TU1
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3
E TRADES
COUNCILS
LIXCOLN, NEBRASKA, JAXUABY 10, li0S
NO. 41
mm
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UNION F
A API I
l Lflnm
V
k
Temple Stockholders
Elect
Last Tuesday night occurred the
flr-t nnniinl election of the Lincoln
Labor Temple Building Association,
held at 127 North Twelfth street. Dur
ing the two hours the polls were
opened the room looked like a polit
ical caucus, and there was a lot of
figuring lone to produce results that
would commend themselves to the
stockholders at large.
The articles of incorporation pro
vide that six directors at large shall
he elected In addition to the one di
rector selected by each union owning
100 Bhares of stock. As yet only union
mon are stockholders, so only union
men were considered as candidates.
The utmost care was exercised to see
that two or three of the smaller unions
should be represented, regardless of
the fact that their unions as unions
did not hold stock. The Bookbinders,
for Instance, with only seven mem
bers, are financially unable to own
enough stock to entitle the local to a
director, but the unions that do hold
sufficient stock split their votes so as
to elect a bookbinder on the board.
This was also true in the casa of the
pressmen and the clgarmakers, all
three of these unions having shown
splendid interest in the project. Soon
er or later all ot them will be stock
holders. The election was carried on with
the utmost good feeling, and all pres
ent showed the liveliest interest. Capi
tal Auxiliary No. 11 to Typographical
Union No. 209 sent a committee to
cast the vote of the Auxiliary, and the
presence of the women was appreci
ated. The Hollowing directors at large
were elected:
Fred Ress, Bookbinders.
T. W. Evans, Clgarmakers.
A. V. White, Plumbers.
Alex Weckesser, Pressmen.
W. Li. Mayer, Electrical Workers.
W. M. Maupln, Typographical.
The Bartenders, Electrical Workers,
Printers, Painters, Leatherworkers,
Carpenters and Barbers' unions each
own 100 or more shares of stock and
are therefore entitled to one director
each. These directors are as follows:
S. L. Chapiu, Barbers.
G. A. Walker, Bartenders.
, O. M. Rudy, Electrical Workers.
J. W. Dickson, Carpenters.
T. C. Kelsey, Leatherworkers.
Fred Ihringer, Typographical.
Geo. De Lacey, Painters.
These thirteen men will constitute
the board of directors for the next two
years, subject to the addition of di
rectors selected by unions taking the
renuired amount of stock. The board
will meet next Monday night at 127
North Twelfth street to elect a presi
dent, vice nresldent. secretary and
treasurer, and to designate an execu
tive committee of seven, of which the
officers named' shall constitute a ma-
Jority.
With a permanent organization thus
effected the association will be pre
pared to begin the work in earnest.
All that has been done heretofore has
been preliminary to the real work,
and from now on the matter will be
pushed with vigor. The association
1s In fine shape. Union men are tak
ing a more active interest, and the
pessimistic among them are rapidly
becoming optimists. Men who a few
months ago declared that "it's no use
trying to build a Labor Temple," are
. now convinced that it cfcn 'be done
and that it will be done. There are
more looeters and fewer knockers
now, and the outlook is as bright as
it could well be without settling some
thing afire.
The committee met Monday even
ing and received a nice bunch of
money from the Bale of stock. In fact,
not one meeting has been held at
which stock was not sold and paid for.
Some discussion arose over the legal
construction of some of the sections
or the articles of incorporation, so a
committee was appointed to seek legal
odvlce. This was done, and the elec
tion Tuesday was pulled off in a strict
ly legal manner.
Just as soon as possible the new
board of directors will secure plans
for a building so that Investors may
'know Just what they are going Into,
and when this is done the campaign
for placing the stock will (be com
menced. The board wants it distinct
ly understood that it win Wat ask for
a dollar of donations. The association
has a safe and paying investment
proposition, and it will be presented
to the people of Lincoln purely upon
Its merits. Facts and figures "will be
s.mbmitted to demonstrate the sound
ness of the proposition.
THE PLUMBERS.
How They Took Hold of the Labor
Temple Proposition.
