nil
E TRADES COUNCILS
VrOL. 4
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, AUGUST 30, '1907
NO. 22
V
READY FOR
Everything is now In readiness for
Labor Day, and everything depends
upon the weather man. If he doesn't
do the right thing there will be a va
cancy In the "probability department"
of the government.
The good union housewives are se
lecting their chickens and baking
bread, pies and cakes, and otherwise
getting ready for the big basket din
ner at noon.
7 lie boilermakers at Havelock are
practicing every evening and declare
that when the .umpire calls "time"
.hoy will waltz in and make the
P r'smer's ball team look like a dis
cnr'ed overlay. On the other hand,
the Pressmen are working out like
professionals, and It Is their" firm
opinion that when the game is over
the Boilermakers' ball team will look
like a -keg of rusty' rivets. It prom
ises to be an Interesting contest. The
umpire will be presented with a life
and accident insurance policy before
the game is called.
The Bricklayers, who think they can
play ball because they can catch
bricks on the fly, are determined to
wipe up the earth with the Allied
Printing Trades team, but on the other
hand the printing tradesmen are all
ready to celebrate a victory. Some
thing like 'steen millions of dollars in
conversation have been bet upon this
game. It will be worth going thou
sands of miles, to see.
A grand free attraction in the shape
of wonderful diving and trick dog will
be given. The dog will dive into a
net from the top of a sixty-foot lad
der, after which he will perform a
few tricks for the edification of all
children between the ages of six
months and 120 years.
The fat men's race will be a won
der. Restaurant keepers report an in
creased business, due to the efforts
of some or the "slims" to qualify for
this event. The prize, is a purse of
a thousand dollars, $2.50 of it being
c&sh.
The married women's race is an
other interesting event, and the purse
vill be big enough to enable the win
ner to buy a "love of a winter bon
net." The free-for-all race, a 75-yard dash,
is going to be fought to a finish. The
i rize will be announced at the start
of the race, but it will be well wortt
trying for.
In addition there will be races foi
boys and girls, string cutting contests,
obstacle races, etc., with suitable
prizes for each event.
It must be borne in mind that these
races are "union races." The con
testants must be either union men, or
the sons, daughters and wives of union
men. Every man must show a paid
up working card, and every other con
testant must be vouched for to the
satisfaction of the committee.
Another feature of the celebration
will be the exhibit of office seekers.
The day following is primary day,
and the candidates are not going to
neglect an opportunity to meet and
shake the hands of the "honest work-
ingmen." Not by any manner of
means.
But, say! The big event of the day
will be the basket dinner. Everybody
who can should bring a big basket
well filled enough for the family and
a few more. A lot of the boys have
no other home than a restaurant, and
a chance at some grub "just like
mother used to cook" will be a rare
treat. Don't forget the homeless
boys.
The refreshments committee Is pre
paring to supply 500 gallons or more
of real lemonade. Not your thin,
tasteless circus kind, but for sure
lemonade, made out of real lemons and
real sugar. It will be free for the
taking.
The celebration will be held at the
new city park Antelope Park. Now
listen to the directions for reaching
the grounds: Take a Citizens' Street
Railway car anywhere in the city and
transfer to the South Eighteenth street
line. At the end of the line strike
the footpath and follow it past the
park gardener's house, across the Rock
Island tracks and Into the park. Lots
of shade, finest kind of blue grass,
and the city's biggest pumping station
to supply water to quench your thirst.
Don't forget to take the Citizens
Street Railway cars the "White
Line."
Now get ready to celebrate the day
LABOR DAY
in a real old-fashioned way. It will
be a day long to be remembered.
LABOR DAY DATES.
When the Great Holiday Was Estab
lished by Different States.
Labor Day was enacted Into law at
different periods since, 1887, as the
following list will show. The date
given indicates when the law received
executive approval:
1887, February 21, Oregon.
1887, March 15, Colorado.
1887, April 8, New Jersey.
1887, New York.
1887, May 11, Massachusetts.'
1889, March 20, Connecticut.
1889, March 29, Nebraska.
1889, April 25, Pennsylvania.
