion, ad
mitted that he had made an error of
judgment and promised to rectify it
at the earliest possible moment. Judge
Cosgrave insisted that if the cigar
was to bear his name it must be union
made. Immediately Mr. Stewart got
busy, and the result is that arrange
ments have been made to have the
cigar manufactured by union men, and
the next consignment will bear the
famfflar "blue label."
"It was merely an oversight on my
part," said Mr. Stewart, "and as soon
as I was reminded of it I set to work
to make good. I'm glad the boys
called my attention to it, and I assure
them that I'll not forget again soon."
"I cheerfully admit that there are
handsomer faces than mine," said
Judge Cosgrave, "but homely as I
may be my phiz is too blamed good
to adorn the lid of a boxfull of 'scab'
cigars. I have had a heart-to-heart
talk with Stewart, and hereafter my
nicotine namesake will have the prop
el credentials on the box."
The union cigarmakers of the city
are feeling quite cheerful over the
outcome of the matter.
ONE OF THE OLDEST
Veteran .-Printer Finally Lays Aside
the Stick and Rule
The following from last Monday's is
sue of the Indianapolis Sentinel will
be interesting to all old time printers,
as well as to craftsmen generally:
After a long illness John H. Eagle
eighty-eight years eld, died at 5
o'clock Sunday morning at the home
of his granddaughter, Mrs. M. J. Dob
son, 448 Blake street. Death was due
to old age.
Eagle was the oldest printer in In
dianapolis and had worked at his pro
fusion all over the United States. He
started as a pressman on the Pitts
burg Gazette in 1837, and later worked
in Philadelphia, where he was born,
and in New York City.
In 1852 he came to Indianapolis and
worked for a time on the Journal.
Then he went to California, and, re
turning again to this city, was made
foreman of the Journal composing
room, in 1856. He held that position
for eleven years, when he retired and
established a grocery adjoinng his
home at 620 North Delaware street.
Until the death of his son, William,
last October, the aged "man remained
in business, but after the loss of the
son he sold his property and mad
his home with a granddaughter, where
he died.
GLORY ENOUGH FOR ALL
A Damnable Doctrine That Should Be
Refuted at all Hazards
Work the very best you can,
Better than the Other man,
You will find It the best plan,
To hang on.
Milwaukee Sentinel Poet.
The sentiment of the Sentinel's
verse is essentially bad. It is all right
to "work the very best you can." It
is your duty to take- interest in your
employer's welfare and to- earn your
salary by giving the best service you
can. That form of agitation which
aims to keep you at war with your
employment is extremely hurtful to all
concerned. But to have it in mind that
you are to do "better than the other
man," who perhaps is not you equal
in strength or skill, but who never
theless has a family to be fed, clothed
and sheltered, is to make of yourself
a hog so far as that name can be
applied to a human being. While you
are doing your work with conscien
tious fidelity and skill, you should be
glad if "the other man' does his work
equally well. This D. M. Parry idea
that it is the workingman's duty to
aim to belittle "the other man's work
by comparison was born in hades and
is in harmony with its origin. Away
with it. Superior Telegram.
THE BARBERS
Warm Weather Makes Work Better
and All Are Feeling Good
The Journeymen Barbers of Lincoln
have demonstrated what conservative
and wise action can' do towards main
taining pleasant and satisfactory re
lations between employers and em
ployes. The committee appointed by
the local union to handle the matter
of adjusting differences went to work
quietly and without any flourish of
trumpets. The meetings were marked
by cordiality and a willingness to do
the right thing, and as a result of the
meetings everything was arranged to
the' complete satisfaction of all con
cerned. Business is good. . This is the time
of year when business is usually first
class in the tonsorial line.
- The barbers are all base ball fiends,
and when they can not get out and
root for their own team they are root
ing for some other team. The bar
bers claim to have just a little the
best ball team of any craft in the city,
and are willing to wager razors and
strops on the proposition. If any
other craft holds that the barbers are
mistaken, a challenge inserted in The
Wageworker will find a speedy re
sponse. CAPITAL AUXILIARY
Planning for the June Social and Ex
pecting a Jolly Good Time
Capital Auxiliary No. 11 will meet
in regular session next Wednesday
afternoon. In the evening the regu
lar June social will be held, and the
committee in charge is laying plans
to make it fully up to the mark set
by former socials. At the next meet
ing officers will be elected and a full
attendance is desired. And above all
things, let the members remember
that the date of the meetings has been
changed to Wednesday afternoon, and
the place is now Bohanon's hall.
GENERAL MENTION
Items of Interest Culled From Sources
Here, There, and Everywhere.
For union made shoes go to Rogers
& Perkins.
The union horseshoers of Atlanta,
Ga., are out on strike.
The largest line of union made shoes
in the city at Rogers & Perkins.
Anti-Japanese leagues are being
formed all along the Pacific coast.
