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VOL..
LIXCOLX, NEBRASKA, AUGUST 7, 1909
8 PAGES
2s O. 1H
Among the Live Ones
In This Good Town
Emniett Flood is stirring up the ani
mals down east. You remember Flood
he is the organizer who performed
such good work in Lincoln a few
weeks ago. When he left here he
went to Chicago to spend a couple of
weeks with his family. From there
he was ordered down into West Virgin
ia to help the striking tin plate, iron
and steel workers. He went to Mor
gactown, W. Ya.. and the chief of po
lice ordered hint out of town. No one
charged Flood with being a vagrant.
There was no charge against him at
an. But he was a "labor agitator. He
was try ins to help honest workers se
cure a small share of justice, and of
course that was awfully wicked.
Couldn't stand for that kind of a man
In Morgantown. And the "interests"
their power to loot. But hear this
splendid woman tell it. She will open
your eyes.
"The State." published in Omaha
by the advocates of "personal liberty."
and printed without the union label,
says: "The next governor of Nebras
ka will be elected upon the flat-footed
declaration that he Is opposed to pro
hibition." We have said time and again that
the gentlemen interested in perpetu
ating the distillery and brewery inter
ests in this state were a set of chumps
in their selection of men to handle
the publicity end of their campaign.
The above declaration proves it- "The
State" is edited by a damphool who
a beauty. It will be illustrated, con- and the thanks of the organization
tain some historical sketches, some 'are. due Manager Gaatz of the com
speciai articles of interest and the pany and Manager Zehrung of the
news of the labor world. ' Oliver.
thinks he is earning his money by
higher a p. knowing that they had the j making such assertions. If his em-
mayor, and that the mayor had a tool
in the chief of police, gave the mayor
the tip that Flood would have to go.
The mayor gave the chief the tip. and
the chief gave Flood the order to
"move on!"
You've got a photograph of that
square-chinned Irishman "moving on."
haven't you? He's stili in Morgan
town. So is Frank Morrison, and sev
eral other labor leaders. And they
re standing on their rights, and they
will stand there until some subservient
judge sends them to jail for acting up
on their rights as freemen. Fine situ
ation, isn't it. when a man who is
helping workingmen secure justice is
ordered out of town? But that's what
we've come to in this "land of the
free."
Secretary Frank Hart of the Nebras
ka Federation of Labor. re;orts that
the locals throughout the state are
coming into the to'.d In a most gratify-
plovers think so, it only proves how
easily they can be separated from their
money. The Wageworker is not an
advocate of state-wide prohibition. It
does not believe state-wide prohibition
would be effective if adopted at this
time. But the man who runs for gov
ernor of Nebraska on an anti-prohibi
tion platform in 1910 is defeated 50,
000 before the race starts. This does
not mean that the successful candi
date must advocate prohibition it
simply means that a candidate on a
platform specifically opposing prohi
bition will stand about as much show
as a yellow-legged chicken at a Meth
odist camp meeting. The men who are
backing "The State" are fooling away
their money as long as they pursue
their present policy.
Will some advocate of "protection
please answer:
Bricklayers, working in an unpro
tected industry, receive trom w m
ing manner. Already some thirty I cents per hour. Barters working in
unions hare affiliated, and more are J carpet factories and carpet manufao-
reporting every day. sthin a couple ! turers enjoy the righest rate of "pro
of weeks Secretary Hart will have
printed copies ot the cjpas.Ututioa pt
the Federation, and each local union
will be supplied with copies. In the
meanwhile, it ycur union has not yet
affiliated. get busy!
The indications are that Lincoln
will be well represented on the visit
ors'" list at the St. Joseph convention
of the International Typographical
Union. In addition to Delegates Lock
er and Freeman, a dozen or more
printers will be on the spot to add
their voices to the general enthusiasm.
and Mrs. Hebbard. the Auxiliary's del
esate. will be accompanied by several
members of that organization. When
the Lincoln bunch reaches old Joe Ro
bideaux's town it will make that sleepy
burg sit up and take notice.
Fred Murray, business agent of iiie
Building Trades Council of Omaha,
and Charles EL Rigby, representing the
Structural Iron Workers of the same
city, were in Lincoln on business last
Tuesday and
ELECTRICAL WORKERS.
A Few Newsy Notes About the Boys
Who Manipulate "Juice."
