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About The Wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-???? | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 1905)
. 7' 3 3 '.li STRAdEsabelI CPU NOLo) COLM o 171?: Id) A Newspaper with a Mission and without a Muzzle that U published in the Interest of Wageworkers Everywhere. ' ',.;. VOL. 2 ElNCOIiK, NEBRASKA, OCTOBER 20, 1905 NO. 28 t , . ..... .... . . Am Open Letter to the Woman's CMb S To Mrs. J. C. Harpham, president; Mrs. Harry 1 Eames, vice president ; Mrs. W. A. Poin ter, second vice president; Mrs. W. M. Wid cner, recording secretary; Mrs. E. G. Tyler, corresponding secretary; Mrs. J. L. Kellog, treasurer; Mrs. V. C. Phillipps, auditor; Miss Phoebe Elliott, honorary president; Mrs. Lee' J. Dunn, leader of home depart ment; Mrs. Ralph E. Johnson, leader of art department; Mrs. J. W. Johnson, leader of current events and, delsarte departments ; Miss Blanche Garten, leader of parliamen tary department; Mrs. C. E. Williams,' lead er of literary department; Prof. Patterson, instructor ; Mrs. O. J. King, leader of history department; Miss Tremaine, instructor; Mrs. A. M. Baird, leader philanthropic de partment; Mrs. Louise M. Allen, leader French department; Miss Heppner, instruc tor; Mrs. R. G. Clapp. leader of physical cul ture, and all members of the Lincoln Wom an's Club Greeting : At the recent state convention of the Wom an's Clubs of Nebraska a prominent club wom an from another state called your attention to the great field of work lying before your clubs, namely the abolition of the "sweat shop" and the emancipation of thousands of white slaves now suffering bondage worse than that suf fered by the negro before the emancipation proclamation was issued by Abraham Lincoln. This wise and philanthropic club woman point ed out the fact that there has been organized a "Consumers' League" in the United States, and that the league had issued a label to. all manufacturers whose factories were sanitary and whose employes were treated with con sideration. Then she made the plea that the women of the country demand this label, the intention being to do away with the sweat shop by refusing to purchase the products of unrequited toil. , The Wageworker hastens to assure the womanhood of Nebraska that this is a grand move in the right direction, and will receive the hearty support of this paper and the in terests it tries to represent. But let us call your attention to a few facts. There is already in the field against the sweat shop an organization much older than the Woman's Club, and which has been fight ing the sweat shop evil longer than the average life of the members of all the woman's clubs in Nebraska. This organization, made up of scores of smaller organizations, has already se cured the enactment of many laws in the in terests of wage earners. It has compelled bet ter sanitation in mills, mines and factories; it has compelled the erection of fire escapes on factories ; it has enacted laws against child la bor and compelled the enforcement thereof; it has reduced the hours of toil; it has bettered the wages ; it has compelled the betterment of school facilities in manufacturing centers. In short, this organization has done more for the great working class than all other agencies combined, unless it be the spirit of the Naz arene which is always working to the better ment of mankind. This organization, made up, as before stated, of a number of organizations, is known in the industrial world as "Organ ized Labor." Organized labor presents itself to "you in very many phases printers, garment work ers, pattern makers, engineers, cigarmakers, carpenters,, masons, plumbers, electrical- work ers or any other of a hundred or more trades and crafts' But although working under dif ferent names all of them work along a single line the betterment of the condition of those who toil. . The Union Label. These crafts, in order to protect themselves and the purchasing public, have adopted dis tinctive labels, the label representing the craft working upon the article presented for public approval. Thus the allied printing trades label appears on nrinted matter put out from a shop conducted under union conditions. The gar ment workers' label appears on all wearing ap parel put out from shops meeting the tequire ments of that union. Now. what are the requirements of these unions? Perhaps there are those holding mem bership in your clubs who have erroneous ideas concerning the labor unions. Some of you may assert that the unions "deny the right of a man to work where, for whom and for what, he pleases." Nothing could be further from the truth. As unionists we admit the right of every man to work where he pleases, for whom he pleases, as many hours a day as he pleases and for what wages he pleases. But we who have banded ourselves into labor un ions and by collective strength, collective sac rifice and collective effort bettered labor con ditions and maintain those bettered conditions, reserve the right to refuse to work with those who selfishly profit by our efforts while refus ing to