3
nn
VOL. 3
LINCOLN, KEBEASKA, MARCH 2, 4907
NO. 51
Labor News Picked
Here and There
Up
The Central Labor Union met Tues
day night and the most Important busi
ness transacted was to appoint a com
mittee to confer with merchants rel
ative to to earlier closing on Saturday
night. Mind you,, this was not done
al. the request of the cierks. They
haven't got sand enough to ask for
anything. It was requested by a dele
gation of ministers who said they came
on behalf of the clerks.
According to the ministerial dele
Kates a number of clerks had asked
ministerial Intercession. "We have to
work so late and so hard Saturday
nlsht that we are unable to get to
church Sunday morning," Is what the
ministers quoted a lot of clerks as
Then the clerks asked the
ministers to ask for earlier closing on
Saturday night. We are glad that the
ministers showed their interest in
working men and women by taking up
the cause of the clerks, but if we ex
pressed our i opinion of clerks who
haven't the courage to make their own
pathetic strike before the lockout, but
the masters insisted on a written
agreement over the seal of the organ
ization. This was refused, and is al
leged to have been the cause of the
lockout. Such a pledge has been given
anew by the union, but the men say
that inasmuch as it is not in the writ
ten form demanded it is a backdown
on the part of the employers.
During the four weeks' lockout, the
men have been receiving a strike ben
efit of $5 per week from the national
organization.. The funds of the local
union were used in keeping up dues
of members, and in winning away the
strike-breakers who were brought In.
The men say there "were twenty-four
of these, and they succeeded in taking
away all but five.
The Associated Press, as usual, gave
the union plumbers the worst of it,
asserting that they had signed an open
shop agreement. This is not true.
Among the strike-breakers imported
was a man 56 years old, who was
stay out of the union game. Last
we'ek we chronicled the fact that he
was out of the position of editor of
the Philadelphia Trades Union News.
Now comes the "Eastern Laborer,"
Shelby Smith sole owner and whole
editor. It is a neat paper, and gives
promise of developing under the able
management of the genial and capable
Shelby Smith. And it promises to
make it warm for a lot of "skates"
whose sole interest in unionism lies in
what the "skates" can do to make the
unions pull political chestnuts from
the fire. Here's to the Eastern La
borer and its editor. May they prosper
together.
his' ready sympathy 1 and his kindly
and courteous manner.
Mr. Dimmick was a memeber of the
Ancient Order of United Workmen
Modern Woodmen and Royal Highland
ers, and through these fraternal orders
he leaves the widow and orphaned
daughter in comfortable circumstances.
STRENGTH OF UNIONS.
Two Candidates That
Should be Defeated
W. S. DIMMICK DEAD.
demands we might have trouble with , brought from Massachusetts and guar
anteed $5 a day. After a week he was
told he would "be paid "what he was
worth," -and offered $2.50 a day. He
refused and was discharged, 1,600
miles away from home and penniless.
The union sent him home.
the postal authorities. Funny, isu t it
Clerks can work until 6 o'clock In the
evening, then go to a dance and dance
until 2:30 in the morning and then be
down at work at 8. But they can not
work until 11 Saturday night and get
up on Sunday morning in time to at
tend church services beginning it
10:30. The Central Labor Union ap
pointed Messrs. Evans, Quick, Kelsey
and Parmalee to act as a committee in
conjunction with the ministers, but
there was not much enthusiasm shown.
The general sentiment was that a
body of people who didn't have the
nerve to organize and help bear the
burdens of securing and maintaining
shorter hours and better conditions
didn't stand very well with organized
labor. When the clerks show a dispo
sition to help themselves they will
find more enthusiasm Id their cartsei
shown by the trades unionists of Lin
coln. . H. W. Smith was appointed delegate
to a committee made up of different
organizations In the city which will
consider plans for a "better Lincoln "
The attendance was not large, but
the Interest was good.
THE TALE OF A "RAT."
Mm Men In Buckram Set Upon Him
' and Beat Him Full Sore.