Everett E. Beta, former president
cailed at Wageworker of the Lincoln local and now secretary-
headquarters. The structural
work on the new state fair building I trict.
oofjuia jiuier, aaagaier 01 .u r. ana
iron treasurer of the Xebraska-Iowa dis-
was married . Sunday to Miss
is being performed by non-union la
bor working at very low wages. They
came down to see about it, and gath
ered a few pointers that should inter
est the taxpayers of the great state of
Nebraska the people who are pay
ing out the money.
Here's the best one we've heard
lately, taken from the Bricklayer and
Mason:
"A brother of No. asked a non
union bracklayer the other day if
he would not join the union. The non
union bricklayer replied that he would
lose too much money. 'How is that?"
asked the union bricklayer. Said the
non-union bricklayer. 'If I had to stop
on a rainy day I would lose $3.60. By
not belonging to the union I would
only lose $2.00 on a rainy day."
Now that the theatrical season in
Lincoln is closed with the exception of
the Oliver, it is to be hoped that the
Theatrical Workers Association will
send representatives to the Central
Labor Union. Their excuse hereto
fore has been a good one, but what's
to prevent them from getting in line
now?
TYPOGRAPHICAL UNION.
August Meeting Was a Short One, But
full of Lively Business.
Lincoln Typographical Union met
last Sunday and transacted a lot of
business in record time. The heat was
intense, which may acconnt for the
temperature of some of the discus
sions. A few instructions were given
Delegates Locker and Freeman and
some financial business transacted. A
special committee was appointed to in
vestigate certain matters of interest
to the local.
Mrs. Hoffmeister is almost wholly
recovered from her recent severe ill
ness.
Mrs. Frank Coffey and youngest son
are in Lincoln and will probably re
main for several months. Mrs. Coffey
has been confined to her room almost
continuously since returning to Lin
coln, but is now recovering.
The convention meets in St. Joseph
next Monday, and while there are no
definite announcements as to who will
Here's a little pointer for some who I e'na Iron uncoin tne indications
may need it. and who could profit by are that tnere win lot of them
Mrs. H. H. Miller. The ceremony was
performed at the home of the bride's
parents, 126 South Fifteenth street,
Re. W. Z. Zenor, pastor of the East
Side Christian church, officiating. Miss
Winnifred Miller, sister of the bride,
officiated as bridesmaid, and Mr. Har
vey: Day. was groomsman. Miss Beu-
lah Postal played the wedding march.
The ceremony was witnessed by rela
tives only. Mr. and Mrs. Betz de
parted almost immediately for a wed
ding journey which will include Ni
agara Falls, the great lakes and other
resorts. The trades unionists of Lin
coln, among whom Mr. Betz has been
active, extend their hearty congratula
tions to the newly married pair and
wish them a long and happy married
life.
The strike of the inside men con
tinues at Omaha, but the men are
gradually winning out. Word was re
ceived early in the week that six firms
had "come across" with signatures to
an agreement, with indications of more
to follow.
Organizer Hamilton, to whom has
been given the task of whipping the
Reid faction back into the old regime.
is now visiting central bodies and
threatening them with the loss of their
charters if they do not Immediately
unseat the Reid delegates and make
room for the faction recognized by the
Denver convention. He will probably
be in Lincoln in a short time, and
ther-? will be some fun.
tection" receive 1,4 cents per hour.
Why.tbe diffeceae,t.-. -
Linotype operators on daily news
papers receive from 50 to 70 cents
per hour, and there is no protective
tariff on daily newspapers. The card
ing machine tender In a cotton mill
and the cotton manufacturers are pro
tected to the limit receive 13 cents
an hour. Why the difference?
Taken as a whole the workmen in
the unprotected industries receive
from ITS to 230 per cent higher wages
than the workers in the highly protect
ed industries. Why the difference?
The Wageworker will give space for
reply.
THE MUSICIANS.
"Hours Too Long" Says
Government Report
The presence of Miss Mary McDow
ell la Lincoln on Labor Day Is now as
sured. The Labor Day committee has
received definite assurance from Miss
McDowell that she will be here on
the Saturday before, and that if ar
rangements are made she will speak
la two churches in Lincoln on the
Sunday preceding Labor's great holi
day.. The Wageworker. acting for the
committee, will W glad to receive of
fers from the down-town churches.
