Hbe TO age worker
Patronize out Ad
vertisers and Boost!
Estabtisgetj. go 3
and Stttl Growing
VOL.. VI.
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1910.
8 PAGES
3fO. 45
CENTRAL LABOR UNION
At Its meeting last Friday night the
Central Labor Union got down to busi
ness, and after amending the constitu
tion so aa to provide for a more
equitable system of dues, proceeded to
take a hand In some important civic
matters.
Heretofore the dues to the central
body have been $1 a month for unions
having less .than twenty-five members,
and $1.60 for unions having twenty
live or more. This was not equitable,
as several small unions were paying
considerably more per capita than the
larger unions. Hereafter the dues
will be f 1.50 a monoth per union and
2 cents per capita. Every time a del
egate is present 25 cents of the dues
are remitted. Thus, if all three dele
gates of a union are present at both
niMtin? In the month. th union is
rebated the $1.50 dues and pays only
the 3 cents per capita. It is be-
lieved and hoped that this system
will result In a larger attendance.
A committee consisting of Kelsey.
Coffey and Mauplu was appointed to
prepare a revised version of the con
stitution and by-laws.
The delegates also took cognizance
of the "meat strike" by adopting the
following resolutions:
Whereas, Unlawful trusts and com
bines have secured practically absolute
control of the food products of the
country and the distribution thereof,
thereby enabling them to exact exor
bitant prices from the people; and
'' Whereas, There is now manifest
upon the part of the people a disposi
tion to resent these exorbitant de
mands by what is in effect a boycott
of certain trust-controlled products,
notably the meat supply of the coun
try, but which is In fact merely a pro
cess of pinching the belly to make up
for the results of not properly using
the franchise; therefore be it
Resolved, By Lincoln Central Labor
Union, representing the allied trades
union of Lincoln, that we are in hearty
sympathy with any movement calcu
lated to prevent further extortion by
trusts and combines, and ready at any
time to join hands with fellow work
ers elsewhere to boycott those who
deal unjustly.
Resolved, That we recommend In all
kindness and fraternal spirit the neces
sity of informing ourselves more fully
before exercising the franchise, and
use the boycott of the ballot against
the aforesaid trusts and combines.
Resolved, That copies of this reso
lution be sent to sister bodies in Ne
braska, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas,
and that a copy be furnished to the
official organ of the American Feder
ation of Labor.
' The following resolutions demanding
an amendment to the homestead laws
were adopted:
Whereas, The present homestead
laws are antiquated, preventing by
their hartfh and unreasoning terms
many deserving people from securing
possession of lands now vacant, and
Whereas, Avenues of employment in
the congested centers of trade are
constantly narrowing, making the
struggle for existence more intense
each year; therefore be it
Resolved, By Lincoln Central-Labor
I'nlon, representing the allied trades
unions of Lincoln and vicinity, that
we demand of our representatives and
senators In congress a modification of
the homestead entry laws; first, to do
away with the present demoralizing
and unjust lottery plan of distribu
tion ; and second, to provide for a Joint
homestead entry making it possible
for two persons not owning land to
die upon a homestead, only one being
required to live thereon, the other be
ing permitted to remain where em
ployment may be secured and wages
earned to help Improve the land, the
homestead later to be divided between
the two and patents issued seperate
ly. Such an amendment to the home-
stead laws would be of real benefit to
peopie now landless, relieve me con -
gestion in the large cities, settle up
more rapidly fertile lands now vacant,
develop our common country and in
ure to the good of all the people.
Resolved, That this body call upon
tile friends of labor everywhere to
Join with it In demanding of congress
the amendments herein mentioned. Be
It further
Resolved, That this resolution be
spread upon the minutes of this body,
and copies thereof be furnished the
prow of the city.
Some time ago the matter of put
ting mail boxes on street cars was
rgttaied in certain quarters. The Cen
tral Labor Union goes on record as
opposing the idea by the adoption of
the following resolutions:
Whereas, There is a movement on
foot in cortaia quarters to establish in
Lincoln a systen ofo mail boxes on
street cars, ostensibly for the better
service of the public, and
Whereas, Such a system would, not
tend to better a service already excel
lent and superior In most respects to
other cities of the same size, but
rather tend to lessen the opportuni
ties for the employment of more men
in the mail service, and
"Whereas, There is grave danger
that the pretended interest In the wel
fare of the public is but a cover to
insure federal intervention in case of
labor disputes; therefore be it
. Resolved, By the Lincoln Central
Labor Union, representing the allied
trades union of the city of Lincoln,
that we protest against the proposed
placing of mail boxes upon the street
cars, urging in furtherance of this pro
test the following cogent reasons:
Under a federal court decision rend
ered during the now famous American
Railway Union strike, backed by fed
eral bayonets, an arrogant corporation
was enabled to defeat labor's demands
for Just wage arid conditions by hav
ing the postal laws so ridiculously
stretched that even Pullman sleepers
attached to trains carrying mails were
declared to be, per se, "mail cars."