In point of numbers the Plumbers'
Union of Lincoln is a "little one" as
compared with the Carpenters, the
Printers or the Barbers. But what
they lack in numbers they make up in
enthusiasm in union works. Not hav
ing an overflowing treasury the
Plumbers decided that their local
could not at this time take a hundred
shares in the Labor Temple. But they
took shares as individuals. By unani
mous vote they assessed themselves
50 cents a week for ten weeks $5
eiich and took eighty shares, each
member giving his share to the local.
In the spring they will do it all over
again, and then ask some of the "big"
unions to match it.
If every union man in Lincoln would
meet the game of the plumbers It
would mean Just about $15,000 in the
next two monfhs and that would In
sure the laying of the cornerstone of
a Labor Temple next Labor Day. The
"big" unions will have to wake up and
go some if they equal the gait set by
the Plumbers' Union and that's no
Jolly.
A. V. White, after due consideration,
decided that there was no .better
place than Lincoln, so he has decided
to remain.
The old Joke about frozen pipes and
plumbers' bills has not been over
worked so far this season. As a
c-.atter of fact the mild winter has
made work in the plumbing line Just
a trifle slow. But for all that the
men manage to get in pretty good
time, and when not at work they
take heart over the outlook for an
unusually good summer season.
Ed. English says he would like to
have the Job fixing the pipes of some
cf the political dreamers of this town.
Frank Best opines that prohibition
would make business better for "the
plumbers. It would provide a lot cf
"Joints" that would have to be
"wiped" out.
Bert Chipman claims and with
good reason to be a first class
plumber, but he is forced to admit
that he has a few rheumatic Joints
that he has not yet been able to fix
properly.
THE BARBERS.
Making Great Preparation for Their
"Smoker" Next Week.
The Barbers' Union is making great
preparation for its "smoker" and
toysterfest" next Wednesday night,
and there is no longer any doubt that
it will be one of those fine occasions
you often read about in story books.
'I he "boss barbers" will be enter
tained in royal style, and the non
union barbers will be invited and
given the best there Is in the larder.
The union men want to get acquainted
with their non-union brethren for the
purpose of being able to show them
the many advantages of unionism.
The evening will be spent in a social
way, with plenty of union-made cigars
to smoke, and plenty of oysters to
banish that "gone feeling" In the pit
of the stomach.
The fact that several members of
the local have joined the Musicians'
Union brought out the other fact
that there was a lot of musical talent
among the barbers. The result is the
organization of a "Union Barbers' Glee
Club" that is said to be a wonder.
It will make its debut next Wednes
day night. All visitors will be
searched at the door for possible
missies.
N. A. Otis, who carries a Musician's
card in addition to his Barber's card,
denies that he makes his music by
wrapping a piece of tissue paper
his comb and then blowing through it.
President McBride repudiates the
report that barbers are too prone to
conversation while at work. He says
they talk so much at the union meet
ings that they are worn out for the
next two weeks.
Secretary Swinker, who has a great
head for "Aggers," reports that the
Lincoln ball team has won the 1908
pennant in sixteen different barber
shops since January 1.
At the meeting of the local union
on January 1, the following resolu
tions were unanimously adopted:
"Whereas, God in His Wisdom has
seen fit to remove from our midst our
beloved brother, Morris Moore, and
"Whereas, We, his brothers and
fellow workmen, will miss him in our
daily work and friendly meetings, and
"Whereas, His smiles, his words of
cheer, and his always cheerful dispo
sition will ever be remembered by us,
be it
"Resolved, That we extend our
heartfelt sympathy to his widow and
family, and send her a copy of these
resolutions, also causing a copy to be
spread upon our minutes and the same
published In The Wageworker.
JOHN C. KIRKMAN,
JOE M. LONG, Committee.
THE MUSICIANS.
Unable to Find a Limit at Which to
Stop Growing.
Last week The Wageworker report
ed that the Musicians' Union had a
membership of 116, and that looked
like the limit. But it seems that the
Musicians have decided to "remove
the limit," for at the meeting last Sun
day the membership reached the 130
mark, with more applications in sight.
Tliis rather breaks the record In all
similar lines in this town.
'Will Norton and N. A. Otis have
switched Jabs. Norton was elected
financial secretary and Otis was elect
ed recording and corresponding secre
tary. This wasn t exactly the way
the union framed it up, so Norton
and Otis got together and traded with
tbf consent of the membership.
