The Wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, February 13, 1909, Image 4

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WAGEWORKER
WILL M. MAVPIN. EDITOR
Published Weekly at 137 No. 14th
St, Lincolr, Neb. One Dollar a Year.
Entered as second-class matter April
21, 1904, at the postoffice at IJncoln,
Neb., under the Act of Congress of
March 3rd. 1879.
AN ARBITRATION COMMISSION.
Lincoln Typographical Union has
taken the lead in a movement to
secure a modification of the injunction
writ to the extent that trial by jury
will be provided for in cases of in
direct contempt, and a speedy hear
ing and final determination had ou
all temporary injunctions issued in
cases where labor issues are involved.
With a democratic legislature, elected
upon a national platform declaring in
favor of these very things there should
be no difficulty ia securing the neces
sary legislation. In this effort the
Typographical Union should have the
support of every other organization.
But there is another thing that the
trades unions should work for and
that is the establishment of a state
arbitration commission to inquire
into and report findings on all indus
trial disputes. The Wageworker
would not for a minute advocate or
give support to a compulsory arbitra
tion plan. It is, however, in favor of
a commission that will make public
the results of Us Investigations and
leave, the matter then for public opin
ion to enforce. In brief the plan is
this: When an industrial dispute
prises either party to the dispute may
request the services of the arblrta
tlon commission, the commission to
be composed of one member selected
by one party to the. dispute, another
member by the other party thereto,
and the third member by these two.
The commission shall be presided over
by the deputy commissioner of labor
who shall have no vote, nor voice
other than to decide questions of par
liamentary practice. The findings of
the commission should then be offered
to the newspapers for publication, but
there shall be no compulsory com
pliance with the findings. The Wage
worker believes that neither party to
the contention could afford to ignore
the weight of public opinion.
The plan of compulsory arbitration,
proposed by some, does not. In the
very nature of things, appeal to the
wage-earners. It would be too easy
to compel the workers to abide by
the results, and loo difficult to make
an arrogant corporation abide there
by. Besides, the weight of money
would count too heavily upon one side.
Again, compulsory arbitration pro
' sumes a standing commission, and
luat will ever be opposed by organ
ized labor.
Such a plan of arbitration as out
lined above will, in the opinion of
The Wageworker, meet with the ap
proval of the wage-earners.
. p
Again, the general public has little
or no connection of what trades unions
are doing for the social uplift; no
conception of what the unions are
doing to better conditions for -men
and women. As one delegate to the
Central Labor Union aptly remarked
while discussing this topic, "The
trouble Is that the commandment,
'thou shalt love the Lord, thy God,
with all thy soul, and thy neighbor
as thyself,' has been divided, the
church taking the first part of it and
leaving the rest of it to be kicked
around loose until the trades unions
took it up."
-That expresses the case fully. The
church is spending so much time look
ing after the hereafter that it has no
time to give to the now. Of course
the minister and the church member
will indignantly deny this, but the
denial will not go far with men who
1-ave studied both the work of the
church and the work of the trades
union. An "educational secretary"
could give the church a lot of pointers
on how it could reach the working
man, and at the same time disabuse
the minds of the workingman of some
of the wrong notions concerning the
church's attitude towards him. , There
is a woeful lot of ignorance on both
sides. Money spent in dissipating
this ignorance, possessed by all o?
us, would be well spent. . The the
atrical attraction that tries to do with
out a press agent does not, as a rule,
last long. The merchant who tries
to do without advertising seldom cuts
much of a figure in the business
world. The tiouble with trades
unions is, largely, that they have
neglected to properly advertise their
merits to the world. But the op
ponents of trades unionism have lost
no opportunities to advertise the de
merits of unionism and they haven't
been very particular with the truth
in doing It.
This matter of an "educational sec
retary" is well worth the careful con
sideration of every union in the city.
If we'll put In a little leas time on
non-essentials and a little more time
on essentials we'll make better
progress.
Think it over.
THE CHARTER WILL NOT
DO.
city
now
AN "EDUCATIONAL SECRETARY."