, "Nine of 'em Jumped onto me and
they beat me up something frightful."
That is th3 'plaint of one of the "rat3 '
employed in the Nebraska rattery.
This has FalBtaff backed off the lot.
"Nine men in buckram!" It sounds
u')jil. the chief trouble being that the
'imii.f.ution Is Just a double quartet
too high. Instead of nine there wa
but one, and this "awful man In buck
ram" was considerably smaller in size
than the Falstafflan near-printer who
made the complaint.
' The strike-breaker insisted on push
lng himself upon the attention of i
union printer, and the union printer
tried to avoid him. Finally the strike
breaker, emboldened by the apparent
fear of the union man, grew very abus
ive. The first thing the strike-breaker
knew he was sitting up in the gutter
and wiping the gore which freely
flowed from a smashed probocis and
a cut in his scalp. It was all done with
the flHt of the angry unionist who
tried to avoid trouble and only de
fended himself.
And this Is the true Btory of the
"nine men In buckram.".
We
WE KNEW IT.
knew ' Shelby Smith couldn't
Well Known Union Barber Passes to
His Long Home.
W. S. Dimmick, a member of the
local Barbers' Union, and an ex-presi
dent of that body, died at his home
in University Place last Thursday
night, after a long illness. Consump
tion was the cause of death. The
funeral services were held at the First
Baptist church in Lincoln last Sunday
afternoon, Rev. S. Z. Batten preaching
the funeral sermon. The interment
was in Wyuka. The union barbers of
the city attended in a body and a
splendid floral tribute was laid upon
the casket containing the mortal re
mains of their dead brother. To the
bereaved wife and daughter goes the
heartfelt sympathy of a host of men
who knew the husband and father In
life and admired him for his unionism
Rather a Strong Showing in
United States Census.
the
According to the statistics compiled
by the United States department of la
bor, the ratio of unionists to popula
tion in the United States is 1 to 29.
On its face this ratio does not look
well for organized labor. But when
analyzed it looks much better. The
population figures Include every man,
woman and child in the country. A
fair estimate would allow one male
adult old enough to belong to a union
for' each family or group of five per
sons. ' This would give one unionist
in six of those eligible as to age. Now,
remember that more than half of the
men of the country are engaged in
agriculture, merchandising or the, pro
fessions, and you will, see that the un
ion showing is rather good than bad.
Schenectady Leader. . i
THANKS!
The March 15 edition of the Lin
coln Wageworker was a most credit
able representative of the labor press
and the patronage it should be -accorded
at all times. Jacksonville (Fla.)
Central Union Times.
Union men of Lincoln owe It to
themselves, and to the city, to see to
H that Joe Wolfe is defeated if he
insists on again making' the race for
the position of .exciseman. We cheer
fully admit thaMV Wolfe has worked
hard, and that he ' has accumulated
money and property. But his expressed
views on the excise question are not
the views of organized labor 'in this
city. Organized labor can ill-afford to
give sanction to the position Mr. Wolfe
has taken on the questions that would
come before him were he elected to
the office of excisemman.
Three years ago Thomas Hoskins
was elected exciseman at the. same
time as Mr. Wolfe, and Hoskins, with
out warrant, was pointed to as the
"labor representative." He was in no
sense a representative of . organized
labor, but his subsequent acts wee
attributed to unionism and union men
had to bear the blame. Let us not be
compelled to bear that sort of thing
again. Just as sure as Joseph Wolfe
is nominated for exciseman he will be
pointed to . as the labor candidate.
Whatever he does will be credited to
organized labor, and it is well known
that Mr. Wolfe does not . stand for.
what is best for this city.
He believes in the monthly fine sys
tem for the inmates of the houses in
the proscribed district. That is re
pugnant to every right-minded man.
BOOST THE LABOR TEMPLE SCHEME
OMAHA PLUMBERS' 8TRIKE OVER.
Men
Don't Sign and Do Get An In
crease of Wages.
The Omaha plumbers' strike is over.