The Musicians' Union is less than
four months old, counting from the
time the work of organization began
It started out with twenty-four char
ter members, and that was thought to
be about all. But they Just kept com-
in- until there are now 130 members.
The ainion will meet at Bruse's hall
at-11 a. m. one week from next Sun
day. A l'ot of important business is
to be transacted, and every member
Is requested to be present when Presi
dent Pinney lets the gavel fall
TYPOGRAPHICAL UNION.
Holds First Session of the Year and
Grinds Out a Grist.
Lincoln Typographical Union No.
209 met at Fraternity hall last Sunday
afternoon, it being the first meeting
cf the new year. The principal busi
ness consisted of reading the an
nouncements of the various candidates
for international office and in consider
ing the local situation.
Strange to say, there were no ap
plications for membership and no
initiations. A collection of several
dollars was taken up for the relief of
a badly crippled union man in Texas
who is making an appeal to his
brother unionists for help. He is ut
terly helpless.
President Kelsey of the Central La
bor Union visited the local and made
a brief address which was listened to
with interest and greeted with hearty
applause. 1 Fred Ihringer was re
elected as representative of the union
on the Labor Temple directorate. A
new committee with Fred Mickel as
chairman was appointed to arrange
for the erection of a suitable monu
ment on the union's burial lot in Wy-
uka. The anniversary committee
asked and was granted further time
in which to submit a report. A full
report will be made at the February
meeting.
THE CIGARMAKERS.
Interested in Big Change in Local
Ownership Recently.
Local cigarmakers are much inter
ested in a recent change in the local
cigar manufacturing business. The
first of the year N. H. Cinberg bought
out Wm. Seeltagfreund's factory, to
gether with all the famous Seeling
freund brands. Mr. Cinberg has add
ed his purchase to the plant he has
so long operated, and the result is he
has one of the largest cigar factories
in the west Wm. Seelingfreund re
tires from the business after long
years of success, feeling that he is en
titled to a little rest. His "Burlington
Route" and "Senator Burkett" cigars
have achieved an almost national rep
utation, and Mr. Cinberg says it will
be his especial business to keep them
right up to the high standard. The
Cinberg factory is now employing six-
teen- men, and expects to add to the
fores right along.
Wm. Pepperburg, who is about to
remove his factory from Plattsmouth
to Lincoln, will probably rent the
'Seeliugfreund building on S street and
occupy it until his building on West
O street is ready for occupancy, which
will be, about May ' 1. Local cigar
makers are patiently waiting to see
what developments there may 'be in
the Pepperburg matter.
S. B. Kenin, who officiated as fore
man for Mr. Seelingfreund, will serve
in the same capacity for Mr. Cinberg.
Mrs. T. W. Evans has been serious
ly ill for same time. '
While the demand for cigarmakers
is not at all pressing, there are no
idle men in Lincoln at the - present
time. The demand for men, however,
would be much greater if every union
man would demand labeled cigars. It
would be wonderfully increased if a
lot of men who are always boosting
for "home industry" would d-o more
of it with their money and less with
their vocal organs.
THE MACHINISTS.
Preparing to Enjoy Their Annual Ball
On January 21.
The local branch of the Inter
national Association of Machinists is
making great preparations for the an
nual ball of the local, which will ba
held at Fraternity hall on January 21.
Governor and Mrs. Sheldon and Mayor
and Mrs. Brown have accepted invita
tions to be present. The committee
in charge of the annual function is
working hard to make it the best in
the local's history,' and the indications
are that they will succeed.
The reception committee at the ball
will consist of R. H. Mcore, A. A.
Hyers, John Malstedt, Leo Gleason
and F. J. Schemebel. A cordial invi
tation is extended to all union men
and women to participate in the pleas
urea of the evening.
MAKE NO WAGE DEMANDS.
Conductors and Trainmen Finish
Their Session in This City.
The general c'ommittee of the Or
der of 'Railway Conductors and the
Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen of
the Burlington system concluded their
three days' sessions late last Saturday
night. During the evening the con
ductors elected the following officers:
Chairman, J. B. Tanney, of Lincoln
Neb.; vice chairman, G. F. Murphy, of
Beardstown, 111.; secretary and treas
urer, R. F. Ledford, of Hannibal, Mo.