French workingmen are reported
uneasy and fears of general strike in
all trades are expressed. '
The state convention of the Massa
chusetts Building Laborers' union was
held in Boston la'st week.
The United Mine Workers are mak
ing especial efforts at organization
among the non-union miners in the
Pittsburg district.
The new Burr block at Thirteenth
and O streets will add a whole lot to
the appearance . of that section of
the business district.
San Francisco carpenters are de
manding the enlargement of the Chi
nese exclusion act so as to include
Japanese and Koreans.
The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul
railroad management has abolished
the Sunday excursion. Presidet Earl
ing says they are bad things.
Machinery for the new Missouri Pa
cific shops at Sedalia, Mo., will be in
stalled by October 1, and work for
2,000 men will then be provide.
Doubtless Shader, the drugist, is
crazier now than ever, taking his own
plea of insanity as a basis for the
charge. The excise board is making
him hop lively.
Street railway men in New York
hope to secure a vestibule law from
the next legislature. Nebraska has
had it for eight years. They're awfully
slow down east.
If you have not seen the Fulton
Stock company in "The Lost Para
dise" do so before the week ends, - It
is a labor play that every union man
and woman should see.
Ten thousand Jap laborers in Ha
waii are reported waiting an opportu
nity to come to the United States.
There is a big demand for that kind
of labor on western railroads.
The magnificent new Labor Temple,
at Lost Angeles, Calif., is almost ready
for dedication. The flag on its staff
will flap over the roof of General
Otis' "rat" printery and make the gen
eral furious.
LINEMAN KILLED
James R. L. Mauzey Meets Death
While at Work in St. Joseph
James R. L. Mauzy, better known
as Roy Mauzy, an electric lineman,
met death at St. Joseph, Mo., Monday
evening by coming in . contact with
a live wire. Mauzy went out to repair
a broken wire, and before he snapped
his life belt at the top of the pole
he came in contact with a live wire
and was thrown to the ground. The
wire burned his shoulder frightfully
and the shock loosened his Tiold. ' He
fell to the ground, sustaining injuries
which resulted in his death a few
hours later.
Mr. Mauzy was a Lincoln boy and
the remains, were brought to this city
for interment. The funeral was held
Wednesday afternoon and the inter
ment was at Wyuka. Mr. Mauzy had
many friends in Lincoln, and was
especially well lite d by members of
his craft.
AN OPEN SHOP
Leatherworkers Agree to It, But Se
cure Some Valuable Concessions
The local leatherworkers on horse
goods have been compelled to agree
to the open shop, but their wage scale
was agreed to and they have a griev
ance committee. For two years Lin
coln has been the only closed shop
in this district, and the employers
insisted that in justice to them the
open shop should prevail here. The
leatherworkers resisted, but finally
agreed to it in view of valuable con
cessions made along other lines. All
of the negotiations were carried on
without any serious trouble, and the
results appear to be mutuaUy satis
factory. Modern Definitions
Vested Rights Something you have
no right to but are strong enough to
keep.
Standpatter Either a man who dis
likes the idea of letting go of the swag
or a man who can not see that he is
being bilked.
Trustee of Providence An insuffi
cient excuse for monopoly. ,
Community of Interest A thin dis
guise for financial highwaymen.
Protection Synonym for graft.'
Pacification Compelling the other
fellow to be satisfied ' whether he is
or not. ' ,
, Why He Failed
"Did Schemerly succeed in floating
that company he organized?"
"No; he scored a great failure. He
put so much water in the stock that
there was nothing left for it to float
in." i- ' . .
Vardemann
Carneg
Governor Vardemann of Mississippi is all right as a general
thing, although he is sadly off in his views on the indust-ial condi
tions of the country. He does not believe in allowing men like Car
negie and Rockefeller and their ilk to ,get control pi Mississippi's
educational institutions. Recently Andrew Carnegie offered $35 000'
to the Mississippi state university, conditioned upon a similar sum ''
oeing donated by the state, the whole to be used to erect arid main
tain a library in connection with the university. Governor Varde
mann and the board of university trustees, of which he is a member
politely but firmly declined the "generous" offer. , ' V
The Wageworker thinks a whole lot of Chancellor Andrews of
the Nebraska university, but it does wish with all its soul he had
been possessed of enough independence to decline Rockefeller's gift
to our university. Governor Vardemann has acted wisely. .. Men like
Rockefeller and Carnegie are doing enough to poison ou social life
without letting them get control of our educational institutions. We
nave iaKen occasion to criticize governor Vardemdnn for his peca-!
liar views concerning labor unionism, and it iswith- pleasure we seize
an occasion to give him the credit he so richljudeseryes
- : ; v -' i
HERE'S A GOOD STORY.