A street car carrying a mail box
becomes in effect a "mail car," and
should the street railway employes at
any time become involved in a contro
versy as to wages and hours, they
could at once be put under federal in
junction and thus restrained from the
exercise of their American rights and
privileges, a process already resorted
to entirely too often in industrial dis
putes. Street car collection, of mail would
result in further demoralization of a
service already inadequate "by reason
of greater delay in the running of cars,
end impose another hardship upon men
already overworked and underpaid
Mail boxes in street cars would give
the cars absolute right of way, fur
ther emphasizing an already existing
evil.
Resolved, That this protest against
the proposed plan . of street car mall
collections be spread upon the min
utes of this body, and that copies
therefor be furnished to the press of
the city.
The usual number of bills were al
lowed. Under the head of "good of
the order" several good short talks
were made. The committee appoint
ed to visit the unions and urge better
attendance of delegates reported that
It was making the rounds, and the bet
ter attendance at the meeting demon
strated that the committee had been
busy.
BITING SARCASM.
Striking Tin Plate Workers Will Show
Difference in Banquets.
Striking tin plate workers of the
American Sheet and TInplate company
in Pittsburg district have been in
vited to attend the banquet of their
fellow strikers to be given at Bridge
port, Ohio, next Saturday night. All
who can get car fare and one cent ad
mission will go. The admission fee
of one cent is to pay for oil for the
torches. The banquet is to be a "take
off" of the recent swell banquet given
by the Carnegie officials at Pittsburg,
which is said to have cost $100 per
plate. The starving workmen who have
been on strike since July 1, offer the
following bill of fare:
Watercress, crackers, peanuts, smok
ing tobacco, cob pipes and river water.
Instead, of having gold fish, human
or otherwise, swimming in pools the
strikers will have snowballs in dinner
j)Un8 otherwise empty. San Antonio
. Dispatch.
SURE, MIKE!
Speaking of the International Labor
Press Association the St. Iouis Labor
Compendium says:
"Non tarn potentia sua quam negli
genta nostra!"
You bet your life! We don't know
what it means, but if the Iabor Com
pendium said it, then it goes with us,
and don't you forget it. Wed ontgiva
danif or theh highb rows oft he execu
tlvac ounc il any more. That's flat.
We are tired of trying to pay composi
tion and press bills with hot air sup
plied by the Jim Duncans and others.
ATTACKS ON SUNDAY LAWS.
Senator Schulz, of New York, has
introduced (by request) the old propo
sition to create a commission to exam
ine and revise the laws regulating la
bor on Sunday. Labor regards this as
a disguised attack on the laws prohib
iting work on Sunday. It is Senate
bill no. 13, and referred to finance
committee. Rochester Journal.
ELECTRICAL
The social dance given at the Tem
ple Thursday evening by the local
Electrical Workers for the benefit of
the Temple was a success in every
way. The only trouble was that there
were more people ready to dance than
could well be accommodated In the
small space at the disposal . of the
Temple management. The Musicians'
Union donated the music and the en
tire proceeds of the social were
turned over to the Temple associa
tion. The committee having the af
fair in charge is to be congratulated
upon their success.
The arbitration board will meet at
Springfield, Ills., on February 15, and
resume negotiations looking to peace
between the two factions.
Joseph Tazelear., a member of the
Painters and Decorators Union, and
an organizer of the American Federa
tion of Labor, was a delegate to the
Toronto convention. He was a mem
ber of the laws committee, which fori
sidered the case of the Electrical
Workers. He touted for the executive
council from the first, and before the
committee had been in session five
minutes he demonstrated beyond a
doubt that he was intensely preju
There may be some labor editors
who imagine that the International
Labor Press Association has "died
a' bornin'." Never were men more
mistaken if they have been seized
with such a notion. The association
is alive, prospering, and has promise
of big things. True the membership
is growing slowly but surely. To
date twenty-seven members have been
enrolled. Secretary-Treasurer Mau
pin will next week send to every mem
ber a cut of the association's label,
which Is found at the head of this
department this week, and which will
be found at the head of the editorial
columns hereafter. Smaller labels
will be provided for stationery in a
short time.
Every labor editor in the United
States and Canada has already re
ceived copies of the association's con
stitution, its "proclamation" and a per
sonal letter from the secretary-treasurer.
The objects of the association
are legitimate to secure better busi
ness at more remunerative prices; to
insist upon something better than
"hot air" resolutions from interna
tional conventions of the crafU and
the American Federation of Labor; to
cut out the advertising fakir; to in
crease the advertising field by offer-
gin a more thoroughly organized press
system or reaching the consumer of
union made goods.