help us bear the burdens of maintaining them. The so-called "closed-shop" is merely a shop where only workmen who have joined in the effort to secure the bettered conditions are permitted to enjoy them. We have no desire or intention to antagonize the "white label" of the "Consumers' League," but we do want to call your attention to the union label, which means much more than the "white label" can ever mean. The presence of a union label upon' any article of merchandise guarantees to the purchasers thereof a great many things. Among them are these : The article was not made in a sweat shop ; it was not made by child labor; it was not made. amidst unsanitary surroundings; it was rnacle by men and women who received a fair day's wage for a fair day's work, and it was made by men and women whose organization ha.d enabled them to make e'ugh in a short-hour day to permit them a few hours of rest and happiness around the fireside. In brief, the union label has for more than half a century been doing what the ''Consumers' League" proposes now to do. . As the wives and mothers of the land, we call these facts to your atten tion and beg that yo give them your earnest consideration. We further ask your support in the work that we as union men and women arc trying to do and are doing. Let us call your further attention to a few things accomplished by organized labor within the last few years: It was less than two years ago that the la bor organizations of Pennsylvania and Illinois secured the enactment of laws prohibiting the employment of children less than 14 years old in any mine. This law was bitterly opposed by the mine owners, and the mine owners had the support of manufacturers whose factories were filled with boys and girls and who real ized that their turn would come next. The result of the enactment and enforcement of these laws in Pennsylvania and Illinois was that more than 10,000 boys were taken from the.mines and put, into the public-schools to be trained for useful citizenship in the future. Do you realize that it has been less than two decades since the first child labor law was en acted? And there was never a child labor law enacted that was not backed solidly by the labor unions and just as solidly 'opposed b' the employers. The Menace to the Nation. The great menace to the life of this nation is not the prevalence of graft. It is not the widespread corruption in politics. All this can be cured by healthy public sentiment. But the menace to this nation's life is that which is threatening to destroy even public senti ment. It is the industrial condition which is destroying the unit of national existence the home. Anything whichends to destroy the home threatens to destroy the very founda tions of the republic, for the home is the unit, and the nation is made up of these units. What must the future of that nation be whose' chil dren are forced from the cradle into the fac tory? What becomes of the home that is de prived of the guiding hand of the mother be cause she, too, must watch the whirring spin dle or attend the insensate machine, alongside of husband and children, in order that there may be enough food to ward off starvation? Yet this condition is the natural tendency that the labor unions are fighting. The labor unions contend that-' the- 'man is , the tiaturaKbread-' winner, and that in a well ordered industrial condition the husband and father is able to make a living for his family. But recogniz ing that this can not be brought about to per fection, and recognizing that there will always be times and conditions compelling women to work,, the labor unions have met that con tingency with the cry, "Equal pay for equal work." Therefore, in nearly every skilled craft a woman whose work is equal to that of her brother receives equal pay. This is true only of those trades that are well organized. The woman , who operates, a typesetting, machine in . a union printing office receives exactly the same pay as the man who works by her side if she does the same amount of work. The woman who works in a union cigar factory re ceives just as much for making a hundred ci gars as her brother workman does. In this wise union labor is combatting the home de stroying tendency of modern industrialism, and certainly every patriotic mother and wife in America should give the unions a helping hand. Some Mistaken Notions. ' Doubtless a great many of you have been deceived into believing that the labor unions are actuated only by selfish motives ; that they are made up of agitators and , irresponsibles ; that their weapons are sticks, stones and re volvers; that their only object, is to secure more pay for less work. This charge is brought only by men whose greed for gain has been' thwarted and whose conscienceless treatment pf the helpless has made them rich. Perhaps you have heard that the demand for an eight hour day is made because men are so lazy they want shorter hours. That (is the cry of men who would compel workmen ito work so many hours a day that they would bescourged from bed to workbench and forced from workbench to bed. The -unions