1 THE WAGE WORK ER A Newspaper with a Mission and without a Muzzle that is published in the Interest of Wageworkers Everywhere. VOL. 2 , IJJfCOLJf, XEBRASKA, JUXE 3(), 1905 - . NO. 12 Trainmen's Picnic at Seward July 4. A Splendid Program of Amusements. Trains on the Burlington at 8:30, 10:30 and 1:30 And The Farmers Should OrganUe The following little editorial is clipped froni the columns of the the Albion, Nebraska, News, published by A. W. Ladd. Mr. Ladd is not only one of the best newspaper men in Nebraska, but is perhaps better posted on current events than the average man of business. But it is evident from his comments on the union question that he is not posted on that phase of our social condiions. The News says: The teamster strikes for shorter hourse, the miner wants more pay, the mason and the carpenter demand an eight-hour day. The section hand throws up his job, the factories are closed, arid everybody else, it seems, to work is indisposed. But still the farmer never kicks, he plants and sows and plows; he works till dark and then goes home and milks ten head of cows. He never asks for shorter hous, he stops not to complain, he's up at 4 o'clock the next day and milks the cows again; then to the field he hurries forth and sings his merry tune, and wonders what the price of hogs is going to be next June. Wlel, and in heaven's name why shouldn't the farmers organize? If there is any class of people on earth, working with hand and brain, who ought to be organized, it is the farming class. That the farmer has to work sixteen and eighteen hours a day in order to make both ends meet is a sad commentary on his intelligence and his enterprise. The farmer works harder and longer hours than any other toiler, and gets less returns for it in proportion to the toil and time invested. Why ? Simply because the farmer has not yet learned the value of organization. He raises more wool and wears more shoddy than any man on earth. Owning less than 12 per cent of the land values of the United States he pays over 50 per cent of the real estate taxes. He works an average of 50 per cent more hours a day than the skilled mechanic, and deducting interest on his investment in lands and ma chinery, he makes less wages. If short crops in one section give him high prices in his section he forgets all the injustice practiced upon him by the trusts and corporations. He has failed to learn the value of co-operation. He has not yet learned that what injures his brother firmer injures him also. If he is sick he quits earning money, while the unionist draws sick benefits from the fund which he has himself helped to create. In short, the American farmer, fronted by golden opportunities, is allowing himself to be hornswoggled on every side and is making no attempt to protect himself. Mention trades unionism to the average farmer and he will throw tip his hands in horror and see visions of bloodshed and violence. That is because he has allowed himself to be deceived by interests that do not want him to organize. He listens to the siren voice of the trust representative posing as a party leader, and wiirnot open his eyes to the fact that his prosperity depends not aipon protective tariffs but upon the steady employmen of labor at good wages. And good wages depend upon thorough organization of wage earners, not upon tariffs. The skilled mechanic who imagines that his good wages are due to the protective tariff ought to have his head bored . for the simples. It is organization, ORGANIZATION, that has maintained or increased wages. The tariff on Canadian shingles makes the American farmer pay more for shingles without adding p. penny to the wages ofthe Wisconsin or Washington lumberman. The American farmer owes more to the trades unions than he does to tariffs, for trades unionism has kept up wages and afforded a market for the products of the American farm. The farmer, should, therefore, join hands with the trades unionist. The farmer should organize, just as the printers, the cigarmakers, the carpenters, the miners, and all other craftsmen, have organized. Today the farmer has absolutely no voice in the disposal of his labor. The price of his products is fixed for him, and he can either take that price or go without. Being solitary and alone he can not stand out. Were he protected and sustained by his fellow farmers he could set a minimum price, and by collective bargaining he could realize more from less toil. The farmers should organize. Political organization is and al ways will be a failure. They must organize on industrial lines, and after fifty or a hundred years of such organization they may be suf ficiently of one mind to act together as a political