The Union Carpenters of Lincoln
1-ave evolved an idea that should be
carefully considered by the unionists
of the city. It is for the unions to
employ a man all of the time whose
duty it will be not only to educate
trade unionists to their duty as union
men, but to educate the general pub
lic ao to what trades unionism really
Is. The trouble with union men Is
their Ignorance, and the trouble with
the general public Is its ignorance. A
great majority of union men know
why thev are union men, but a small
minority only cm tell why they are
union men. The general public has
a wrong idea of trades unionism, and
this Is due to the fact that they have
secured their information from
Boiirces that are prejudiced against
the unions. Talk to the average pro
fessional man about trades unionism
and he will almost Invariably bas
Ms opposition to trades unions on
two mistaken ideas. First, he will de
clare that the unions insist that the
employer pay the poor workman the
, same wages as the good workman,
Second, he will declare that the union
man denies the non-union man the
right to work. All this is, of course
ridiculous, but the average profes
sional man believes it, and he always
will believe it unless union men dls
abuse his , mind. An "educational
secretary," or whatever he may be
called, could do immense service to
the cause of unionism by setting
unions right before the public.
The charter proposed for the
of Lincoln will not do. As it
stands It will be opposed by the trades
unionists of Lincoln. The idealist's
who are dreaming, and the "silk
stockings" who ere scheming may as
well understand this fact first aB last.
And the trades unionists of Lincoln
will try to exert ome influence In
legislative circles.
In the first place, the May election
date is unfair to a large body of
honest workingmen. In the second
place, a nominal salary for a bunch
of figureheads is repugnant ' to men
who believe in fair wages. for fair
work. This thing of, talking about
wealthy men giving their time to the
city for nothing, merely, as a civic
duty, Is all tommy-rot. City govern
ment, like state government, is sup
posedly representative. And a man
of wealth, either inherited or secured
by unexpected rise in real estate
values, or ' any other method other
than grinding toil, has no conception
whatever of the needs and desires of
men who are compelled to sweat daily
in order to eat regularly.
Organized labor Is demanding a
fair deal for every man and organ
ized labor has no difficulty in seeing
that the May election date is aimed
for the purpose of depriving' a lot cf
Industrious citizens of foreign birth oT
a right to participate in civic affairs.
And organized labor, being practical
because it deals with practical things
every day, can see the unfairness of
any scheme which will depriye the
toilers of an opportunity to hold citv
office.
The Wageworker rather opines that
it knows something about the senti
ment of the wage-earners of Lincoln,'
and it has no hesitancy in saying
that the unpaid commission does not
meet with their approval. Neither
does the May election date. And The
Wageworker is opposed to both
schemes, anil will voice that oppor.i
tion where it thinks it will do the
most. good.
The Wageworker is drawing close
to the end of Its fifth year. That is
about four years and six months
longer than any other labor paper
ever lived in Lincoln. And no thanks
are due to a lot of union men in
Lincoln, either.
7TT J ' When a statement is made you ask "Who made it?" The weight of the evi- 1
JlJJ V CZ sl y C? dence is in the one who makes the statement. Now we're telling you about the j
After -Inventory Me
TTHE eager crowds at our store proves that the evidence has weight; that the
public has confidence in our announcements; that the people really appreciate
exceptional bargains, if Trie Winter Clothing is being cleared away with great
rapidity, for we have made prices for quick results. Such high-grade clothing as we
sell is rarely underpriced, and no man with an eye to economy will ignore such a chance.
Our Entire Stock oi . Suits, Overcoats and
Cravenettes Divided Into Four Great Lots
$19.
is the price of our finest
Suits, Overcoats and
Cravenettes. These are
the best clothes made;
better than other Lin
coln stores sell at any
price. Formerly they
wero priced
$40, $35, $30
and $27.50
$14
is the price of the high
grnde Suits, Overcoats
and Cravenettes such as
other stores would call
"best," their best our
best they would price
them $35 and $30 our
former prices were
$25, $22.50 and
$20.00
$9
is" the price we ask you
for an unusually good
lot of unusually good
Suits, Overcoats and
Cravenettes. Bear in
your mind the best the
others have at $25 and
compare them with those
that we formex-ly sold at
$18, $16.50 and
$15.00
$5
is the price of our "good
for little money" Suits,
O'coats and Cravenettes.
