WAGEWORKER
By Maupin & Hogard
WILL ML MAVPIN .... Editor
W. P. HOGARD Manager
Published Weekly at 137 No. J4th
St.. Lincolr. Neb. One Dollar a Year.
Entered as second-class matter April
11, 1904, at the postofflce at Lincoln,
Neb., under the Act of Congress of
March 3rd, 1879.
DIFFERENT IN NEW ZEALAND.
We in America are inclined to swell
up and grow chesty when we think
about our wonderful industrial devel
opment. We've been growing so fast
that we haven't take the time to
conserve our energies, and the result
Is that we are killing men and women
by the thousand in the mad chase
after dollars. The health and comfort
of the workers are about the last
things considered by the average em
ployer, and were it not for the unions
the death rate would be far larger
than It Is. .
' Isn't it about time we called a halt
and take the time to consider human
ity a while? Isn't it about time we
gave a little more attention to the
worker and a little less attention to
the product of his toll? It is humili
ating to confess it, but this great Ire
public can learn a wliole lot from
New Zealond, once a penal colony of
Great Britain's, but today one of the
most advanced communities in the
world.
In distant New Zealand, not many
months ago, some capitalists estab
lished a match factory, and employed
women and girls. It was a new Indus
try for that country. The wages were
low, and finally the workers asked foa
an increase. It was refused. They
asked again and again, declaring
that the wage scale was too low to
permit them to live decently. But
every demand was met by a refusal.
Finally the women resorted to differ
ent tactics. They did not strike for
strikes are unknown In New Zealand.
They have a substitute for the strike.
It Is called a "Court of Arbitration
and Conciliation," and to this court
the women took their grievances. The
employers replied that the industry
was new, and that until It was secure
ly established it would be unjust to
ask them to pay higher wages.
The judge ordered an inquiry not
into the condition of the match indus
try,, but into the condition under
which the workers were forced to toil
and live. They think more of men
and women than they do of dollars in
New Zealand. They may or may not
be "socialistic," but whatever else it
may be it Is common justice and hu
manity. And after the court had fully
Investigated the facts the match man
ufacturers were ordered to appear in
court and hear the award. This is
what the judge told them:
"It Is Impossible for these girls to
live decently or healthfully on the
wages you are now paying. It is of
the utmost Importance that they
should have wholesome and healthful
conditions of life. The souls and
bodies of the young women of New
Zealand are of mora Imnnrtinrn than
your profits, and If you can not pay
living wages It will be better for the
community for you to close your fac
tory. IT WOULD BE BETTER TO
8END THE WHOLE MATCH INDUS
TRY TO THE BOTTOM OF THE
OCEAN, AND GO BACK TO FLINTS
AND FIRE8TICK8, THAN TO DRIVE
YOUNG GIRLS INTO THE GUTTER.
My award Is that you pay what they
ask."
That's the way they look after the
workers in New Zealand. In this
Christian and enlightened republic of
ours we give the first consideration
to profits, and consider the welfare of
the worker last of all. We coddle the
manufacturer and disregard the em
ployes In the factory. We protect
capital and let labor shift for Itself.
We send millions abroad to convert
the heathen, and never give a thought
to the thousands of women who are
forced to sell their souls for bread be
cause our beastly Industrial system
Is built wrong end foremost.
Think it over from every viewpoint
and then ask yourself If the New Zea-
land way is not the most humane, the
most Christian and after all the
most profitable.
THAT "INCREASED WAGE."
Perhaps the conductors and motor-
men in the employ of the Lincoln
Traction company will be able to fig
ure out that their wages have been
increased. There may be some al
mighty good mathematicians among
the carmen.
But it must be confessed that it
will take an expert at figures to work
out any increase after taking the
whole thing into consideration. How
ever, if the carmen are satisfied, ev
erybody else ought to be. The fact
remains, however, that the increase is
on paper only, and will not be notice
able in the pay envelopes of the men.
The whode matter is fully discussed
elsewhere in this issue.