unit. . j J o J . . . . . . J . . . . . PRINTERS' PICNIC. Capital Auxiliary No. 11 will have charge of the print ers' Picnic on the Fourth of July. The picnic will be held at the State Farm In the after noon, and the basket dinner will be served promptly at 5 o'clock so that the night men will have oportunlty to eat and get In to work on time. Every union printer and his family, and every union print er without a family, is cor dially Invited to be there. Take either State Farm or University Place cars and walk the rest of the way. Lots of games and amusement during the whole afternoon. Plenty to eat and lots of water aerated, carbonated, medicated and mineralized will be provided. jt jM jM jM J& J& i& J& maker of the labeling room, but when she kept on until she got what she wanted there came a cut in the wages. Again she kept on redoubling her ef forts, until at the new rate she could make the wages that she wanted. The others followed, and again the cut, In the end she overworked, and the strain killed her. Labor Clarion. THE BARBERS. A STOCK YARDS GIRL. Pathetic Story That Tells of One Girl's Useless Efforts. Miss Mary E. McDowell, of the ; University of Chicago Settlement, tells the story of one girl in the stock yards whom she called the idealist of the laboring girl a girl whose great longiifg it was to earn more wages, not that she could have more money, ' but that the family need not sleep all In the same room could have some thing more like a home and privacy. So expert was she, so eager, that unconsciously she became the pace- Going to Observe the Fourth in a New Way This Year. The barbers of the city are going to observe the Fourth In an entirely new way this year. They are not going to work at all. For the first time in local history the barber shops will be closed all day the Fourth,, and the Journeymen and "boss barbers' will proceed to enjoy themselves each according to his bent. This is an evi dence of progression and good fellow ship and employers and employes re alize it. The local Barbers' Union Is one of the strongest and best in this section of the country. There is not the least friction and the relationship be tween the employers and employes is pleasant. All , pf this is due to the wise and conservative policy of the union and the employer. It is safe to say that all of them will enter into the celebration of the Fourth this year with increased zest because of the interesting conditions surrounding the day. The sympathy of the printing fra ternity and a host of friends In other circles will go out to Mr. and Mrs Sam North, who lost their little daugh ter last Sunday. THE OLIVER THEATER Central Labor Union Benefit WEDNESDAY EVE., JULY 19 By the kindness of the Fulton Stock Company and Manager Frank Zeh rung of the Oliver, a benefit for the Lincoln Central Labor Union will be given on Wednesday evening, July J 9t on which occasion the magnificent Labor Play, "LOST PARADISE" Will be given. This splendid play deals with the ever-pressing Labor Problem and should be seen by every employer and employe in Lincoln and vicinity. It is full of heart interest, replete with thrilling situations, and is pre sented with a wealth of scenic effect by a splendid company. See the Great Mill Scene. See the Great Strike Scene. The proceeds of the entertainment will be turned into the treasury of the Central Labor Union. No advance from regular prices of admission 25 cents; J 5 cents and 10 cents. Tickets exchangeable for reserved seats at the box office on sale by Central Labor Union delegates. ...Specialties Between Acts... The Fulton Stock Company, now playing a summer engagement at the Oliver, is equal to many of the attractions playing one night engagements at a heavy advance over the regular season prices. Its productions are unusually well staged, its plays the best that can be secured, and the individual members of the company are artists in their profession. "LOST PARADISE" Conveys a valuable lesson to both Labor and Capital. Its love stories are unique. Its comedy is clean. Let every workingman and woman in the city take an active interest in this benefit performance. Wednesday Eve., July 19th i BOOSTING THE LABEL. New Association at Elgin for Boost ing the Sign of Fair Goods. The American Co-operation Asso ciation has been launched in Elgin, 111., and has taken its place in the business world as a promoter of the consumption of union-made products. The association assures trades union ists that it will establish any busi ness the workers may desire In any city and guarantee a profitable suc cess. The Elgin Trades Council and other unions, also reliable business men friendly to the labor union movement are interested in the