The journeymen who are the members
of the local union met Sunday after
noon at Washington hall and decided
to return to work this morning, bring
ing the four weeks' lockout to a close.
The men said that they had won
out over the master plumbers, as they
go back to work without signing an
agreement not to join In any sympa
thetic strike, and they are to have nil
increase of pay from $4.50 to $5 a day.
They said the new schedule would not
go lflto effect until present contracts
are carried out. ' They said they had
offered ' to give a verbal assurance to
the master plumbers about the syra-
They are coming in slowly, but surely. We mean the names of I
earnest trades unionists who are willing to donate the wage they earn
on June 3 to a Labor Temple Building Fund. Hundreds of them are
perfectly willing to do this, but they are-careless and do not take the
time to make the fact known. .Every .day we meet men on the street
who, when asked if they are in on the scheme say: "Yon bet! Put
niv name down. I was going to call you up, but I neglected it!" v"
That has been one great trouble with the organized labor move
ment we have neglected so many things. Now why not cure this
neglect at once and get to work on this Labor Temple scheme?
.Let us tell you how a great secret benevolent order in Lincoln
worked the building scheme. This order, which has several lodges in
Lincoln, organized a stock company and secured a fine building.
Each lodge took all the stock it could, and individual members in
vested. .The stock is guaranteed to pay 6 per cent interest. When a
lodge has a few hundred dollars on hand it buys more stock.
One lodge can compel another lodge to sell its stock at any time,
but an individual can not compel an individual to sell his stock. An
individual can not compel a lodge to sell its stock, but a lodge can
cajl an individual's stock at any time. The fact that one lodge may
have no stock does not interfere with its rights to use the building,
provided it pays rent equal to the rent paid by other lodges. The
stock is today a splendid investment. '
This same plan has been successfully worked in Lincoln by an
other secret and benevolent order.
What these two orders have done the 3.00() unionists of Lincoln.
llavelock and University Place can do, and don't yon forget it !
A lot of you would be surprised if you knew what an interest a
number of business and professional men are taking in this plan. The
Wageworker is not at liberty to make a definite announcement, but
here is a plain statement of faet that should encourage the union men
to aet at once.
UNDER CERTAIN CONTINGENCIES, AND CIRCUM
STANCES THAT ARE EQUITABLE AND FAIR, FOUR MEN, TO
THE WAGEWORKER KNOWN PERSONALLY AND BY NAME,
WILL SUBSCRIBE $7,000 IN CASH TO THE LABOR TEMPLE
BUILDING FUND, AND TAKE IT OUT IN STOCK.
That is 20 per cent of the entire amount that will eventually
have to be raised to put the building free of all incumbrance into the
hands of the trades unions of this community. .
THESE MEN ARE NOT UNIONISTS, BUT AFTER LISTEN
ING TO THE PLAN CONCEIVED BY THE WAGEWORKER THEY
EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO GET IN ON THE SCHEME BECAUSE
THEY THOUGHT IT A RATTLING GOOD INVESTMENT, FINAN
CIALLY AND MORALLY!
If the trades unionists of this community will subscribe twice the
amount offered bv these four men, the Labor Temple may be secured
by the payment of that amount down and giving a mortgage for the
remainder. The stock will nav 6 ner cent from the start, and as the
mortgage indebtedness is reduced the stock dividends will increase
It is difficult to explain in detail the necessary organization
that is, difficult to do it in a newspaper article. But the plan is sim
ple, safe and sane.
It is proposed to organize a stock company with a capital stock
of sKiO.OOO, divided into 50,000 shares of $1 each. The management
of the Temple is to be given into the hands of a,' board of trustees
elected by the stockholders, a majority of the trustees to be members
in irood Htandiner of some dulv chartered trades union. This is to
keep the control of the Temple forever in the hands tf the trades
unions. The treasurer is to be bonded in sufficient amount, and each
union holding stock is entitled to an equal voice in making rules,
fixing rentals and deciding on improvements, etc. A union may at
.... a -i- -i i i ..is? :
any time call the stocK oi anoiner union or an niuiviuuai uy.ouermg
par and accrued interest, but an invidual may not call the stock of
another individual nor of a union.