Miss McDowell will preach a gospel
that Is as fully inspired as the gospel
of the Naiarene, for it will be based
upon the Nazarene's gospel. She will
preach the gospel of the Fatherhood
of God and the Brotherhood of Man
with especial emphasis on the broth
erhood of man." Lincoln people who
fail to hear this talented woman will
miss something well worth while.
Mary McDomell Is the head worker in
the University of Chicago Settlement
In Chicago. She it was who organized
the packinghouse girls and led them in
their fight for treatment just a little
better than the average swine owner
accords bis pigs. She told the world
the awful horrors, the nastiness, the
filth, the immorality of the stock yards
and packing houses during that mem
orable strike. The newspapers of
Chicago closed their columns to her,
but she spoke from the public plat
form, and she aroused the sleeping
conscience of Chicago. Mary McDowell
Is a better citizen than any of the
smug-faced financiers who are growing
rich at the expense of human flesh
and blood and posing as "leading citi
zens." She can't vote, but the import
ed slaves of the employers can, and
do. That's the way the "business in
terests" of Chicago manage to retain
observing it:
The time to strike is not when times
are hard and business duIL
W. C. Boyer, who is subbing for
Frank A. Kennedy as editor of the
Omaha Western Laborer, while "Sa
die" homesteads a Dakota ranch, is
an adept with the shears, but evident
ly has not sufficient control of the
pencil to write a credit line. Pueblo
Industrial Review;
Come on, now. Bill: We're awfully
anxious to reprint what you say about
this when you see it.
The Wageworker desires to apolo
gize to unionists in general and the
Garment Workers in particular for the
appearance in last week's issue of an
advertisement of the "Skirt Store.'
The editor was as bent when the paper
was made up and the enterprising ad
solicitor, forgetful of the facts turned
in the copy. The "Skirt Store" is de
serving of the patronage of those who
are opposed to unions and desire to
purchase the product of unorganized
and underpaid labor. The Wagework
er does not make it a point to accept
.advertising from such concerns, how
ever. Hence the apology.
ere the convention adjourns. Mr. and
Mrs. Will Bustard announce their in
tention to be there. Mrs. Will Manpin
will attend, and Mr. Maupin will try
and get down a couple of days. Mr.
and Mrs. Frank Coffey will try and put
in a couple of days. H. C. Peate will
probably register early in the week.
Henry Devlin has taken his card and
departed for other fields.
Colonels Mulhall and Peterson came
up from Beatrice Sunday to attend
union meeting.
The "subs" will probably have fat
picking next week. St. Joseph con
vention, you know.
CENTRAL LABOR UNION.
We have been asked to join in a
news paper crusade against the "mail
order houses." We beg to be ex
cused. Business firms that advertise
in The Wageworker need have no fear
of the mail order grafters. Business
firms that do not advertise in this
great organ of industrial 'betterment
have only themselves to blame if the
mail order grafters get 'em.
The Wageworker will, as usual, is
sue a special "Labor Day Edition," and
it goes without saying that it will be
Important Meeting Scheduled to Be
Held Next Tuesday Evening.
The Central Labor Union will meet
in regular ses n isnxtoeo.
in regular session next Tuesday even
ing and there is every reason why it
should be well attended. There is a
probability that the central body will
be called to account by the
American Federation of Labor
for not unseating the dele
gates from the Electrical Workers'
Union. This is a matter that can not
be staved off much longer, and when
it comes up it means a lively fight.
Treasurer Evans will probably have
his report of the recent benefit ready
to submit. The benefit, kindly ten
dered by the Grace Hayward Stock
company and Manager Zehrung of the
Oliver was held last Friday night, and
while not as largely patronized as at
least one former benefit was financial
ly successful. The house was well
filled and the company gave a delight
ful performance of "The Defaulter."
The central body's treasury is consid
erably richer by reason of the benefit.
Sensational Reports That Are Calcu-
".. . lated to Mislead.
The sensational reports in the daily
papers concerning the meeting of the
Musicians last Sunday are calculated
to mislead the public There is really
nothing to excite anyone. The Musi
cians are amply able to handle their
own affairs and to deal justly with all
concerned in the present difficulty.
The difficulty is not over the nse of
non-union musicians in the band en
gaged to give concerts in the park.
Neither has it to do with the fact
that the park concerts have operated
to discontinue engagements at an
other place.- It is wholly regarding
a very simple law of the union. Mr.