venture. The purpose of the association seems to be to supply a substantial method by which workmen themselves, or a trades union, may set up opposition to unfair concerns. It will likely prove a formidable weapon against the "open shop" employer, if properly appreciated by the wage-earners them serves. Motorman and Conductor. and Philadelphia. The "scab" cigars made in the east are aften made by consumptives, syphillitics and scroful ous workers crowded into foul quar ters. Lincoln cigarmakers are our friends. They help make Lincoln a good busi ness town. They assist materially In advancing the cause of unionism. The Lincoln unionist who Is smoking "scab" cigars is no better than a strikebreaker, and as between the "scab" and the alleged unionist who buys "scab" goods, , we prefer the "scab." You always know where the "scab" stands. The alleged unionist who buys unfair goods is not to be trusted In union affairs. If you are not smoking union made cigars and giving the preference to those made in Lincoln you are fall ing far short of your duty as a union man. GET RIGHT! Quit "Scabbing" on Your Friends and Buy Union Goods. Are you smoking union made ci gars? If not, why not? The cigars made In Lincoln are made by union cigarmakers. Lincoln made cigars are just as good as any other cigars, and they are cleaner than the tene ment made "scab" goods of New York FOURTH OF JULY RATES. On July 1, 2, 3, and 4 the Union Pacific will sell round trip tickets to points in Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming at one fare plus 50 cents, except where rate of fare and one-third makes less. Final limit July 6. City office 1044 O street, de pot O and Fourth street. The hod carriers' strike at Kansas City, involving 1,400 men, mostly ne groes, was called off June 24. It last ed twenty-four days. Both sides made concessions, but the hod carriers did not win a substantial victory. TOO OFTEN THE WAY. A Little Complaint That Should Be Attended to by Unionists. When the Shoe Workers' National union is in trouble it will ask the la bor papers to do Its knocking and boycotting, but during peace and plenty it gives it money to have dead walls In dead parts of Omaha covered with advertisements in favor of the union label. How . natural it Is for men on the pay roll to play the part of big men vommercially. The Gar ment Workers' union did the same thing, and when it got into trouble the street car and high-class magazine had no room for boycott signs or hard luck stories. It does not neces sarily follow that a man on the pay roll is always a union man. Western Laborer. IN OMAHA. Good Audience Turned Out to Hear Col. McCullough's Address. Col. T. W. McCullough delivered his address on "The Doctrine of Col lective Bargaining" at Creighton hall, Omaha, Wednesday evening of this week under the auspices of umaha Typographical Union. About 300 were present and listened to the able ad dress with the closest attention. If the editor of The Wageworker had lots of money he would pay Col. McCullough a big salary to deliver that address in every city In the Uni ted States. . . ,.. Another Injunction Against Unions Under date of San Francisco, June 23, the following interesting item sent out by the Associated Press appeared in all of the daily newspapers of the country:. ' United States Circuit Judge Morrow has granted the appli cation of Dietrich E. Loewe & Co., of Danbury, Conn., for tem ; porary injunction against the California State Federation of La- ' bor and the San Francisco labor council, which has been boy cotting a local firm, jobbers in the hats manufactured by Loewe ; & Co. i Injunction "pendente lite" was granted on the ground that the unions had conspired not only to protect themselves, but to destroy the property and ruin the business of the com plainants. The defendants' contention was that they had used ' neither force, threats nor intimidation and had only urged upon the friends of labor the necessity of using their patronage for the benefit of labor a constitutional right. "But can it be truthfully said that this is all that has been done by them in enforcing the boycott?7' The court proceeds, and points out that this is the power of "combined numbers" and that the company is helpless "unless they surrender the management and control of their pat ronage for the benefit of labor. All employes have the right to quit their employment, but no right to combine to quit in order thereby to withdraw from a mutually profitable relation with a third person for the purpose of injuring the third person when the relation thus sought to be broken had no effect whatever upon the character of the reward of their services." ' : '.. ' In other words, when