have for' their chief ob jects the same objects as the churches the im provements' of the lives of their members, the ' betterment of their ..condition, the safeguard ing of their interests arid the care of the help less, the weak, the dependent and the widows and orphans. The shorter work day is .de manded not that men may work shorter, hours but that more men may1 have an opportunity to work and provide for those dependent upon them. . ... Is there anything in all this to which any woman can take exceptions ? Is there any thing in all this which does not deserve the support of every true-hearted wife and mother and sister in America? , ' . -. A-v What We Ask of You. " And now, members of the Lincoln Woman's' Club, we ask you to help us in all our work' that has. for its object the betterment of the condition of the wage earner. Success to von in your., efforts to push the '"white label" of the ''Consumers'. League," but why not take 4 a weapon already at hand-7-the Union Label? If you wear shoes bearing it you wear Shoes made by a well paid workman in a sanitary , factory. , If you wear a cloak bearing it, you dp not. wear a cloak into the seams of which 1 are stitched thd tears and heartaches of an' illy paid mother who is striving to support her fatherless little-ones, but you so wear a cloak made in a well-lighted shop by a happy faced woman whose short hours of work enable her to provide bountifully for her little ones. In brief, everything ;you buy with the union label on it js,ja help to the grand organization that seeks, to preserve the home, perpetuate the na tion and make 'or better citizenship. We know full well that there are those , among you who are prejudiced" against the ' labor unions. This prejudice may be the re sult of ignorance or the result1 of misinforma tion. The labor unions of America challenge thorough investigation of their methods, their rules, their objects and their achievements. Un organized labor never' built a home for its ; aged and indigent members organized labor has. Unorganized labor never paid a sick or death benefit- organized .labor has paid mil- . lions. Unorganized; labor ' never cared for a widow or orphan-j-organized labor cares' for ' hundreds and thousands. "Unorganized. labor' never freed a -child from industrial slavery and put it into a school organized labor has freed thousands and given them a chance for that education which is: the hope of the nation. Unorganized labor never closed a sweat shop foul with disease organized labor has driven them from' the largest cities. .Unorganized la bor never founded a, hospital,. built a school, safeguarded health or protected life organized"1 labor has done all 0 these things. We make rip jclaim that organized labor is" infallible. We admit that it makes grave mis- ' takes. But it does not iriake mistakes because it is organized, but because it is made up of fallible human beings. Out of its mistakes are coming better things born of experience, just as the church has profited -by its mistakes. . In conclusion, The Wageworker ask? you to help us. to accomplish greater jthjngs in the fu ture for the betterment of industrial - and' 53'- cial conditions. ; If you should so desire, or ganized labor in Lincoln will be glad to select representatives to 'address you at any time and ' tell you what organized labor hopes to do in the future and answer -any, and all questions you may ask. u, . . ; In. the meantime we ask you to demand the union label on all that you purchase, for in that way you are helping to build up the home and bring sunshine into the lives of the toil ers of America. . .- - ' THE WAGEWORKER., . Carpenters Have a Big Open Meeting Curpenters and Joiners No. 1055 of Lincoln has, as a local, engineered a number of open meetings, and all of them have been successful. But the open meeting held last Wednesday I evening set a mark that is a long ways ahead of the marks set by its predecessors. The carpenters have been working it up for several weeks, and when the advertised hour arrived the question was not, "Will we have a crowd?" but It was, "Where'n the world will we put 'em all?" Not only were the union carpenters out in force, but a large number of non-union men came in response to hearty invitations and were treated as guests. There was plenty, too, in the nature of entertainment. A huge tank of lemonade graced a table in the center of the hall. It was flanked by apples galore, yellow bananas and crisp peanuts. Right where the hand could be laid upon them without trouble were pipes and smoking to bacco union made, too and in due time there were plenty of blue label cigars In evidence, t Every arrival was met nt the door and made to feel right at home, and as soon as the greetings were over the smoke clouds increased and the card tables were all occu pied. Bro. George Quick presided and an nounced the various features of the 1 program. He extended a warm wel come to all present and then S. J. Kent responded In his usual forceful and pleasant style. A "duplexophone" the double-headed phonograph that is manufactured right here In Lincoln, was