1890, April 15, Iowa.
1890, April 28, Ohio.
1891, February 10, Maine.
1891, February 24, Washington.
1891, March 4, Montana.
1S91, March 4, Kansas.
1891, March 9, Indiana.
1891, March. 11, Tennessee.
1891, March 31, New Hampshire.
1891, June 17, Illinois
1891, October 16, Georgia.
1891, December 22, South Carolina.
1892, February 5, Virginia.
1892, February 23, Utah.
1892, July 7, Louisiana.
1892, December 12, Alabama.
1893, February 11, Texas.
1893, February 14, Delaware.
1893, March 23, California.
1893, April 18, Minnesota.
1893, April 19, Wisconsin.
1893, April 29, Florida.
1893, May 26, Rhode Island.
1894, District of Columbia and ter
ritories.
1895, April 9, Missouri.
CAPITAL AUXILIARY.
The second regular meeting for Au
gust was held at the home of Mrs. H.
W. Smith on- Friday, August 23. About
twenty members were out. Among
those we were glad to welcome were
Mrs. A. T. Pentzer and young son,
Donald, who have recently returned
from California. An interesting report
of the convention was read by Mrs.
Marshall, and a pleasant social time
enjoyed. The next meeting will be
with Mrs. Pentzer, 1814 North Twenty
seventh St., September 13
Mrs. Thompson has returned from a
visit in the east.
Mrs. Bruce Gilbert spent a few days
In Omaha this month.
Miss Hazel-Smith is visiting friends
in Kearney.
Mrs. C. E. Barngrover is spending a
few days in Aurora, Neb.
There has been no official action
taken in regard to attending the La
bor Day picnic. But is is expected that
all who can, will be there.
Mrs. G. M. Wathan returned Tues
day from a ten days' visit with friends
at York.
A VALUABLE PRIZE.
Lincoln Mills Co. Wants to Show
What Its Flour Will Do.
Barber & Foster, who make "Lib
erty Flour," the advertisement of
which a pears elsewhere, offer a first
prize of $10 for the best loaf of bread
made from "Liberty Flour" and ex
hibited at the state fair next week.
A second prize of $5 Is also offered.
These are prizes well worth trying
for, just as "Liberty Flour" is the flour
worth having.
The Wageworker wants in on this
prize proposition. If the winner of the
first prize offered by Barber & Foster
is the wife of a union man in good
standing, The Wagewoker will add $3
to the $10 offered by Barber & Foster,
and $2 to the second prize offered, the
same conditions obtaining.
v TRUE AS GOSPEL WRIT.
Lift a man, give him life, let him
work eight hours a day, give him beau
tiful things to see and good books to
read and you will starve out the low
er appetites. Give a man a chance
to earn a good living and you may
save his life. So it is with -women in
prostitution. Give a hundred men in
this country good wages and eight
hours' work and 99 will disdain to
steal. Give unto all women a chance
to earn a good living and 99 per cent
of them will disdain to barter their
virtue for gold. Wendell Phillips.
oQeoooQQQoooo
tip
GOVERNOR'S LABOR
Executive Office, State House, Lincoln, Nebr., August
27, 1907. The statutes of this state provide that the first
Monday in September of each year shall be known as
Labor Day, and that it shall be a public holiday.
Labor is the most dignified of all occupations. It is
the source of all wealth. The laborers are the keystone
of society and represent the most dignified pillars of gov
ernment. It is, therefore, fitting and proper that one day
of the year should be set aside for rest, recreation, and
proper celebration.
Now, therefore, I, George Lawson Sheldon, gov
ernor of the State of Nebraska, in accordance with cus
tom, do hereby issue a proclamation in commemoration of
this day and do earnestly recommend cessation from un
necessary toil and business. It is sincerely hoped that
everybody may enjoy a day of wholesome recreation and
that all our people may observe the day in a manner
fitting the occasion. Let the great and vital question of
labor be discussed and considered intelligently and con
scientiously so that each individual may be given strength
and courage to do full duty to himself, his family, 'his
nation and his God. T
GEORGE LAWSON SHELDON,
LINCOLN TYPOGRAPHICAL UNION
Lincoln Typographical Union No.