The secretary-treasurer has re
cently noted several labor papers
making sarcastic comment on this
thing of "hot air" resolutions in sup
port of the labor press. Strange as It
mav seem, a number of these papers
have not yet joined the Association.
They ought to be getting into the
game right.
At the Toronto convention of the
American Federation of Iabor the as
sembled labor editors issued a procla
mation and asked that it be presented
to the convention. The request was
denied, and an effort is now being
made to shift the responsibility. The
facts are these.
The editors appointed a committee
to present the proclamation to Secre
tary Morison with the request that
he have it read from the platform.
Secretary Morrison handed it to Vice
President Duncan, who was in the
chair. Duncan handed it back and
Morrison gently laid it upon the table.
That night the committee made in
quiries and Duncan said that Morri
son was responsible. The committee
went to Duncan, and returning with the
ISNT IT THE TRUTH?
Once upon a time a tariff was placed
on steel, so the American worklngman
would not have to compete with "pau
per labor" of Europe. The effect of
the tariff has been to make paupers of
our American workmen, and from our
view point, has improved the condition
of the European workman. Fort Scott
Sentinel.
WORKERS
diced in favor of the McNulty-Collins
faction. Well, Joseph conceived- the
idea that he could beat Joe Skenip for
the. I secretary-treasurership of the
Brotherhood of Painters, Paperhang
ers and Decorators. But Josephus
now has another think coming. Skemp
left him at the first quarter post.
Talk about hard luck! "Jim" Han
Ion, a union Electrical Worker of Buf
falo, N. Y., recently went up against
a live wire and was so badly burned
that he was laid up in a hospital for
weeks. When he recovered he went
back to work, but before he had got
in a full week he fell from a pole and
broke both legs.
President Reid has Just secured the
first closed shop agreement ever
signed by Electrical Workers in De
troit. President Reid has Just made the
astonishing discovery that Philadel
phia is the greatest "rat" breeding
place in North America. Gosh all
hemlock! Any of us tmion printers
could have told him that at any time
during the past twelve years.
The strike at EI Paso, Texas, has
been won. The town is "closed" now,
with an eight-hour day and a $4 scale.
report that Duncan objected to read
any thing that had the name of "Jim"
Eagan, or the Toledo Union Leader,
on it. Eagan was the delegate of the
Ohio State Federation of Labor and
was denied a seat because the Ohio
Federation had ignored the demand of
the executive council to unseat the
Reid Electrical Workers' delegates.
The proclamation was not read to the
convention. The members of the In
ternational Labor Press Association
indignantly refused to let Jim Duncan
or any other "high brow" of the Fed
eration, censor their membership.
Three weeks ago the secretary-treasurer
of the association sent a copy of
the proclamation to Secretary Frank
Morrison with the request that it be
printed in the Federationist. A letter
from Morrison conveys the informa
tion that the proclamation was turned
over to President Gompers, editor of
the Federationist. We are waiting.
Every week the labor press is asked
to publish a lot of matter sent out
from the headquarters of the Ameri
can Federation of Labor. It costs
money to set type. If the Wage
worker had published all that the ex
ecutive council asked it to publish
during 1909, the composition would
have cost something like $75. In pay
ment for this the American Federa
tion of Labor offers the usual "heifer
dust" resolutions of support for the
labor press, and then refuses, through
its officials, 'to give the organized la
bor editors a hearing before the con
vention. On the editorial desk of The
Wageworker is a spindle, and on the
spindle is several columns of "copy"
sent by the executive council. And it
is going to remain there or be dumped
in the waste basket when the spindle
ip full, unless the Association's procla
mation appears in the Federationist.
As secretary-treasurer of the Associa
tion the. editor of The Wageworker
has no advice to give the members on
this matter. But as a brother editor
it asks them to follow suit.
When the Association was organ
ized it was decided to make the initia
tion fee and the 1910 dues $2.50, pro
vided application was made within
three months. Notice is hereby given
that after March 1, 1910, the initiation
fee and first year's dues, will be in
creased to $5.
The secretary-treasurer is now in
communication with several big firms
looking towards the making of some
profitable advertising contracts for
the Association membership.
THE CIGARMAKERS
The United Cigar Stores company
has announced that it is about to in
vade Lincoln, and it is given out that
the new store will be at the corner
of Twelfth and O, in the new Ganter
block. This corporation Is one of the
biggest in the country, but it Is not,
as some imagine, a branch of the
American Tobacco company. It is a
corporation by itself, but it Is big
enough to practically control the cigar
end of the tobacco trade. It has un
limited capital and the best sales sys
tem ever devised. It does not handle
union made cigars, but handles every
known kind of "scab" tenement bouse
cigars and factory cigars. It cuts
prices and It gives coupons. Wherever
it has gone it has taken firm root. It
remains to be seen whether it will
win out in Lincoln.