; The Wageworker has an attorney working on the articles of in
corporation now, and expects tov have them ready to submit to the
public in a very short time. r "
A proposition has been submitted to The Wageworker whereby it
wiH. be possible,' if the Union toen ome to the front-with less than
$15,000 in "cash, for. the unions of this city to move into their own
building on Labor day this year. Real estate men who have no
earthly interest in the matter have declared that the investment is a
good one, and business men who have heard itvhave expressed a will
ingness to take a slice of stock. They consider the investment gilt
edged. THE WAGEWORKER WANTS TO KNOW HOW MANY
UNION MEN IN THIS COMMUNITY ARE WILLING TO DONATE
THEIR WAGE FOR ONE DAY TO A LABOR TEMPLE BUILDING
FUND.
It is now proposed to have those who will donate their wage for
the first Monday in June send their names to The Wageworker. , The
money is to be paid into the hands of trustees selected by the donors
and by them deposited in bank, subject to the orders oi said donors.
If the plan falls through, the money is to be returned. Not one penny
is to be paid out save for a site or a building and site nothing for
expenses of trustees, printing or publicity. EVERY DOLLAR IS TO
GO TO THE TEMPLE PROPER.
Now take hold and boost. Cut the following pledge from The
Wageworker, paste it at the top of a sheet of blank paper and circu
late it among union men for signers.' DO IT NOW!
"WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, HEREBY AGREE TO DONATE
ONE DAY'S PAY TO A LABOR TEMPLE BUILDING FUND, THE
AMOUNT TO BE SUBJECT TO CALL AND PAID INTO THE
HANDS OF TRUSTEES SELECTED BY THOSE SIGNING THIS
PLEDGE. IT IS UNDERSTOOD AND AGREED THAT NONE OF
THIS MONEY IS TO BE DIVERTED. IN ANY WAY FROM A
BUILDING OR SITE.
Get. all the .signatures yovt; an and then send , the list to The
Wageworker, 1216 G street.
But you need not wait for some one to come to you with a pledge.
Telephone your name to The Wageworker.
BELL PHONES, 835 AND F-2837.
AUTO PHONE, 2277.
The list is already well begun. It depends on you whether the
list grows to adequate proportions.
THE FOLLOWING HAVE AGREED TO DONATE ONE DAY'S
WAGES TO THE LABOR TEMPLE BUILDING FUND:
He would greatly lessen the restric
tions thrown about the saloons, and
would stand for what is commonly
known as the "wide open" town. Can
organized labor afford to give its sanc
tion to these things. The Wageworker
opines not. And unless Mr. Wolfe is ,
beaten, and beaten badly, organized
labor will have to shoulder the blame.
It is not just that this should be so
but that does not do away with tho
plain facts of the case. Y ' '
The saloon men have paid the li
cense fee demanded of them, and be
cause of this they are entitled to pro- '
tection and fair treatment. The ed- '
itor of The Wageworker has told In
dividual saloon men just what he
thinks, and that is this: Either they
must submit to present restrictions or
be put out of business altogether. By
making a strenuous fight they might
be able to . remove a lot of present re
strictions, but they would be losers in
the long run, for at the end of two
years they would be put out of busi
ness. They can not, any more than
organized labor,, afford to be put In
the' attitude of standing for the candi
dacy of Joseph. Wolfe. If they are
wise they will not mistake the signs
of the times. The Wageworker gives
them this adyice in all kindliness and
friendship. They are fronted by this -condition,
and they ought to realize it
either submit to present restrictions,
or even tighter ones, or be forced to
close for keeps. Mayor 'Brown , and
Excisemen Harpham and Powell havq
treated them fairly. Whatever of
tighter restrictions placed upon their
business was not because it was the
personal desire of the excise board to
do so, but because it was the ex
pressed desire of a majority of voters.