'And It Has the Merit of Being True as to Minor Details and to
Major Facts. f .; - - ' f
Here's a good story involving the management of the Lincoln
Overall and Shirt factory, and as it cdfnes to The Wageworker
pretty straight it is doubtless true :
Once upon a time a young woman occupying the position of
forelady in one departmrnt of the factory was married to a 'young
man who is a unionist from the ground up. As soon as the youn
lady was married she worked no more in the factory. One day the
manager sent for her and asked her to return to work, saying he was
short of help and needed her services very much.' She spoke to her
husband about it and he vetoed the suggestion instanter. As he w.as
making ?4,a day and working six days a week the year around Tie
fe't amply able to provide for the household. The wife sent word
to the manager of th factory that she could not resume her old
place, her husband being very much opposed to her again working
in a factory. ' . .-. ;.
"It must be a mighty small man that will refuse to let his wife
earn a little spendin gmoney," the manager is reported to have ex
claimed. "And he might have let his wife come down and help us'
when we were short-handed." .
"A little spending money" is just .about what that outfit pays its
help. The average wage is less than $6 per week, including every
employe on the pay roll. This is undoubtedly the lowest wage paid
in the city, not even excepting Hermarm Bros., another sweat shop ,
overall and shirt factory. In one publishing house in the city where
about forty young woman areemployed as, mailers and subscription
clerks, the average wage for all employes is about S14 a week; with
an eight hour day; Saturday half holiday, all legal holidays on full
pay and a week's vacation each year' on full pay. In another pub
lishing, house the average is. about thsame with.Urf nine, hour day)'
WOMAN'S UNION LABEL LEAGUE.
Listen to a Verbal Report from Mrs. Kent, Delegate to the Interna-
tiona? Convention. ;
The Woman's Union Label League met in regular session last
Monday night, and the most interesting feature of the mcecing was
a report from Mrs. Alice Kent, delegate from, the local league to the
international convention at Chicago last week. , i
The convention was held at Hull House, in the stock yards dis-:
trict, and the experiences of the delegates in that slum section were ,
often laughable but more often annoying-. But the experiences
taught the woman the necessity of moreearnest work in the cause of
bettering social and industrial conditions; The' sessions of' the inter
national were somewhat stormy., a bitter fight among the chief dffi
cials being the disturbing causes The-'fight. was centered on Mrs.
Brittel, president, and she was retired, Mrs. Fitzgerald of Chicago
being elected to succeed her. It would seem that the affairs of the
league are not in good shape, and it will take some earnest effort to
bring order out of the chaos created by petty jealousies and incom
petency. But the newspaper reports of trouble in the convention's
sessions were grossly exaggerated. V - t . '' 5
Mrs. Kent talked entertainingly and '..demonstrated by her re
port that the local league made no mistake in selecting her to repre
sent it at the convention. Her report was calculated to arouse the
enthusiasm of the members and set them to work more earnestly to
build up the organization in this city.
STRENUOUSLY
Charter of St. Louis Typographical Union Revoked for Violation of
International Law.
In violation of international law adopted by an overwhelming'
referendum vote, St. Louis Typographical Union entered into a con
tract for the nine-hour day extending beyond the date of January 1,
1906. The international officials endeavored to prevent it, but with
out avail. When the contract was signed the charter of the St. Louis
union was immediately revoked. , ; "
:: The St. Louis union has a membership of about 1,400. The full
details of the trouble have not yet been made public, and may not be.
until the July issue of the Typographical Journal. In the meanwhile
the eight hour campaign goes on with unabated vigor. City after'
city is being brought into the eight hour class. Upwards of two
hundred local unions have already secured' the eight hour day, and
nearly a hundred have arranged for it to take effect on January 1.
The St. Louis trouble will have no effect upon the intention of the
unions to bring the shorter work , day." ' '
THE FULTON STOCK COMPANY.
Worthy Theatrical Company Opens Its Second Summer Elngage-
i fflent at the Oliver Theatre.
' The Fulton Stock Company, supporting Miss Enid Jackson and
Mr. Jess Fulton, opened its second summer engagement at the
Oliver last -Tuesday evening. It is with pleasure that The Wage
worker recommends this company to the consideration of its read
ers. It presents a line of attractions at popular prices attractions
as wrell staged and, as well, presented as those of other companies
charging the regular theatre prices. The engagement Avill continue
through the summer months, and many a delightful evening may be
spent at the Oliver.
Some time during the engagement a play by a local author -will
be given, full particulars of which will" appear later. . The opening
bill of the engagement was "The Lost' Paradise,", a labor play which
every reader of The Wageworkerf'should see. This play will con-
linne until Saturday night, with regular Saturday matinee. See it
bv all means.
Vocalization will never build a Labor Temple " .
We greatly fear that the esteemed Typographical Journal is;
falling into trae error of indulging in "personal journalism." ; . -
" . '-
Turns
DISCIPLINED.
v.
1