The next meeting of the conductors'
general committee will be held ' at
Kansas City two years from now.
The conductors decided that the
salary of the chairman shall be $2,500
a year for the two years of the term.
That of the chairman of the trainmen
is the same. Chairman Tanney, of
the conductors, and Chairman Barnes
of the trainmen, went to Chicago Mon
day tt confer with General Manager
Ward, of the Burlington lines east of
the Misstouri river, regarding griev
ances that have 'been considered at
this meeting.
The trainmen held a meeting Satur
day night at which it was understood
matters relating to the adjustment of
present schedules were considered.
The conductors also were in session,
at which similar subjects were dis
cussed. No formal announcement of
the proceedings of the night's sessions
was made further than they related
largely to matters of schedules and
organization. It was denied that a
demand for increased wages will be
made at this time.
CENTRAL LABOR UNION.
Meets Next Tuesday Night and Elec
tion Will Be Held.
The Central Labor Union will meet
at Bruse's hall next Tuesday evening.
The chief business will be the elec
tion of officers for the ensuing term,
and for this reason it la desired that
evry accredited delegate be present.
it is up to the delegates to "chirk
up" : and make the central 'body of
stome real service to the organizations
in the city. Of late months the body
has "not been very active, owing large
ly to the lack of interest on the part
of delegates. This should be reme
died, and. must be if the body is to be
made of service.
Sjet every delegate be present at
the meeting next Tuesday night.
The St. Joseph Lead company and
the JJoe Run Lead company, of Bonne
terre, Mo., have resumed operations,
and 10,000 men are employed.
Employer's Liability 1
Law Unconstitutional
Last Tuesday the supreme cour; of
the United States, through Justice
White, handed down an opinion as to
the constitutionality of the employers'
liability law, enacted , at the request
cf President Roosevelt by the last
congress. By a vote of five to four
the law was held to be "repugnant to
the constitution."
Justice Harlan, who is pretty near
ly always right on the questions of
interest to the common; people al
though he missed it in the Moyer
habeasi corpus case dissented from
the majority opinion and held that the
law was constitutional. It is held that
the law is not in accordance with the
constitution of the United States be
cause it "goes beyond the bounds per
mitted in the regulation of interstate
commerce."
Following are the principal points
from Justice White's opinion: -
"The act then being addressed to all
common carriers engaged in interstate
commerce, and imposing a liability
upon them in favor of any of their
employes may be engaged at the time
of the injury, of! necessity includes
subjects wholly outside of the power
of congress to regulate commerce.
Without stopping to consider the
numerous instances where, although a
common carrier is engaged in inter
state commerce such carrier may in
the nature of things transact business
r.ot interstate commerce, although
such local business may indirectly be
related to interstate commerce, a few
illustrations showing the operation of
the statute as to matters wholly inde
pendent of interstate commerce will
serve to make clear the extent of the
power exerted by the statute.
"Take a railroad engaged in inter
state commerce, having a purely local 1
branch operated wholly within a state.
Take again the same road having
shops for repairs and it may 'be for
construction work as well as a large
accounting and clerical force and hav
ing, it may be, storage elevators and
warehouses not to suggest- besides,
the possibility of its being engaged in
other independent enterprises. Take
a telegraph company engaged In the
transmission of interstate and local
messages. Take an express company
engaged in local as well as interstate
business. Take a trolley line moving
wholly within a state as to a large
part of its business and as to the re
mainder crossing the state line.
"As the act thus includes many sub
jects, wholly beyond the federal power
to regulate; it results that the act is
repugnant to the constitution and can
not be enforced unless there be merit
in the propositions advanced to show
that the statute may be saved.
"So far as the face of the statute is
concerned, the argument is this, that
because the statute says carriers en
gaged in commerce between the state,
etc., therefore the act should be inter
preted as being exclusively applicable
to the interstate commerce business
and none other of such carriers and
tnat the words 'any employe,' as found
In the statute should be held to mean
any employe when such employe is en
gaged only in interstate commerce.
