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About The Wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-???? | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 1909)
WAGEWORKER turn" is fixed by men whom the State Journal helped to elect to the board of railway commissioners of Nebraska? WILL M. MAUPIN. EDITOR Did the efforts of the men who built the Citizens' line and brought the Traction company to time put a plug or two in some of the schemes being engineered by the Traction company stockholders who edit and manage' the Lincoln Daily State Journal? The Wageworker, humbly and re spectfully, inquires to know, as Togo would put it. Published Weekly at 137 No. 14th St., Lincoln, Neb. One Dollar a Year, Entered aa second-class matter April 11, 1904, at the postofflce at Lincoln, Neb., under the Act of congress oi March 3rd, 18T9.' WOULDN'T THIS JAR YOU? Now let us have an end to insinua tion and Innuendo. Lincoln has at lasc achieved one ambition decent and adequate street railway facilities. The uen who have made this possible are entitled to the largest possible returns upon their investment. The Wags worker. The law and the best practice of modern municipalitea limit the earn ings of these corporations to a reason able return upon the money actually invested In the properties. Who Is It that Invites them to take out of the public the "largest possible returns upon their Investment?" It is the organ of the labor unions of Lincoln, owned and edited by the labor com missioner of the state of Nebraska. Lincoln Daily Journal. Now, who is it that thus calls this humble little labor paper to account for Insisting that the men who have given Lincoln a decent street railway 8stem be permitted the "largest pos sible return upon their investment?" Is it ttie newspaper published by a, corporation that took a contract for publishing the supreme 'court reports for the state, and then surrepltltously tjsed the plates paid for by the state tc print reports and sell them in com petition with the state who paid tho cost, and in violation of every pro vision of the code of moral ethics? Is It the newspaper published by a corporation that sought to amend the printing law with a "joker" that would permit it to re-establish a blank book tiraft that would pour thousands of dollars rnto Its treasury? Is it the newspaper published by a corporation whose stockholders se cured Lincoln Traction company stock at a few- cents on the dollar and never "peeped" while that stock-was going up to 200 or 300, and then began pos ing as a guardian of the public when enterprising men, tired of Traction company extortion, began building a competing system? Is It the newspaper that is always prating about how none of its editors can hold political office, and then let Us managing editor accept an appoint ment to the post of naval academy vis itor, or something like that, and take a trip to Annapolis, the Jamestown exposition, and other eastern, points of Interest at government expense? The Wageworker, being only an humble little labor newspaper, and not a self-conttltuted guardian of public morals, really would like to have some information on this point. The fact that The Wageworker'a editor is the deputy commissioner of labor haB no bearing on the case. It hits been decided that the Lincoln Traction company and the Citizens' Railway company shall be allowed to earn dividends not exceeding a cer tain per cent upon their investment, rnd just what the investment is was ('ecided by the same" tribunal the State Railway Commission. That much is fixed and certain. And The Wageworker reiterates that the men who have given Lincoln decent and adequate street railway facilities, :n spite of the efforts and insinuations end innuendoes of' the Lincoln Trac ( tion company stockholders who edit the State Journal, be allowed the larg est possible returns upon their invest ment. "The largest possible returns" can be no larger than specified by tho State Railway Commission, whose head is the especial protege of the State Journal. Anything wrong about that? Lincoln people now get six tickets for a quarter, have liberal transfer privileges and ten-for-a-quarter tickets for school children between certain peclfied hours. Xp other city in the United States lias better rates. It is certain that these rates will net be decreased during the present t'-nerntlon. Why, then, should a paper like the State Journal throw fits be cause a little labor paper said that the men who made these things pos- Fible should be allowed "the largest losMble returns upon their Invesr nient" when that "largest possible re- EQUAL SUFFRAGE. Because its editor is a union man who has represented union men in the convention of the American Federation of Labor, The Wageworker is an ad vocate of equal suffrage. One plank in the American Federation of Labor's "Declaration of Principles" declares for equal suffrage. The men who talk loudest about woman's place being m the home are the men who have done most to bring about industrial condi tions that force women out of the home and into the industrial field. It matters not whether a majority of women want to vote. If one woman wants to vote, and it Is just and right that she be allowed to vote, she ought to be given tho right, even though every other woman in the republic took no interest in the subject. There are five million women breadwinners in the state women who work for wages in stores, offices, factories, mills, and even in mines. Industrial conditions have compelled them to do this. Why, then, should any of these five million women be denied some voice in the matter of saying what conditions they should work under? "O, the women wouldn't go to the polls," says opponent of equal suffrage. Perhaps not, but In Nebraska's "off- year" elections about 40 per cent of the men fail to vote, and even in gen eral elections, with all their heat and enthusiasm, from 15 to 25 per cent cf the men fail to vote. 