Even low-priced clothes
must be "good" at this
store. While others
were asking $18.60 and
$15, We were sellinj;
these regularly at ,,
$12.50 and $10
U Xftt'-.' .,-1
ARMSTRONG CL0T1ING GO.
QOOD CLOTHES MERCHANTS
Shoe Workers, points with pride to
the fact that every international fr
gan of trades unionism has refused
to carry the Douglas shoe ada What
of it? What sacrifice is the editor of
an international organ making when
he refuses to carry an unfair ad? It's
a little different with the labor editor
who refuses the advertising when he
Is jumping sideways to pay the printer
on Saturday night.
Perhacs your non-union friend is
a nun-unionist because you haven't
explained to him just what unionism
means. Or perhaps your non-union
neighbor is opposed to unionism be
cause you have ignorantly called him
a "scab."
The men who have done most to
bring about industrial conditions that
force women into the Industrial flelj
are the men who are loudest in de
claiming that "women's place 1b in
the home."
Yesterday a lot of men got together
and paid tributes to the memory of
Abraham Lincoln, and today they are
ignoring practically every principle
that Abraham Lincoln advocated.'
The protest of Lincoln workers
against the tyranny of judges like
Wright Is prlntei! on the first page of
this Issue. Read it.
The man who produces is entitled
to the fullest enjoyment of his prod
uct. Labor is not getting it.
A demand for the label is better
than a boycott.
President Tobln of the Boot and
Anyhow, the state of Nebraska
ought to be willing to spend as much
money in advarcing the interests of
the wage-earners as It spends on the
state militia.
If you will quit buying non-union
coods the merchants will tumble all
over themselves to get the union-
made , goods that you will buy. Try
it and see. '
a year on its labor and industrial
bureau. Perhaps the workers would
receive riiore consideration if they
were bigger suckers.
There is a whole lot of difference
between .uoting the words of Lincoln
and practicing the principles taught
by Lincoln.
If it hasn't got the label it isn't
the thing for the genuine union man.
The Wrong Judge Wright.
EXPOSITION
.MAR. 9 " 13.
The "bread line" in the big cities
is increasing in length as the time
grows shorter before William Howard
Taft is to be inaugurated president.
The Wageworker believes in equal
suffrage because it believes in equal
pay for equal work. Also because it
believes in equal Justice.
SXS O Pn HXHTHAi
S&0133H
mi
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi
neers' hall. Auditorium Monday even
ing, Feb. 22.
It does not suffice to talk label.
You have to act label. t
Nebraska spends $12,000 a year on
a game and fish commission and $4,000
S3A0D
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jaq darn oj ajqjssodujj ; spujj
3oinoq op pro reqsip
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DISEASES OF WOMEN
All rectal diseases such as
Piles, Fistulae, Fissure and Rec
tal Ulcer treated scientifically
and successfully.
DR. J. R. HAGGARD, Specialist.
Office, Richards Block.
Your Cigars . Should Boar This Labe!..
Jnmn.
-
It is insurance against sweat shop and
tenement goods, and against disease. . . .
ooo
G R EEN G ABIDES
The Dr. Benj. F. Baily Sanatorium
Lincoln, Nebraska
I For non-contagious chronic diseases. Largest,
1 best equipped, most beautifully furnished. .
0000000000000000OfflO00000000
First Trust si Savings Bank
Owned by Stockholders of the First National Bank
THE 'SANK FOR THE WAGE-EARNER
INTEREST PAID AT FOUR PER CENT
Tenth and O Streets Lincoln, Nebraska
)00000000000000000000000&00
AUIO -PHONE 2547
BELL "PHONE 2548
O. cA. FULK
GENTS' FURNISHINGS, HATS
1 325 O Sited
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