Merely because he saw fit to say
what he believed to be true, Ignatius
Dunn, a lawyer of Omaha, has
been deprived of his means of liveli
hood. If every lawyer who secretly
believes what Dunn said is the truth
will contribute a dollar a year to
Dunn's support, Ignatius will have
plenty to live on for years to come.
By the way, if you happen to know
that you are rated low in the "blue
book" of the local business men's or
ganization, you should get out an in
junction. The business men have no
more right to list you than the Amer
ican Federationist has to list the
Buck Stove & Range Co.
Thursday's newspapers conveyed
the startling Information that on the
evening before Thanksgiving day
President Taft actually walked around
the streets of Washington and looked
in the store windows. Gee, but we
are rapidly following in the footsteps
of royalty! 1
THE LOAN SHARK.
A little matter of interest to those
who may be In the clutches of the
"10-per-cent-a-month" loan sharks was
pulled off in Lincoln the other day
For obvious reasons the name of the
party at Interest is not given, hut let
him be called Furlong. A year or two
ago Furlong lived in Omaha and while
engaged at work there became indebt
ed to a "loan shark," giving an assign
ment on his wages. After paying more
In Interest than the original loan
amounted to, Furlong came to Lincoln
and found work. The loan shark fol
lowed and attempted to attach the
wages in the hands of Furlong's new
employer. Furlong consulted an at
torney, and the matter was taken into
court. Furlong won, the change of
employment preventing the loan
shark from obtaining Furlong's
wages.
This Information is cheerfully given
to those who may now be in the
clutches of the loan sharks. Such per
sons may learn something to their ad
vantage by consulting with the ed
itor of The Wageworker.
If about a month from now you see
a lot of stoop-shouldered mep wending
their way from an office near Tenth
and O, bear in mind that it is a pro
cession of street railway employes car
rying their increased wages home.
The business men of Lincoln are
showing a warm sympathy for the
abor Temple project. Their help is
fully appreciated, and it ought to re
sult in making the unionists of the
city take a more active interest
therein.
The Omaha Examiner continues to
flount the striking carmen of Omaha.
If Omaha had a longshoremen's union
they wouldn't dare strike, for the ed
itor of the Examiner could unload
enough schooners for everybody.
The Wageworker violates no confi
dence in announcing at this early date
that its forthcoming Christmas edition
will be a little bit the handsomest
ever issued by a Lincoln publication.
Despite the decision of the courts
of the District of Columbia we still
dare to make known the fact that the
Buck Stove & Range Co. is not in
good odor with organized labor.
Well, there is satisfaction in the
fact that even if the Federation of
ficials were sentenced to jail the sen
tence did not include a diet of gripe
guts and roastum squerial.
If ever the editor of The Wage-
worker is elected to the legislature
the first bill he will introduce will be
one to establish the whipping post
for wife beaters.
The man who asserts that wages
have increased during the past three
years merely convicts himself either
of ignorance or desire to deceive.
A few months from now you will
feel proud if you can look back and
say, "I helped to build that Labor
Temple."
Lincoln's Largest Exclusive Clothing: Store
F YOU desire to buy a suit or
overcoat of superior stylish merit
and wearing goodness you should
drop into our store and carefully
examine and analyze the points of
distinction about our good clothes.
WE DO NOT SELL YOU "JUST
CLOTHES'9 but we give in every
garment you buy here, one that has
a distinct style and model, perfect
tailoring, and other points of dis
tinction that make ARMSTRONG
CLOTHES stand out ahead of all
others as ideals of well dressed men.
Suits, Overcoats,
810, 115,
$20, $25.
You'll be surprised when you see this line of medium
priced Clothes, containing styles for the most conservative,
and more fanciful styles for the extreme dresser. Every one
contains more real goodness in wearing, and shape holding
qualities than you ever got before at these prices. All we
want is a chance to prove to you that there are no better to
be had at these prices.
Finest Suits and
Overcoats
$27.50, $30,
$35.00, $40.