But this would require us to write into
the statute words of limitation and re
striction not now in it. But if we
ould bring ourselvse to modify the
statute by writing in the words .sug
gested, the result would be to restrict
the operation of the act as to the Dis
trict of Columbia and territories.
"Of course, if it can be lawfully done,
our duty is to construct the statute so
as to render it constitutional. But this
does not imply, if the text of an act is
unambiguous that it may be re-written
to accomplish that purpose. Equally
clear is it, generally" speaking, that
where a ' state contains provisions
which are constitutional and others
which are not, effect may be given to
the " legal - provisions1 by . , separating
them from the illegal.- But this ap
plies only to a case where the pro
visions are inseparable and not de
pendent one upon the other and does
not support the contention that that
which is indivisible may be divided.
Moreover, the rule that a case where
the legal provisions may be severed
from those which are illegal,' in order
ot save them, applies to where it is
plain that congress would have en
acted legislation with the unconstitu
tional provisions eliminated. All
these principles are so clearly settled
as to not be open to controversy. It
remains only to consider the conten- .T
tlon which we have previously quoted,
that the statute is constitutional al
though it embraces subjects not within
the power of congress to regulate, be
cause one who engages in interstate '
commerce thereby admits all his
business concerns to the regulating
power of congress. To state the
proposition is to refute it. It assumes
that because one engages in interstate
commerce he thereby endows congress
with power not delegated to it by the
constitution, in other words, with the
right to legislate concerning matters
of purely state concern. It is appar
ent that if the contention were well
founded, it would extend the power
of congress to every conceivable sub
ject, however inherently local, and
would obliterate all the limitations of
power imposed by the constitution and
would destroy the authority of the
states as to all conceivable matters
which from the beginning liave been
and must continue to be under their
control, so long as the constitution
endures. i
"Concluding as we do, the statute,
whilst, it embraces subjects within the
authority of congress to regulate com
merce, also includes subjects not
within its constitutional power, and
that the two are so Intended, in the
state that they are incapable of sepa
ration, we are of the opinion that
the courts below rightly held the stat
ute as to be rpuguant to the consti
tution and non-enforcible and tlfa
judgments below, are therefore af
firmed." ',
Senator Knox of Pennsylvania, who
has taken much interest in the litiga
tion growing out of the employers' lia
bility act, which was declared to be
unconstitutional, has introduced a
bill which is intended to remedy the
defects in the present law. ' .
The bill is so drawn as to make !t
applicable only to corporations en
gaged in such commerce as congress
has the undoubted right to control
and to employes' of such corporations
engaged exclusively in interstate com
merce. The existing law is so broad as to
cover all transportation between
states, but Mr. Knox's bill so modifies
it as to limit its operations to common
carriers which are operated by steam
or similar motive power. .
UNION ELECTRIC CAB.
Union Men Should Call For It When
Needing a Ride.
L. A. Dickson, a member of Local
No. 265, International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers, is engineering
the electric cab which is so often seen
pursuing its noiseless way about the
streets of Lincoln. In "sassiety" par
lance it is known' as an "electric
brougham," but .we'll call It a cab for
the sake of convenience. . '
Mr, Dickson wants the patronage of
union men, and he deserves it. He
will answer all calls, day or night,
and the caller can ride in a hand
somely equipped electric cab just as
cheaply as he can in one of the old
kind. His night stand is at the Lin
dell hotel. His 'phones are Auto 4531
and Bell A427. He will give party
calls especial attention. The Wage
wcrker recommends this good union
biother to the unionists of the city.
See his business card elsewhere in
this paper. V .
UNION OFFICIALS QUIT.
On January 8 the last Union Labor
party city official in San Francisco
stepped down and out, and the city
is . now in the hands of "business
men." Organized labor controlled the
city for three years, and to the ever
lasting disgrace of unionism Is pre
sented the spectacle of graft to the
limit. It will take organized Sabor
years to live down the injury done to
H by the weak men who were made
the tools of designing grafters and
political corruptionlsts.
1 MANY OUT OF WORK.
; Retrenchment is the excuse given
by the Illinois Central for letting out
more than 3,000 employes. Most of
these are paid at ' the New Orleans
terminal, and -the result is a heavy
depression in the Crescent City. :