men organize a union for mutual benefit and protection they forfeit their right to exercise functions calcu lated to benefit and protect them. As long as they remain unable to organize for mutual benefit and protection they are in good standing- Wouldn't that jar you? V . A half-dozen railroad managers organize a pool and compel all the people to pay tribute. That's "good business management." A million workingmen organize to protect their own interests and secure fair treatment. That is "the power of combined numbers" and must be restrained by the courts. ' Restrained by what courts? What a silly question to ask. Restrained by the courts con trolled by the half-dozen corporation managers' who organized the legal railway combination. ; r And if yott dare think this is wrong you are an' 'anarchist" and a "dangerous character." ' . ' . Carried to its logical conclusion the union man who refuses to buy a "scab" article can be thrown into jail unless he can give some other reason than his unionism for his refusal. , Note this striking fact : the judge who handed down the above decision was appointed, not elected. Can you guess what influences were behind his appointment? THE OLIVER'S SUMMER SEASON. Fulton Bros. Stock Company Drawing Great Audiences and Giving Complete Satisfaction to All. The summer season at the Oliver is affording splendid enter tainment for the people, the Fulton Bros.' Stock company giving a series of dramatic productions that are equal in all respects to the average productions of the high priced attractions. The company is unusually strong, and the productions are staged in a most satisfac tory manner. Then, too, the dramas presented are of a high order instead of the cheap and hackneyed melodramas usually presented by repertory companies. ; ; "Young Mrs. Winthrop" is the bill for the remainder of the week. It is a clever comedy and will be heartily enjoyed by all. The Wage worker unhesitatingly recommends this company to its thousands&of readers. , ' . . , THE PAINTER8. Union Men Prosperous While Unfair Employers Are Worrying. The Painters and Decorators' Union is prospering, and without having made any fuss whatsoever about it has achieved a marked success in a little trouble that showed up last spring. Every union man in town is working at the scale of the union, or better mostly better and the fair employ ers are crowded with orders. The unfair shops have been struggling along shorthanded as regards num bers and sadly handicapped by Incom petency. , A union printer having a house that needed . repapering stepped into an unfair shop the other day, and said: "You have always done my work, and I have some more that I want " "Yes, sir; yes, sir; we can " began the unfair employer. "No you can't, either," said the printer. "I've spent lots of money with you, but I just dropped in to tell you that while I want a lot of work done you can't do It now, or ever again, unless you get square. My unionism impels me to employ only union men. Good day." The unfair employer has been "beef ing" so loudly about It that the story is going the rounds. A little more of that sort of support and there will be no unfair shops in the. city. j jc j jg j j j j j j J j j j J J J j j . j j J J PRINTERS' PICNIC. Capital Auxiliary No. 11' will have charge of the print ers' Picnic on the Fourth of July.. The picnic will be held at the State Farm in the after noon, and the basket dinner will be seived promptly at 5 o'clock so that the' night-men -will have opportunity to eat and get in to work on time. ' Every union printer an his family, and every union' print er without a family, is cor dially Invited to be there. Take either State Farm orr University Place cars and, walk the rest of the way. Lots of games and amusement ' during the whole afternoon. Plenty to , eat and lota of water aerated, carbonated, medicated and mineralized will be provided. - ,'v '. ' J J J Jit J Jit . j Jt J J . Jit J J j :-. jt j j j H. Wiggenjost, engineer at the court house and prominent in B. L. E. cir cles, has returned from -an extended trip through Wisconsin, Michlgaft and Illinois. He was accompanied op his journey by his daughter. Miss Qttie. 2& i& ' ' rrji.-&) ': !. Independence Day All hail the glorious Fourth ot Juljr (Bang! There goes an eye.) . With flash of flag and noise of band (Boom! There goes a hand.) Our glorious Independence Day (Crash! That took, an arm away.) We're free! We're free! Hip, hip, hur ' rah! Fang! That took a jaw.) cannons roar and marshals . prance (Call the ambulance.) We licked the British In Seventy-six (Gee! That gun kicks.) And midst great nations took a place (Took off half my face.) Crash! Bang!! Roar!!! July 4. ' '. : ? & v.