set Ngoing, and it ground out a goodly prdgram of entertaining music and songs to, the delight of those pres ent. S. J. Knt, merely to show that oratory was nal his limit, sang "Cot tage and Mill," fflld the applause was go deafening and Vjo prolonged that he had to return alto sing 'Kittie of Coleraln." Hon. L. McReynolds.Vx-member of h legislature from ClayVounty, who Is the author of the freeVtext book law. whb nrptiAnt and made stirring address. He told what unl ism had done and spoke of what it proposed doing, and he made a strong appeal to the non-union men to get inside the fold and help push the good work along. Mr. McReynolds is a carpen ter by trade and in love with the craft. ' His short address was listened to with deep interest and frequently interrupted by applause. Silas Schenck, one of the old-time union carpenters, told of early struggles and final triumphs, and Alex A. Cal lahan everybody knows "Uncle Alex" got down to brass tacks and gave the boys a heart-to-heart talk. John Pirn, another of the old-timers who is as young as ever, made a stirring appeal to his non-union brethren and also warmed up the unionism of the men inside by telling of the improved conditions in Lincoln under unionism. Mr. Maupin, of The Wageworker, gave some information concerning the printers' struggle for the eight hour day and tried to tell from the basis of his own experience what the benefits of unionism , are.' He ' also explained' the printers' methods of raising revenue. This was in re' sponse to a suggestion to that effect, tho carpenters now being engaged in an effort to increase the regular! dues. Then there was more music from the "duplexophone" and the label ci gars were handed around. Until long after the cars stopped running there was plenty of good cheer and com panionship on tap at Carpenters' hall, and the occasion will long be remem bered as one of the most successful labor meetings ever held in Lincoln. A number of applications for mem bership were received as a direct re sult of the open meeting, but the indirect effects will be felt for a long time to come in the shape of stronger unionism and more interest in the work in hand. Bro. John Badonsik, an old mem ber of the Carpenter's Union, died at 7:30 Friday evening, October 13. He had been Bick for a long time with kidney trouble and had been -unable to do any work to speak of this sum- To ttie "Public Union printers throughout the country are striving for the Eight Hour Day. Strikes are in progress in Chi cago, Detroit, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Buffalo and other large cities. Printers point with pride to the fact that they are conducting their strike in an orderly and law abiding manner, and to the added J act that they are winning. The justice of their demands cannot be questioned. They ask the support of the public. You can help the printers by demanding the Allied Trades Label on your printed matter Capital Auxiliary's Successful Special mer. Last spring he built a home at Seventh and H streets. Bro. Badousick was for a long time fore man for John Traas, the contractor. He leaves a wife and two children to mourn his .; loss. The members of union 1055 , extends , to- the bereaved ones their heartfelt sympathy. Vi Pursuant to call quite a number of our members assembled at the hall Sunday at 2 p. m. to pay their last respects to Bro. Badonsik, deceased. The chair appointed three pall bearers who were sent to the home to attend services there. A committee on reso lutions and draping the charter were appointed, and Bro. S. J. Kent was appointed marshal. The carpenters marched to the A. O. U. W. hall, where they were oined by a delega tion from the A. O. U. W. lodge. At 2:45 special cars were taken to the cemetery. There our members marched with the funeral cortege to the grave. After the burial cere mony, which was conducted by the A. O. U. W., the marchers again fol lowed the mourners to the gates of the cemetery. Bro. Ipson, who had such a narrow escape from serious injury while work ing at the postofHce, is reported by the sick committee as improving nicely. Bro. James Leslie, a new member of 1055, who recently came to this country from Scotland, where he was affiliated with the Associated Carpen ters of Scotland, has taken a clear ance to Billings, Mont. It ia claimed that some, of our news-, papers are publishing to the world that carpenters in Lincoln get from 32 y to 55 cents per hour. Our mem bers would like to- see the color of the man's hair who is getting 55 cents in Lincoln. It is true that a very . few foremen get 50 cents per hour, but the average wage for jour neymen in this city is 35 cents. Work is not as. brisk as it was, as many jobs are waiting on- mate rial. Quite a few of our members allow themselves to get three months in arrears; then they will pay a little along, still remaining in arrears. If anything should happen them they would , not get a cerit of insurance. Remember, when' a member owes a sum equal to three months dues he is in arrears and cannot again be in benefit until three months after all his arrearages are