At the sight of our Finest Suits and O 'Coats you will be
surprised and delighted, for you never saw a better collection
of Fine Clothes than we are showing now. They are simply
faultless in every way, and the styles will fit you better than
any Lincoln tailor can. Come in, look at them, try them on.
This is all we have to ask, because you cannot, with the aim
to get what is best for you, go anywhere else and buy., t
AREtaSTROMG
GlOT
mi
Uvllra
GOOD CLOTHES MERCHANTS
will soon have an ordinance prohibit
ing a common workingman for ap
pearing on the streets clad in overalls
and work shirt.
You may punish a man for contempt
of court, but neither fine nor impris
onment will change the feeling of contempt.
If union men will do their share
the Labor Temple will be free of debt
inside of a year. Come across!
Wage earners should support the
papers that fight for them.
Boost for the Nebraska Federation
of Labor.
If this thing of being so awfully
nice keeps on growing in Lincoln we
Perhaps I. J. Dunn was disbarred
because he had the nerve to speak
openly what a great many people
think inwardly. Who knows?
Senator Burkett seems to have
franked to Washington about every
thing save the house and lot at Six
teenth and B streets.
Gompers, Mitchell and Morrison
will be able to find plenty of substitutes.
TO LABOR UNIONS.
Will you assist us by ap
pointing some one in your
union to furnish us With news?
The Wageworker wants to pub
lish the news of your local, and
in order to do so must have
your assistance. It Is our aim
to give our readers all the (la
bor news that is to be had and
we wish to do It properly, so
that you will be satisfied. By
helping us In this way, you not
only make this paper more val
uable and complete, but your
knowledge of what is going on
in the labor movement is bet
ter and the good feeling among
the various crafts is more
strongly cemented. When this
fellowship idea is Instilled thor
oughly among us there is lesa
likelihood of a break in the
ranks and it is certainly need
ed at the present time.
8HOP TALKS.
Two Printers Address the Ad Club on
Live Topics.
The union printer had his inning
before the Lincoln Ad Club at the
semi-monthly dinner Tuesday evening.
Albert E. Pentzer, of the Star compos
ing room, spoke on the topic, "The
Mechanical Side of Advertising," and,
being a master of the subject, he gave
the ad Writers present some serious
food for reflection. W. P. Hogard,
business manager of The Wagework
er, who puts in odd time in the Jour
nal "Ad Alley,"- spoke on "Advertising
from a Compositor's Point of View."
If the ad writers will occupy the com
positor's point of view when preparing
copy, time will be saved to the adver
tiser, to' the print shop and to the
printer to say nothing of giving the
recording angel a chance to breathe.
The two talks were followed by some
breezy discussion, and the evening
proved to be one of the most pleasant
and profitable evenings yet spent by
this live organization.
OLD OFFICERS RE-ELECTED.
A. F. of L. Gives Little Consolation to
Its Opponents.-
Amid shouts, cheers, bass drums
and cymbals, the A. F. of L. conven
tion unanimously re-elected every offi
cer. There were no contests. Every
delegate was determined to line up
solid for the present administration,
and differences were buried in view of
larger problems now confronting the
workers. W. B. Wilson of the Miners,
and T. V. O'Connor of the Longshore
men were elected fraternal delegates
to England. John J. Manning of the
Laundry Workers was chosen to rep
resent us at the Canadian congress.
r.RFnORY The Tailor
' - ! ' .'A
Knows how to dress you up and has
the finest line of fall and winter goods , ,
in the city. : : :: :: ::
Pressing a Specialty
Your Business Solicited
FORMERLY A UNION MAN
LEON E. CUFFMG3
PIANO TUNER
- WITH
PRESCOTT MUSIC CO.
UNION-MADE PIANOS
Artistic and High-Grade
EVERY SHOE "UNION MADE'1 HERE
i Thompson Shoe
$3,50 & $4
Handcraft Shoe
$5.00
en's Dootcry
12th & P Sts.
