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About The Wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-???? | View Entire Issue (Sept. 4, 1909)
real carpenters of Lincoln. As a result, the trade is demoralized and the union has steadily grown smaller in numbers. But there are still some faithful souls left, and these are making a gallant fight. The Bricklayers and Masons have enjoyed several succeeding seasons of prosperity. This organization has not suffered like the other organizations of the building trades, having been successful in maintaining the closed shop and increasing the wage scale The Theatrical Stage Employes have but recently made a record for themselves by securing contracts with every theater in Lincoln. By the terms of these contracts only members of the organization are to be employed, and the wage scale has been increased. The Musicians' Protective Union is one of the strongest organizations in Lincoln. Three years ago it was deemed impossible to get enough musicians together to hold a charter. But a few brave spirits kept at work. Today they are able to point to an organization numbering upwards of 150 members, and acknowledged to be one of the largest ami liveliest locals of the entire craft. The Brotherhood of Painters. Decorators and Paperhangers has been more than hold ing its own. and today boasts of a large membership and a seale of wages and hours that is vastly better than existed a very few years ago. The Plumbers have had a hard fight against open shop conditions, and the local organization is by no means as strong as it was three or four years ago. But the faithful members have kept plugging away, and the good conditions that many non union men enjoy today are due to the tire less efforts of union plumbers who have never let up in their fight. The Barbers have reason to rejoice over the conditions they have brought about. In the last few years they have decreased the hours of work and increased the wage scale, and today there is a iesling of the utmost friendship existing between "boss barbers" and the members of the local union. There are a number of non-union barbers in Lincoln who are selfishly profit ing by the sacrifices of the members of the local union. Without paying a penny or sacrificing a moment of time, these nonunion men are enjoying conditions and wages that were brought into being by the union bar bers of Lincoln. The Electrical Workers rightfully boast of having one of the "live wires" among local organizations. The Lincoln local of this great brotherhood is the largest in the district composed of Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota, and it has secured condi tions that are far in advance of the con ditions that existed a few years ago. The Gloveworkers' Union is one of the young organizations of Lincoln, and the only one of the kind in the state. While small in numbers it is made up of men and women who are heart and soul in the union cause, and it has already contribute" much to the upbuilding of unionism in this section. The Pressmen and Assistants L'nion has been making good progress during the year, and it is now enjoying good conditions and wages. Its membership is increasing stead ily, and the union spirit is growing in a like ratio. The Leatherworkers on Horse Goods have enjoyed a fairly good season. There are three or four large employers of labor in this line, and for many months there has not been a cloud upon the horizon. Work has been good, and a feeling of friendship between employers and employes main tained at all times. The Horseshoers have maintained an or ganization in spite of adverse conditions, and are today in better shape than ever before. WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS? ''There are two ideas of government. There are those who believe that, if you will only legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous, their prosperity will leak through on those below. If you legislate to make the masses prosperous their prosperity will find its way up through every class which rests upon them." W. J. Bryan, in 1S96. AN OLD TIMER AT THE GAME. It is with pleasure that The Wageworker here gives a speaking likeness of one of the oldest members of the union game in the entire west, General Thomas C. Kelsey, a member of the local organization of Leatherworkers on Horse Goods. General Kelsey gets his military title from the fact f ! -ar-rt'. . I I V X J that he led a division of the Coxey army, although he did see several years of real service during the "late unpleasantness" between the north and the south. General Kelsey has carried a union card for almost half a century, and during every month of that time he has been talking and act ing unionism. He has made good wher ever he has been placed. LIBKRATI'S BIG BAND. The managers of the State Fair, at Lin coln, September 6th to 10th. have again se cured the world renowned Liberati's Band of New York. They will give three grand concerts in the auditorium every day and one concert each evening in front of the grand stand. Besides the band he has with him a full complement of grand opera sing ers. To those who have attended the State Fair the past two years that is announce ment enough. THE GENUINE PUBLIC SPIRIT. The Wageworker maintains, that all things considered, the union men of Lincoln do more to build up the city than any other class. They are more public spirited, they make more sacrifices for the common good, and they contribute more to the gen eral uplift. Just a little sample: ' A movement was started to provide for a series of free public band concerts in the city park. The park commission had no money with which to build a band stand. Ex-Mayor Brown undertook to secure the necessary building material, and succeeded. Then the nnion bricklayers donated their work and built the foundation. The union carpenters then donated their work and erected the band stand. The nnion painters and decorators painted it in fine style. And lastly, the union electrical workers wired it and made it all ready for the lights. Then the union musicians subscribed $15 in cash towards the concert fund. If thw does not show the right kind of public spir it The Wageworker has another guess com ing. If a lot of wealthy citizens would con tribute as much in proportion, Lincoln would have one of the finest parks in the country, and free public band concerts in a half-dozen parks two or three times a week. JERE SULLIVAN'S STRAIGHT TALK. Our organization and its membership are greatly indebted to the editors and publish ers of labor papers throughout the coun try. Unstinted praise and unqualified thanks, as well as such support as our mem bership can give should be bestowed gen erously, for in season and out the labor edi tors of the land have maintained a tire less campaign in our behalf their interest has begotten magnificent results, no bet ter champions of our buttons and labels exist. With mighty few exceptions the la bor press has raised its voice effectively in opposition to fanatical laws that would re legate our trade to the junk heap of indus trial occupations and confiscate the prop erty of our employers without a thought of the injury and loss to both. Praise and thanks purchase no neces saries of life labor editors must live and care for those dependent on them ; they are entitled not only to your moral encourage ment, but what is more to the point, yonr financial support. Let the membership of the Hotel and Restaurant Employes Inter national Alliance and Bartenders Interna tional League of America manifest their ap preciation of the noble work done and be ing accomplished for ns by the labor press, by substantial subscription lists and pat ronage of such firms as advertise in the la bor press, for by so doing, we show in a tangible manner that we propose to stick to those who stick to us. THE HAVELOCK UNIONS. One of the livest cities in Nebraska is Havelock, a suburb of Lincoln where the Burlington maintains its large shops. Have lock is one of the growing towns of Ne braska, and the coming year promises to see all records broken in the line of indus trial development. It is now an as sured fact that the Burlington will soon more than double the capacity of its shops at this point and several local manufac turing establishments are preparing to en large. AH this, with the prospect of add ing new lines of industry, puts Havelock upon the industrial map in large letters. In industrial lines the blacksmiths, ma chinists and boilermakers maintain live or ganizations, each one of these unions hav ing enjoyed a prosperous year. Conditions have been considerably bettered by reason of these organizations, and many objection able ideas have been throttled in good time. Some of the livest unionists in the move ment live in Havelock, and The Wagework er is indebted to many of them for valuable assistance, not only in the line of publicity, but in the line of working for the npbnild ing of the nnion cause. BEARING THE BURDEN OF GOV ERNMENT. "The income tax is just. It simply in tends to put the burdens of government justly upon the backs of the people. I am in favor of an income tax. When I find a man who is not willing to bear his share of the burdens of the government which protects him I find a man who is un worthy to enjoy the blessings of a govern ment like onrs." W. J. Bryan, in 1396.