3
It
TRAD igBBl COUNCIL
VOL. 4
LINCOLN, NJEBRASKA, JANUARY 24, 190S
NO. 43
The Temple Project
And Other Matters
The board of directors of the Lin
coln Labor Temple Building Associa
tion met in regular session last Mon
day night. The meeting was short,
but to the point. Everything is now
ready for the grand rally, and it will
be begun in a very short time. At
the next meeting a picture of the pro
posed building will De suDmmea, cma
Immediately cuts will be made tnere
of. Then a prospectus will be issued
and circulated, and Immediately
thereafter the campaign for stock sub
scriptions will be prosecuted.
The committee appointed to sug
gest committees for future work
asked for and was granted further
time. It will have a report ready at
the next meeting. A committee was
appointed to visit the board of direc
tors of the Commercial Club for the
purpose of submitting the temple pro
position to that organization, and en
listing its support and co-operation in
the great work. The first thing that
the directorate wants to have under
stood is that the association does not
and will not ask for donations. It has
a clean-cut business proposition to sub
mit and is confident that if it can se
cure a hearing before the Commercial
Club it can enlist the hearty co-operation
of that influential body.
Voluntary subscriptions to the capi
tal stock of the association continui
to come in, but not in a volume that
speaks well for the enthusiasm of Lin
coln unionists on the project. There
are a half-dozen labor organizations
that are as yet unrepresented. Not a
single subscription has been received
from a railway organization, and so
far as outward appearances go the pro
ject is a sealed book to all railroad
men. Two or three have ofTered to
subscribe a day's work, but as yet
none have come to the front with the
money. The Plumbers still hold the
record with an average of a little more
than $5 per man.
The real estate men seem to be the
ones most interested in the project.
The board of directors has numerous
offers of sites, but no selection will be
made until there Is enough money in
the treasury to pay cash down for the
site selected.
A. V. White; Plumbers; T. C. Kelsey,
Ieatherworkers; T. W. Evans, Cigar-
makers, were not present at the meet
ing luonuay evening, w. u. mayer,
Electrical Workers, was excused on
account of sickness.
THE MUSICIANS.
Will Hold Their First Annual Ball on
February 20
Lincoln Musicians' Protective Union
No. 463 is going to hold its first an
nal ball at Fraternity hall on the
evening of February 20, and it is going
to be something well worth while. Har
ry J. Gildersleeve will have charge of
the advertising, Ed. Walt will be mu
sical director, and President W. T.
Plnney will have charge of the matter
of reception. All this was decided on
at the regular meeting held last Sun
day morning. The tickets will be $1
each, extra ladies 50 cents. Having
broken all Lincoln records in the mat
ter of organization, the musicians
now promise to break all records in
the matter of a grand ball. Watch 'em.
J. F. Kendrick, A. C. Blair and H. J.
Gildersleeve have been elected to rep
resent the local in the Central Labor
Union. The local will undoubtedly
.be represented on the Labor Temple
directorate within the next thirty days,
At the meeting last Sunday- the ma
sicians by unanimous vote subscribed
to The Wageworker. The editor had
the pleasure of attending ' the meet
ing of the local.
The international sent on the work
ing cards a couple of weeks ago. Not
being aware of the rapid growth of
the local, it failed to send enough.
The International officers are wonder
fully pleased with the work that has
been done in Lincoln.
ELECTRICAL WORKER3.
A Few Brief Notes About the Men
Who "String the Juice."
The executive board of the In'
ternational Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers has voted to increase the
union's defense fund from $100,000
to $1,000,000. The board is also con
templating Increasing the death bene
fit for widows and orphans. An as
sessment will be made on all the
unions in this country and Canada to
meet the increase.
Pittsburg union electrical workers
have quit because their pay was re
duced from $3.25 to $3 a day. Th
men offered to work eight hours a day
for $2.89, but the company insists on
the nine-hour day at $3.
The Electrical Workers of Pana, 111.,
htve organized a union and electel
11 I .
'
THIS
Spencer, Cartoonist
George Miller president, and William
Higgins secretary. The local will be
known as No. 654.
ROBERT STRAIN DEAD.
Well Known Union Barber Answers to
the Final Summons.
Robert Strain, an old and respected
member of the local Barbers' Union
died Tuesday morning at his home in
University Place after an illness of
several weeks. Funeral services were
held at the family home Wednesday
morning the Macabees being in
charge. Some thirty members of the
Barbers' Union testified to their love
for their former brother by attending
the funeral and leaving a floral tribute
upon the casket. The remains were
taken to Nebraska City Thursday and
interred in the cemetery at that place.
Mr. Strain leaves a wife and one son,
Albert, who is a member of Typo
graphical Union and employed at the
Woodruff-Collins shop.