'But if we let the women vote we'll have prohibition," says another oppon ent, but that' argument is not borne out by the facts. In the seven states that have prohibition laws the women are not allowed to vote. In the four states where women are given tho ballot there are no state-wide prohibi tion laws. "The model wife," says another op ponent of equal suffrage, "is the wife vho is as much at home in the kitchen as she is in the parlor." That is quite true. And the model husband is one who makes it possible for his wife to be as much at home in the parlor as she is in the kitchen. This labor newspaper' favors equal suffrage because it is only equal jus tice that is demanded by present-day industrial conditions. Organized labor demands that women be put upon o. wage equality with men when working at the same trade under the same con ditions and performing the same work. That is why the American Federation c-f Labor demands equality before tho law suffrage laws as well as other laws. THE CHARACTERISTIC FALSE HOOD. It is not surprising that the captains of industry ore cynical about the abil ity of the public to force good behavior out of the corporations. Here is the Lincoln Wageworker fawning on the new street car company and virtually assuring the people that a home-owned company can do no harm. Its closing paragraph is a classic. Lincoln Daily Journal. Well, the public the Lincoln public did force the "captains of industry" who managed the old Traction com pany to "good behavior," despite the efforts of the State Journal whose editors held stock in the Lincoln Trac tion company to defeat the efforts of the public. And the assertion that The Wage worker is "fawning on the new street car company" is a falsehood character istic of the news-aper that- is always quick to Impugn the motives of those vho do not fall in with its plans for self-aggrandizement. The Wageworker just now entertains the best of feel ings for the new street car company, lut if the company ever starts off on the track so long followed by the Lincoln Traction company of which the State Journal's editors were a part and parcel The Wageworker will take just as much pleasure in con demning it as it now takes in com mending it. And The Wageworker's attitude is not now, nor is it likely to be influenced by any corporation holdings of its responsible editor. - The Wageworker has not "virtually assured"' the people that a home-owned company "can do no harm." That is a purely gratuitous assumption on the part of the State Journal, always too ready to attribute dishonesty to others while snuggling up to supreme court report contracts, blank book grafts a-id Traction company stock that must be protected. A home-owned company can work great harm to the public. A home-owned newspaper corporation IT IS EASY TO BE WELL DRESSED AT SO SMALL a cost that we wonder so many men are not better dressed. Right now we are selling our finest Suits, Overcoats and Cravenettes at a price less than the cost of materials alone. These are heavy and medium weights The Best Makers' finest productions for merly the prices were $40, $35, $30 and $27.50 now, in order to close them all out we've named the astonishingly low JJ tl .40 price or . . . . . . . . ilHJ) lor choice Buys any of the Fine Suits, Overcoats and Cravenettes that formerly sold at $25, $22.50 and $20.00. Buys any of our Winter Suits, Overcoats, and Cravenettes that formerly sold at $18, $16.50 and $15 mm Buys any of the Winter Suits, Overcoats and Crav enettes that formerly sold at $12.50 and $10.00. Armstrong Clothing ' o GOOD CLOTHES MERCHANTS worked about $80,000 worth of .harm to the taxpayers of Nebraska in one little matter of surreptitiously selling some books as surreptitiously printed from plates that the taxpayers had paid for. A home-owned company can, if its owners so desire, work great injury to the public, and for that reason tin taxpayers have provided a commission whose duty it is to regulate such o? these companies as have to do with the management of public-service cor porations. ,. And, as a further measure of pre caution, the taxpayers actually, fol lowed the advice of the State Journal and elected a majority of that very toard. Is the State Journal so afraid that its chosen regulators will neglect their duty that it has to resort to falsehood in its attempt to rebuke a little labor paper? Or has falsehood and misrepresentation become a chronic habit with the State Journal since it was pried loose from the Bur lington railroad and its rich printing contracts for the state and Lancaster county? Senator Knox voted to Increase the salary ot the secretary of state.. Then he was appointed secretary of state, only to find himself ineligible by rea son of having voted to raise the salary.. Then congress reduced the salary, and that makes Knox eligible. As soon as he assumes office the salary will he raised again. "'Ever hear of a "labor agitator" getting that much consideration from the law makers? ' After they have guaranteed the de positor why not guarantee a wage sufficient to enable the average wage earner to make a deposit after paying living expenses? If your union's annual ball was not well advertised in The Wageworker it was the fault of the ball commit tee, not of The Wageworker. "Mock heroics" and "cheap senti mentality" seem to have had their day in the executive office at the state house. Of course that new spring suit you are going to buy will have the label in it. The new secretary of commerce and s s. RASMUSEN TORE NEW Mr. Rasmusen, the new manager of the Cloak and Suit Department, will arrive from New York this week. Mrs. E. M. Philips, the new manager of the Millinery Department arrived. Monday. . NEW DEPARTURES We will commence this week to manufacture to order, Ladies' Skirts, Tailored Waists, Petticoats and Kimonas. The work will all- be done in the Store and we well be able to guarantee satisfaction. . ; Encouraged by the success of our furniture department, and in order to make our House Furnishing Department more complete, we are add ing a line of Stoves and Ranges in the hurniture Department. In the basement we are going to put in a complete-line of Wall Paper. Our Mail Order Department is increasing in favor with out-of-town patrons. FINAL CLEARANCE OF WINTEtt COATS A lot of Ladies' Cloaks that were as high as $12.50, for quick clearance C A ft are marked at, each . . ......4I.vFLr We will now sell them at 20 per cent additional reduction. $20.00 Coats at $8.00, $25.00 Coats at $(0.00, and equal reductions on entire line. WILLOW CLOTHES BASKETS 75c and 65c valves 48c and 39c THE DAYLIG HT STORE. ' The Store That; Satisfies labor is a man who knows a great deal about commerce as understood by the trusts, but who is absolutely ignor ant of the labor question as it applies to the wage-earners. But as that is v.hat the majority of wage-earners voted for it is exactly what they are entitled to. The workingman who are most vitally interested in the success of the Nebraska State University are opposed to tying that university to th steel trust or any other trust. The commission charter- must be referred to the people. No snap judgment on the charter, if you please! If you will not buy an article with out the label the merchants will work overtime' to stock up on articles that do bear the label. It is up to you, Mr. Union Man. Shumway's execution has been fixed for six separate dates, and he has dodged five of them. Mrs. Martin could not dodge the date set for her execution. The Lincoln Vdlpa- gPalnt Co. Modern Decorators, Wall Paper, MooMings, Etc SftfiTfi. Acts rteae OT5