paid in full. The evenings are now getting long and we should have some rousing good meetings. Try and interest every non-union man you know in the benefits of unionism. . t . ! A certain ex-member of the union was boasting the other day about the money he was making by working ten hours instead of eight. ' There were many men during the civil war who' stayed-' at home land made money while their fellows went to the' front and gave their lives ofr their coun try's welfare. But there were few of these kind of people who had the gall to boast of it. s Last month the 'United Brother hood of Carpenters and Joiners of America paid out in benefits the sum of $20,000, which shows one .of the benefits accruing to members of that union. Members of the Brotherhood of Carpenters employed in the .Wana maker store in Philadelphia were last week ordered to work in the new building, on which a strike has been called by the Council of, the ' Allied Building Trades. They laid . down their t tools and - walked out. This action is likely to be followed by oth er trades employed on the old store if similar orders are issued to them. Kdward Ralston, a promising young American, half owner of the Sierra gold mine; forced to "buttle"....,; Paul Riemenschnitter Chauncey Oglethorpe,' Ralston's part ner, second son of Lord Doncaster, and very shy: . . .Victor Barngrover Mrs. Ondego Jhones, a rank admirer of all who bear titles . : . . .'.Miss Emma Schaal Sierra Bengaline, a prairie rose, who knows how to sling, slang; niece of Mrs. Ondego Jhones.....".....;..., . . . ;.'... .' .'. V.Mlss Hazel Smith Lady Guinevere ".. Llandpoore, an Eng lish primrose ;in, search of .the Amer ican "fascination;" daughter of the Karl of Pay naught. Miss Clara King "Bob". Buckram has returned to Falls City, but will be back with his family in a short time and will make Lincoln his home. Above is the cast of characters that presented the charming little two-act parlor farce, "A Box qf Monkeys'," at Bohanon's hall last Wednesday even ing under the auspices of Capital Aux iliary No. 11. Despite the handicap of having neither stage nor scenery the presentation was a success, and an audience that completely filled the hall testified to its appreciation by constant applause and laughter.. The five characters were presented in a manner that left nothing to be de sired, and the lack of stage and scen ery was compensated for by the clever ingenuity displayed in using the mate rial at hand.. , , The participants aVe all connected with the Auxiliary a. fact" of ; which the Auxiliary ;. is on'ow prouder 'than ever and worked hard and faithfully to make the occasion a success. The Wageworker will not Undertake'-, to make individual mention of the act ors and actresses, but will content itself with saying Athat "A Box' of Monkeys" has seldom been presented by amateur . talent in such a clever manner. Every ' ludicrous situation was made the mrist of, and the dia logue never lagged. , A large number of friends of the Auxiliary were pres ent and they were, a unit in declaring that the occasion was an unusually was clearned and the remainder of the evening was spent in dancing and social intercourse. " The attendance was unusually large, and as a result everybody asserted that it was perhaps the most successful social ever given' by this enterprising organization. Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Mickel, and two children, Helen and Harold, came down from Harvard to attend the so cial, and their many' friends were de lighted to meet them. Mrs. Mickel ; and the children will remain for a ' visit of several days, but Mr. Mickel returned Thursday evening to keep -. his "mill gong." He im pleased with .i his pleasant "sit" and makes a lot of the Lincoln boys feel badly by telling how he rents an eight room house tor.'-.j 17 a mjonth and buys potatoes for 20 cents a bushel. J , . ' All members of Capital Auitiliary' . ; No. 11 are requested to meet at Hay-; den's studio next Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 for the purpose of having a group picture taken" for the. forth-. " coming number of ,Leaden's Annuar Labor Directory v. s' v , i , The "permanent ' home '- committee" of the Typographical Union will meet with Mr; Maupin, 1216 G street, Sun day evening at 7:30. V' - Art Bowman, whose home is in Omaha, but who is becoming the great American .traveler,1 dropped into Lin- -coin Tuesday and has spent several day 8 hanging elevators. Vr . .; V Ollie Mickel, after ' working tempo- ; rarily in St. Paul, Minneapolis, Port- land, Spokane, ; Oakland : and San Francisco, is now operating a mill in Sacramento and says he is weli' satis fied with the "sit." . .. ' ' pleasant one. . . - After the dramatic offering the hall helps. . This week The Wageworker has no apologies to make. It would have carried more advertising if the man ager could have found time to go after It. The merchants of the city are coming to realize this paper's, value as an advertising medium. And J you can help the realization along' by saying that yotf saw the "ad" in The Wageworker: "Every little bit' 1