Robert Strain was a well known fig
ure in union circles in Lincoln. He
held several important offices in his
local and represented it with great
credit in the Central Labor Union.
Quiet and unassuming, he was a man
of earnest convictions and always
ready to defend his unionism and was
earnest in argument. He had the re
spect of all who knew him, and his ac
quaintance was unusually large. The
local union feels his loss deeply, for
he was a faithful member. To the be
reaved wife and son the heartfelt
sympathy of every unionist in the
city is extended.
Work is reported to be a little bet
ter now than it has been for several
weeks. The local initiated one new
member at Its last meeting and has
several applications on file. The good
effects of last week's social session ars
already being felt, and the boysre
talking about having another one in
the near future.
A few weeks ago a shop card was
hung upon the wall of Henry Larabee's
shop on P street, between Ninth and
Tenth. The card adds greatly to the
neat appearance of this attractive lit
tle shop.
THE BRICKLAYERS.
Comparatively Little Doing, But Spring
Prospects are Bright.
Bricklayers have been enjoying an
enforced vacation for several weeks.
rhere has been comparatively little
work other than inside jobs, although
THE STRADDLER
OOAl'T
T
KlNDOFA3iv
there has been some demand for men
all the time. The open weather has
permitted a day's work now and then
just enough to keep the muscles
from growing stiff.
The outlook for next season is very
bright, several big jobs being on the
boards. Among them Is the Castle
Roper-Matthews job on N street be
tween Thirteenth and Fourteenth. This
building will join the Fraternity build
ng on the east. Several brick flats are
contemplated and some alteration
work on O streea property is being
talked about.
Bricklayers are warned to remain
away from Los Angeles, San Francisco
and Seattle. All three places are ad
vertising for men, the hope of the ad
vertisers being to flood the labor mar
ket and cause a disruption of the
unions.
The railroads have refused a re
duced rate to the national convention
at Detroit.
St.
Louis union has assessed every
member $1 on taking out his next quar
terly card the money to go to a fund
to op)Mse the open shop movement.
FARMERS' UNION MEETING.
Columbia, S. C, Jan. 22. The South
Carolina Farmers' Union met in an
nual convention here today with near
ly every coftnty of the state fully rep
resented. Reduced cotton acreage,
the repeal of the alien law, and m
number of other questions of live in
terest to the farmers are slated for
consideration.
STONE BROUGHT BACK.
Leatherworkers' Treasurer Faces a
Charge of Embezzlement.
J. J. Stone, former financial secre
tary of the local union of Leather
workers on Horse Goods, was brought
back to Lincoln Wednesday from Salt
Lake City by Deputy Sheriff Gable.
Stone is charged with having embez
zled funds of the union amounting Co
something near $150.
He was immediately arraigned be
fore County Judge Cosgrave on the
charge of embezzlement, entered a
plea of not guilty and waived ex
amination. His bond was fixed at
$500. and being unable to furnish it
he was remanded to the county jail.
THE ONLY WAY.
A good many merchants when ap
proached to advertise in the labor pa
per . say they patronize the other
papers and that is enough. These
Courtesy of Omaha
men men are your enemies and the
only way for you to do is to patron
ize those that advertise in the labor
paper. La Crosse Labor Journal.
HERE'S A UNIONIST.
He Sets an Example That a Lot of
Us Might Well Follow.
The secretary of the Omaha union
of Photo-Engravers lives in Lincoln,
and his name is Grant. Mr. Grant
has charge of the Cornell Engraving
Co. plant. He has been in Lincoln
sixteen months, and during that time
lie has not missed a meeting of his
union. He travels from Lincoln to
Omaha and return every month, a
distance of 110 miles, and his salary
iis secretary wouldn't pay his fare to
Waverly and return. He returns
home on the night train, and is- forced
tr walk a long distance to reach his
rooms. But he is so enthusiastic ou
the union question that he thinks it
a pleasure to undergo all the trouble
and expense.
If every union man in Lincoln was
as enthusiastic in the good work as
Secretary Grant there would be some
"fine doings" in union circles in this
town. His example is commended to
every reader of The Wageworker.
SOONER THE BETTER.
Nearly every law enacted by con
gress to aid the laboring class is de
clared unconstitutional. The last one
is the employer's liability act It's the
same was in Michigan. As long as
the laboring class are satisfied to have
professional men represent them just
so long will they be misrepresented.
A start should be made and at once.
Labor does not realize its power, and
the .sooner it votes as it marches on
Labor Day the better off it will be,
Jackson (Michigan) Square Deal.
The
TVT
HOW
Cleveland, O., Jan. 23. Judge Phil
lips in the common pleas court to
morrow will issue a formal order dis
solving the Amalgamated Window
Glass Workers' Association. The at
torneys on both sides have been in
structed to prepare a journal entry
governing the disposition - of over
World - Herald
$100,000 in cash held by the union in
banks.