209 is, with a single exception, the
oldest trades union organization - in
Lincoln. The exception is the Cigar
makers Union, which was organized
just six months before the printers
secured a charter. Lincoln Typo
graphical Union ' was organized in
February, 1883, and the charter bears
the date of February 25. The charter
members were William Dorsey, Den
nis G. Hines, George Bentley, W. L.
Picket, Frank Kailey, Hugh.vG. Me
Vicker and Albert L. Stewart. Mr.
McVicker is the only one of the char
ter members still living in Lincoln.
He long ago graduated from the
"case" to an editorial desk, and for
years has been telegraph editor of
the State Journal. He is now on the
honorary list and whenever he shows
up in the union room, which is every
now and then, he is always warmly
welcomed.
The union grew and prospered and
was a factor in unionism until the
time of the memorable Journal strike
in the winter of 1891-92. At that time
the Journal was practically the only
employer of printers in the city. At
any rate it employed about twice as
many men as all the other shops in
the city combined. When the strike
was pulled off the country was
scoured for "rats" and one by one
the union men migrated until there
were barely enough left to hold the
charter. During that struggle Martin
White was president of the local, and
the old timers still love to tell of the
masterly manner in which he handled
it.
After several years the Journal was
again "squared," and from that time
the union has grown with gratifying
pace. Today the active membership
averages a little more than 100. Fully
38 per cent of the printing business
in the city is done by union men, and
the label Is growing in evidence every
day. Every daily and weekly paper
In the city,, with the possible excep
tion of two weeklies, are printed by
union men, and the union job offices
do practically all of the job work and
all that is worth (paying good money
for. The present officers of the union
are:
President J. R. Bain.
Vice President H. C. Peate.
Financial Secretary F. H. Hebbard.
Recording Secretary H. W. Binga
man. Sargent-at-Arms J. G. Sayer.
Executive Committee Charles Barn
grover, James Leaden, Samuel Web
ster. Mr. Sayer has been sargent-at-arms
ever since the last buffalo was killed
on government square. The. local has
several women members, and when
they work they draw the scale. The
Typographical Union was the first one
to insist upon equal pay for equal
work, regardless of the sex of the
worker.
There are twenty-three Mergen
thaler typesetting machines and one
Lanston monotype machine in Lincoln
Two Mergenthalers were destroyed in
the fire which consumed the Masocic
Temple several years ago. Two-fifths
of the local membership are machine
operators.
A rather funny mistake occurred
o o oosoooooo ooo
j
DAY PROCLAMATION.
O
last February when the local gave its
annual ball. Some one figured out
that it was the twenty-fifth annual
event, so the local's "quarto-centennial"
was celebrated. The ball was
a great success, but as a quarto-centennial
event it was a year previous.
The real anniversary will be duly cele
brated next February.
The regular September meeting of
Lincoln - Typpgraphical Union No. 209
will be held in Carpenters' hall next
Sunday afternoon. It is the first meet
ing since the convention, at Hot
Springs and Delegates Ingraham and
Radebaugh are expected to have in
teresting reports ready. The label
campaign is progressing in good shape
and the printers are receiving splen
did support from the other trades
unions of the city. The "stickers"
are in great demand and they are do
ing the business. In their haste to
get their claims before the public sev
eral candidates forgot the label. When
they got their cards back with stickers
attached they made a hot-foot for , a
union print shop and ordered a new
consignment. "And don't forget the
label," was their last word.