Hagenow, who took an active part in
raising the concert fund, was given
charge of the concerts. The musicians
employed are union men. Mr. Hagen
ow, who directs the band, is not an ac
tive member of the union. His atti
tude towards the onion is not a se
cret. At no time has he ever been fa
vorably ineluned. Several years ago.
which director of Hagenows band he
succeeded in blocking an attempt to
organize a union. When the musicians
did organize they made a clean sweep
and Mr. Hagenow came into the fold.
Later he was placed on the honorary
list, he having declared his withdrawal
from the professional field. He is now
asked to resume full membership, he
being again acting in a professional
capacity. That is the whole thing in
nutshell, and noon that basis the
matter will be settled. There is noth
ing save a laugh in the declaration of
a Hagenow partisan that Mr. Hagenow
is the only man in Lincoln who can
act as a band director. That Mr. Hag
enow is a good director is beyond dis
pute, bat if he were to suddenly drop
out, if he should suddenly be removed
from the scene of action, there is no
doubt some one could be found who
could direct a band in god style.
There is no doubt that this contro-
very will be amicably settled. Mr.
Hagenow can not afford to refuse to
comply with the rules and regulations
of the organization. Nor can the or
ganization afford to wink at violations
of its rules and regulations.
By the time the union meets again
the difficulty will doubtless have been
adjusted.
INJUNCTION DENIED.
The petition of the American Sheet
and Tin Plate company for an injunc
tion against Its striking employes at
the Elwood plant, Goshen, Ind., was
denied by Judge Baker in the United
States circuit court.
In an important report made by Pro
fessor Irving Fisher of Yale University
to the National Conservation Commis
sion, and just issued by the govern
ment printing office at Washington, it
is expressly and unequivocally stated
that the most careful investigations
show that the eight-hour day re
sults in a higher individual and gener
al efficiency both as to quality and
quantity of product. Professor Fisher
says:
The present working day is a strik
ing example of the failure to conesrre
national vitality. In order to keep la
bor power unimpaired, the working
day should be physiological L e., it
should as would enable the average
individual to completely recuperate
over night. Otherwise, instead of a
simple daily cycle, there is a progres
sive deterioration. A reduction in
the length of the work day would be
a chief means of improving the vital
ity of the workmen, as well as the
worth of life to them.
The fatigue of workmen is largely
traceable to their lonk work day and
serves to start a vicious circle. Fa
tigue puts the workman in an abnor
mal frame ofmind He seeks to dead
en his fatigue by alcohol, tobacco, ex
citing amusements, and excesses of
all kinds. The momentary relief which
he thereby purchased at the expense
of an increasing susceptibility to fa
tigue, resulting sooner or later in
complete depletion of his vital ener
gies and in the contraction of tuber
culosis or other fatal disease. The de
crease in the length of the working
day has not dimished the total out
put. "An instance in which the eight
hour day superseded the nine-hoar day
with entire success is the case of the
Salford Iron Works, of Mather & Piatt,
at Manchester, Eng., which changed
to the eight-hour day in 1895. As. the
firm's products were subject to keen
competition in both home and foreign
markets, it was obliged to lock care
fully after the labor cost, and its con
clusion that such cost did not increase
in consequence of the reduction in
working hours was reached after ex
tremely accurate comparisons by ac
countants, who of coarse took into
consideration the saving in consum
ables, wear and tear fuel, etc. The
bureau of labor inquired of Messrs.
Mather & Piatt if they were still on
the eight-hour basis, and received a
reply dated May 24, 1904. in which
they stated that:
" 'Our experience since the first year
in which it (the eight-hour system)
was tried has fully borne ont the con
clusions then arrived at, and we are
fully satisfied that as regards the com
parison between eight and nine hoars
per day, the balance of advantage is
in favor of the shorter period. (a
"In 1904, the hoars of labor of about
45.000 workmen in British government
factories and workshops were re
duced to forty-eight hoars per week.
Of this number, 18,600 received a re
duction of five and three-foarths hoars
a week, and 24,300 had their time re
duced two and one-half boars a week.
With no change in piece rates the
workmen were able to earn as much
as formerly. Day workers received an
increased hourly rate of pay to make
their earnings per week of forty-eight
hours eqnal to those per week of
fifty hoars. It was not found necessary
to increase the number of day work
ers, (by
"In 1899 the owners of the great
Leiss optical goods factory at Jena,
Germany, introduced the eight hour
day and then made careful records of
the results. In 1903 it was announced
that although the aggregate number
of hours worked had decreased 15 per
cent the output per hour had increased
16.2 per cent, (c)
"At Liege it was found in a sulphur
ic acid establishment similar to a
foundry Id) that shortening the work
ing day from eleven hours to ten, from
ten to nine, and so on gradually down
to seven and one-half, resulted, in
each case. In an increase of the out
put.