Judge Phillips' decision was that
the union violates the anti-trust laws.
Judge Phillips held that a labor
union in this case is operating against
public policy because It attempted to
restrict the number of men who shall
work at window glass making and
the amount they shall turn out, and
because non-members are prevented
from obtaining work. He held that
the principle involved was that of a
monopoly, and was in effect the same
as art attempted monopoly of capital.
The glass workers' union has 6,000
members.
Your union may be the next one!
If this union can be dissolved by
judicial ukase, your union can be dis
solved the same way.
This sort of judicial tyranny is the
logical result of accepting the injunc
tion with no other protest than a few
swear words. The seeds of judicial
injunction sown by Judge Taft have
ripened into a crop of absolute ju
dicial tyranny. Your right to organize
for mutual help and protection is de
nied. It is a forced return to the dark
ages of irresponsible master and in
dustrial serf.
How do you like it?
If you do not like it, tear the par
tisan collar from your neck and tell
professional! politicians to go to!
If you like it, ' you are getting a
plenty of what you like. ,
WHAT ITS OBJECT 13.
The Plain Truth Extracted From a
Highfaultin, Declaration.
"American Industries," is the name
of a monthly journal published by the
National Manufacturers' Company, an
organization having for its purpose the
disrupting of trades unions. James W.
ou Are
IT A -
LJlVorAinftT
VanCleave is the president of this
company and the editor of the official
organ. He is also head man of the
Buck Stove and Range Co., which has
just succeeded in enjoining the Ameri
can Federation of Labor from includ
ing the Buck Stoves and ranges in the -
unfair" and "we don't patronzie" lists.
At 'the head of its editorial columns,
and signed by Mr. VanCleave, "Amer
can Industries" carries the following
highfiown declaration:
The object, of the formation of the
National Association of Manufacturers
is the co-operation of all manufac
turers for the promotion of industries, .
and the commerce of the United
States, the bettermen of the relations.
between employers and workers, the
establishment and maintenance of in
dustrial peace, and the encouragement
of the business and the financial inter
ests of its members at home and
abroad."
By the "promotion of industries"
VanCleave mean a tariff bulwark that
will let the manufacturers rob the peo-, .
pie at home while underselling the
"pauper labor of Europe" in the Euro
pean's own market. By "betterment of
relations between employers and work
ers," he means a system where the
worker is at the mercy of the employ-,
er. By "the establishment and main
tenance of industrial peace," he means .
the peace of the sweat shop and the
hovel wherein live and work submis
sive slaves who dare not assert a right
lest the crust and the scrap be torn
from their starving lips.
It is high time that workingmen
arouse themselves to a realization of
the insidious enroachments upon their
rights made by this aggregation of
greedy and conscienceless capitalists
to whom human blood and sinew are
but as the raw material that enter into
their manufactured articles; to whom
human suffering is nothing when meas
ured by dollars and cents, and to. whom
the courts are but the means of fur
ther riveting the shackles upon the
limbs of toil. The workingman who
fails to keep himself informed is a
criminal false to himself, false to his "
family, false to his fellows and false to
i his country. The workingman who is
selfishly satisfied with a living wage,
caring nothing for the good of his fel
lows, is unfit for the company of
thoughtful and patriotic men.
The association of which James W.
VanCleave is president never sleeps.
It is enroaching on the rights of the
toilers; it has millions at its disposal
with which to influence legislation and
secure judicial decrees.
k It is up to organized labor to snatch
the lawmaking power from the hands
of the tools of capitalists and lift the
courts above the blandishments of po
litical preferment and financial favorit
ism. THE CARPENTERS.
Organizer Mitchler Pumping Ginger
Into the Rank and File.
Organizer Mitchler of the Carpen
ters is a mighty busy man these days.
He has been in Lincoln for a week, '
and the good results of his work are -already
manifest. The meeting last
Tuesday evening and was a rouser. He
is receiving the support of the rank
r.nd file in his efforts.
The outlook for . next season is
something fine. There will be more
building than ever before, although
the number of jobs may not be in
creased. This is due to the fact that
so many big jobs are on the .boards.
Work at the present is rather slack,
although a number of men find com
paratively steady employment.
Roy Cooper has sold his home and
is now preparing to build a new one,
'larger and better than the old.
The daughter of Frank Naracong,
University Place, has been 111 for sev
eral days, but is reported better.
THIS LISTENS GOOD.
The Cleveland members of the Na
tional Association of Manufacturers
have become disgusted with the
methods adopted by that organization
la its silly attempt to destroy organ-,
ized labor. A new independent organ-'
ization of manufacturers is the result,
with the object solely in view to
build up Cleveland as a manufacturing
city and leave the union smashing, to
Parry, Post, Van Cleave and others
of that ilk. Baltimore Leader.