The Wageworker Is not edited by a
Puritan. But it wants It distintcly un- !
derstood that it is opposed to the "open
town" idea'; opposed to the virtual
'licensing of the brothels; opposed to
the Wolfe idea of mnnicipal govern
ment, and opposed to anything and
everything calculated to lower Lincoln
sfrom the present high position whleh '
is the boast of every thoughtful and
patriotic citizen.
If the liquor interests of Lincoln
are wise they will not foist a man .
like Joseph .Wolfe upon the excise
board. ' This is the opinion of one
man, but that, man probably knows
public sentiment better than any sa
loon man in the city. . i
BEAT BISHOP.
J. W. Dickeson, University Place.
J. S. McCoy, 1203 U.
W. L. Mayer, 2335 Qi
C. H. Turner, 1200 P.
Alex Wlckizer, 904 E.
C. E. Barngrover, 1330 N. 24.
C. B. Righter, 2308 Dudley.
W. C. Norton, 1533 N. 25.
H. W. Smith, 1725 P.
Bert Chipman, 705 S. 18.-
Gus Sanders, 932 P.
Henry Hoos, 438 N. 14.
Ed. Fagan, 938 P. i
C. A. Phelps, 127 S. 10.
Al Walker, 2301 S. ,
Grove Pylperkers, 228 N. 13.
Sam Landes, 812 H.
H. Sundean, 1844 P.
L. Spencer, 10 and N.
C. Penrod, 1422 O.
C. Fritz, 113 S. 9.
J. Windier, 1021 Wood.
P. Biberstein, 146 S. 9.
Al Wendle, West A.
Bob Charters, 1960 T.
W. M. Maupin, 1216 G.
C. H. Bowers, 12 and O.
E. W. Aura, 2253 Dudley.
R. L. McBride, 1648 Q.
Charles Bowen, 1919 S. 16.
Arch Stephens, 2037 K.
J. W. Jewell," 1026 Q.
L. L. Ingraham, Unl. Place.
G. E. Locker, 625 S. 18.
F. M. Coffey.
T. W. Evans, 128 S. 11."
O. M. Rudy, 1036 G.
R. W. Elliott, 510 N. 14..
C. M. Anderson: ,
B. B. Joslin, 2154 S. 14.
J. R. Cain, 908 Wood,
T. N. Jones, 208 N. 22.
W. K. Terwilliger, 1528 N. 19.
C. N. Castle.
C. J. Peterson, 2241 Holdrege.
E. E. Betz, 1448 P. ;
H. L. Rudy, 1036 G.
Mark Castor, 1419 G.
Louis Maupin, 1216 G.
Union Men Should See to It That He
Is Not Nominated. -
At the republican city primaries
Tuesday John S. Bishop and John M.
Stewart were the two highest men. on
the ticket for the nomination to be
city attorney. This necessitates an
other ballot to decide between them.
If the republican union men are in
terested in defeating a man whose of
ficial acts have shown him to be op
posed to recognition of organized la
bor, they will make it a point to go
to the polls at the next primary and1
make sure the defeat of John S. Bish
op. As a member of the city council
Bishop tried as hard as he knew how
to defeat the label ordinance intro
duced in the council by the allied
'printing crafts of this city. He op
posed it by so-called argument and by
ridicule. He succeeded in defeating
the ordinance as drawn, but could not
defeat a resolution signifying the de
sire of the council to have the city
printing done in union shops. This
cne act marks John S. Bi-hop as an
ci ponent or organized lauor, ikhoug'i
be has been heard to tell hew much
ha li?ves the worklngman Union men
i'-ght to make it a poinf that no op
ponent of unionism' is made the legal
advisor of the city of Lincoln. Bishop
must be beaten! -
CAPITAL AUXILIARY.
Capital Auxiliary, No. 11, to Lincoln
Typographical Union, No. 209, will
meet with Mrs.' Maupin. 1216 G St.;
Friday, 2:30 p. m., April 5, 1907.
MACHINISTS GET INCREASE.
The machinists of the M., K. & T.
have been granted an increase in
wages of 3 cents per hour. It will
take effect immediately.
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