"The Solvay Process Company, of
Syracuse, installed in 1892, a system
of three eight-hour shifts in place of
the two previous shifts of eleven and
thirteen hours, respectively. It was
stated by the assistant general man
ager in 1905 that the change had con-
caned on to do their best work at their
highest state of efficiency which hail
not been possible ca the two-shift ba
sis. President Hazard of the com
pany writes:
"In general. I can say that the re
sults of the change from a twelve
hour shift to an eight-hoar shift were
very satisfactory and have rowtinoett
to be so. While the immediate re
sult was to considerably increase the
cost per nnit of prod'c. the efficiency
of the men gradually Increased, so
that at the end of a boot one year to
first increase has been overcome aad
the cost per nnit of product fell to a
point even lower than had been ob
tained under the twelve-hour shift, aad
farther, the time consumed per wait
of product has since bees so reduced
that we are today and for some time
have been operating with a mmaXUsr
number of ooars per anit of product
than we J ad under the twelve-hour
shift.
"Further proof of the benefits of
the change to the three-shift day is
furnished by the records of toe Sol way
Mntnal Benefit As social low or
and The days lost per mas ay-
sickness each year fen from sevea aad
one-half days in 1331 to five aad oae
half days in 1904.
"It is not maintained that in ail
cases productivity win be as great la
eight hoars as in nine. Cases to the
contrary could also be cited. The
point to be insisted apoa is not tiaT
it is profitable to aa employer ta
make the' work day shorter, for eftea
it is not. but to show thai it is proSt
able to the nation and the race. Con
tinnal fatigue is mimical to national
vitality, and however it may affect
the commercial proSt of the fruD
vidtial. it will in the end deplete the
vital resources oo waich national ef
ficiency depends.
"In the interests of this efficiency a
longer time at noon for teach is asa
ally necessary. Tie.jxystst economy
of lunch time Is "sborwisitedl leads
to food bolting, indlgesiioa, a drowsy
and tired afternoon, and inferior work.
This has beea shows by artaal experi
ence. (e
"The accident baBetiaa of the In
terstate Commerce Commission con
tain frequent records of disasters
caused by the long hoars of railway
employes. In a recent buHetia. So.
27. two collisions are attributed to
the mistakes of employes who have
been oa duty much longer than the
instinct of safety should allow. Col
lision No. 3 (O. which killed two aad
injured thirteen, was due to the mis
take of the station operator, who- had
been on doty from 7 a. m. to S:3 p.
m, and who had returned to duty at $
p. m The collision took place at
12:30 a. m.. the next morning."
So.
(a) New York Labor Bulletin
25. June. 1935. p. 2W.
(b) Board. of Trade Labor Gazette.
July. 1905. reported in New (Tork La
bor Bulletin. No. 23. March. 13.
fc New York Labor BuSetia. No.
25. June. 1905. p. 244.
(dl See L. G. Fromoat. Tne Exoeri
ence Indastrielle de Red action de la
Jooruel de Travail " Brussels. Solvay
Institute. 1906.
(e) See especially description of a
French experiment cited by Hubert
Higgins iu "HamanicuUsre." w
York (Stokes). 190.
(O Accident Bulletin. Not 27. Jasa
ary to March. 190.
PRESS FEEDERS AND ASSISTANTS.
Will Withdraw From
Union and Organize Themselves.
At the last meeting of Pressmen's
Union No. 166. the feeders aad assis
tants decided to withdraw aad re-organize
as a local of their own. Their
intention is to obtain the charter of
No. 4S, which was held in Lincoln sev
eral years ago. and then proceed along
authorized lines.
There is no division in the ranks,
the pressmen being in favor of the
move and wishing the assistants asd
feeders all manner of success. The
new local will begin active work as
soon as possible, and The Wageworker
confidently expects It to give a good,
report of itself.
The local's delegate to the interna
tional convention submitted an inter
esting report at the last meeting of
the anion. A full report of the eonven-
siderably lessened the wear and tear 1 tion will appear in the current issue of
on the men,, and that they could be I the American Pressman.