Last Tuesday evening Capital Aux
iliary No. 11 to Typographical Union
No. 209 tendered a reception to the
delegates and visitors who attended
the Hot Springs convention, the event
being held at the hospitable home of
Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Righter, 2308
Dudley. The Righter home is a favor
ite place for these always interesting
ervents. On this occasion the yard
was handsomely decorated with Japa
nese lanterns and everybody had a
good time. All printers and their
wives had been invited and the at
tendance was unusually large in view
of the fact that printers are generally
working overtime. Delegates Ingra
ham and Radebaugh, who represented
the union at the convention, gave in
teresting accounts of the work done
by that Tjody, and also gave their im
pressions gained while taking part in
it deliberations. Mrs. Marshall, who
represented Capital Auxiliary, told
what the women did In their conven
tion and made a very interesting story
of it. Mrs. Maupin spoke briefly of
what she saw, dealing particularly
with a drive into the mountains in
search of what artists call "local
color." As about half the population
of the country districts is black she
said there was no difficulty about find
ing the "color." Mr. Maupin told
about the "Pirate's Reunion" and the
meeting up with old friends, not for
getting to throw in a few remarks
about the colored population and their
manner of living. Mrs. H. W. Smith
acted as master ,of ceremonies. At
the proper hour refreshments were
served and the remainder of the even
ing was spent in the characteristic
way that printers and their families
have enjoyed since the organization of
the Auxiliary.
George Locker has changed his mind
and will not go to Hastings. Hie
finally decided that Lincoln was good
enough.
Frank Coffey Is still " in Fremont,
looking after union interests in that
city. ' '
Regular union meeting next Sunday.
BITS ABOUT CARPENTERS
What was the name of that good
old Biblical character whose name
signified, "I have come up through
great tribulation"?
Well, no matter. But whatever the
name it would well fit the Carpen
ters' organization in this city, for cer
tainly it has "come up through great
tribulation." .
The first organization of carpenters
was effected in November, 1892, when
thirty members of the craft met and
agreed to form a local. It was duly
chartered at Local No. 373. It had
a hard experience' and met an untime
ly, death. Unionism was not well un
derstood in those days, and the label
agitation and the closed shop were
things almost unknown. But the or
ganization prospered for a time, only
to go' down in the general wreck
brought about by the panic that came
a couple of years later. For several
years there was no organization of
carpenters in the city,' although a few
faithful ones still retained their cards
and held their membership elsewhere.
These men were missionaries of
unionism in those days, and they
kept plugging away, knowing that
their cause was Just, and losing no
opportunity to , preach the gospel of
unionism. The seed they sowed soon
brought forth fruit. In 1899 the mill
men organized a local and it was duly
chartered as Millworkers' Local No.
113. It was an uphill fight from the
start, but the men hung on like grim
death and made a success of the'r
efforts. Three years later, in 1902, the
carpenters determined to make an
other effort at permanent organization.
They succeeded and received a char
ter as Local No. 1332. A little later
another local was organized and
chartered at Local No. 1306.
This gave Lincoln three locals, two
of carpenters and joiners and one of
millworkers. The natural and inevit
able result followed. There were jeal
ousies and bickerings, misunderstand
ings and hard feelings. The wiser
heads soon, realized that" a continua
tion of this state of affairs would
prove disastrous, and, they set about
to find the remedy. A little investi
gation soon convinced them that amal
gamation was the only escape. So
they set about to secure it. They met
with discouragements, but they per
sisted, and finally they were success
ful. On March 18, 1904, the three
locals were consolidated and received
a charter as Local No. 1055.
. And from that day success and
prosperity shone upon the union car
penters. True they have met with
reverses, and at times the outlook was
anything but bright. But there were
loyal hearts and true, ready to re
spond to every call of duty, and ob
stacles were overcome one by one, and
sometimes two at a jtime.
It is interesting to hear one of the
old timers tell about the difference in
conditions cow and when ' there was
no organization. !
"Why, before we organized we
worked ten and eleven hours a day,
and 25 cents an hour was considered
top . wages. We lost about half our
time hunting for jobs, and we were
almighty glad to take anything we
could get. We had absolutely no
voice in the disposition of our labor.
It's different now, and the younger
element will never know what we old
fellows went through with. Now 'we
have a thorough organization- and we
don't have to lose any time hunting
work. ' We have a business agent
who keeps us posted. Neither do we
have to work ten and eleven hours a
day at 25 cents an hour. We make
more money, in eigh hours than we
used to make in eleven, and that
means that, we have more time to get
acquainted with our families and pre
pare, ourselves for better citizenship."
Ever since the-, consolidation of the
locals the Brotherhood of Carpenters
and Joiners in Lincoln has prospered
and progressed. The progress has
been dlscouragingly slow at times. but
it has always prospered. Today the
local has 168 members, and additions
are made at every meeting of the
union. At the meting last Tuesday
night three new members were Initia
ted and a dozen applications banded
in. It has been many a long month
since a meeting was held without an
initiation. -
A few .months ago the union de
cided to move its headquarters and
found a place t 130 North Tenth
street. . Here a small but satisfactory
hall has heen fitted up, and here the
business p gent has his headquarters.
Both 'phonesare used, and regular
hours are maintained. Practically ev
ery union in the city now meets in
Carpenters' hall, and thus the enter
prise of the carpenters is being" re
warded in the shape of rents. , The
present officers of Local No. 1055 are:
President," Ros well Shepherd.
Vice President, O. W. Stowell.
Recording Secretary, F. L. Hetrick.
Financial Secretary, J. A. Chambers.
Business Agent, Ed. Bly. '.
The union meets every Tuesday
night, and the attendance is always
large and growing- larger.
The present condition of trade is
the best in the history of Lincoln. It
is practically impossible' to furnish
enough men to supply all demands.
The local has waged such a winning
fight that the demand for union help
is well nigh unanimous and it will
be more so with every passing day.
The union has practically all the com
petent workmen enrolled now.
The big building on N street, for
merly occupied by Rudge & Guenzel,
is being thoroughly remodeled. A
new hardwood floor will be laid in the
third storji and the big room used as
a dancing hall. E. C. Folsom, - the
agent who has the building in charge,
is insisting on having all the work
done by union men, and - as Harry
Dobbs is the contractor it is a cinch
that Mr. Folsom's wishes will he car
ried out. ""
George Quick is' one of the oldest
union carpenters, in Lincoln we 'mean
in point of unionism, not birthdays.
He is always ready to give a reason
for his union faith, and he has been
one of the union's standbys ever since,
the first organization.
One of the pioneers in the carpen
ters' union in Lincoln-was Sidney J.
Kent, who was deputy labor commis
sioner for four years under Governor
Holcomb. Kent learned his unionism
while a boy serving a hard appren
ticeship in England. He-is now -interested
in a railroad proposition in Wy
oming, and it is rumored that he has
things coming his way. 'He has a host
of friends in Lincoln who will . re
joice to hear of his success.
The Carpenters' Union -watRhe first
Lincoln organization to subscripe in a
body for The Wageworker, and it has
never missed since. The support of
that loyal "bunch" has been most grat
ifying and helpful.
A list of the "good fellows" among
the union carpenters of Lincoln would
be a roll call of the union so let it
go at that.
WOODRUFF CONTRIBUTES.
Well Known Employer of Union Men
Boosts Labor Temple Fund.-
L. D. Woodruff, managing partner
of the firm of Woodruff & Collins,
printers and bookbinders, stopped The
Wageworker man on the street last
Monday and asked: , ,
"How is the Labor Temple scheme
progressing?",
"Just dragging along now until after
Labor Day; then we'll get busy," was .
the reply.
"Well; I want in on that proposi
tion,", said Mr. Woodruff. . "It's a
good one and I want to see it win out.
You can count on me for a donation
of $25."
The Woodruff -Collins prlntery em
ploys three branches of the allied
printing trades printers, pressmen
and bookbinders. When the firm
signed with the printers for' the eight
hour day MrJipodruff-called the men
representing the pressmen z&Sboo'S'
binders' trades and said:
"We've signed -with the printers for
the eight-hour day. .Hereafter the
same thing goes in all departments.
The wages will remain the same, ex
cept in two or three cases,' and in
those cases there will be a slight in
crease. That all."
Isn't it high time that VanCleave
or Post be sent for to wrestle with
the obdurate and misguided Mr. Wood
ruff. ,
FEARS WERE JUSTIFIED.
A New York bricklayer fell . six
stories, and then indignantly struck
a man who wanted to call an ambu
lance for him. He evidently feared
they would operate on him if they
ever got him into a hospital. Brick
layer and Mason.