Local cigar manufacturers have
heretofore contented themselves with
allowing the union cigarmakers to do
about all the boosting that has been
done for Lincoln-made cigars. Instead
of organizing an advertising propa
ganda themselves, the manufacturers
have been content with complaining
because they were not given "proper
support." If the entry of the United
Cigar Stores company will have the
effect of waking local manufacturers
up and Inducing them to move along
proper lines of publicity, it will be a
good thing. This thing of building up
"home patronage" is a matter of edu
cation. People must be taught the
good effects of standing by home In
stitutions. There are five or six cigar
factories in Lincoln, and if the men
who conduct them would wake up,
display a bit of enterprise and spend
a little money In educational work,
they need not fear any grave results
from the competition of the big cor
poration. But the union cigarmakers
must not be expected to bear the bur
den. They have spent dollars in
boosting for . Lincoln made cigars
where the manufacturers have spent
dimes. The Wageworker is quite will
ing to. warrant that the union cigar-
makers will join hands with the man
ufacturers in an educational cam
paign, and that the cigarmakers will
THE TEMPLE DIRECTORATE.
Regular Monthly. Meeting Held at the
emple Monday Even'ing.
The first monthly meeting of the
board of directors of the Labor Tem
ple Association was held last Monday
evening. Heretofore the Tioard has
met weekly, but hereafter will meet
but once a month, leaving the bulk of
the work to the trustees.
President Chaplin having been re
tired from the board it was necessary
to elect a trustee in his place, and al
so select a new presiding officer. R. L.
McBride, the newly elected represen
tative of the Barbers was elected to
to the board of trustees, and immedi
ately elected president.
The matter of opening the billard
room on Sunday was Informally dis
cussed and the trustees instructed to
inquire as to the law. It Is felt by a
majority of the board that allowing
stockholders the privilege of the bil
lard room on Sunday, just as the Com
mercial Club and fraternal club rooms
are open on Sunday, will be apprecia
ted by the workers and will result in
good in more ways than one.
. Manager Rudy was instructed to se
cure estimates on the probable cost of
adding the third story to the Temple
building. ,
Several bills were allowed, and then
followed a general discussion as to
"ways and means." The matter of fur
nishing the library went over for . a
time to give opportunity for better in
formation as to the cost.
For the first time the Musicians'
Union was represented by a director
and Director Bingaman appeared for
the first time as a director-at-large.
The attendance was fifteen, the largest
in the history "of the association.
FEDERAL UNION ORGANIZED.
First Meeting Held at Labor Temple
Last Monday Evening.
The start of a Federal Union was ac
complished at a meeting held at the
Temple last Monday evening, at which
time a score of building laborers met
and signed up. So far only the build
ing laborers have been approached,
but the scope of the organization will
be enlarged.
The desire for organization was man
ifest to a splendid degree, and that a
federal union will be the result is no
bear their just share of the expense.
It is possible to so arouse local pride
as to make Lincoln one of the big
cigar producing centers of the coun
try. The local cigar dealer who does
not push Lincoln made cigars Is stand
ing in his own light. The Lincoln
smoker who does not buy Lincoln
made cigars in preference to the tene
ment made cigars sold by the United
Cigar Stores company is not doing his
duty as a citizen. It is time for every
body especially Lincoln cigar manu
facturers to wake up.
The Cigarmakers International
Union of America has just closed one
of the most prosperous years in its
recent history. In 1909 there was a
distinct gain in membership, and as a
result the receipts were increased. A
further result was an awakening of a
new spirit among the rank and file.
During 1909 the gain in membership
was 4,000. In 1908 the expenses of
the international exceeded the re
ceipts by nearly $70,000, but in 1909
the receipts exceeded the expendi
turs by upwards of $50,000.
It takes four languages for the offi
cial organ of the cigarmakers to reach
the membership.
T. W. Parker, a member of the Lin
coln local and president of the Cen
tral body, has made up a nice little
list of subscribers for The Wagework
er. Every cigarmaker in Lincoln
ought to be on the list.
E. W. Brooks has gone to Beatrice
to work. ' , . -
Business Is slow for the cigar
makers at present.
The cigarmakers are going , to get
busy at their next meeting and get
something started to help trade.
The Commercial club Is taking up
subscriptions to help home industries.
They can help the cigarmakers some
by clearing up their cigar case at the
club rooms and filling it with home
made goods.
Golden promises don't count with me.
Business has got to come our way;
I can keep busier than a bee
Giving some union a lift every day.
,T. W. PARKER.
longer doubtful. Another meeting will
be held at the Temple next Tuesday
evening, and all laborers not now affili
ated with some union are requested to
be present and hear what a Federal
Union means and learn what it can
accomplish for the now unorganized la
borers. President Coffey of the State Feder
ation presided at the meeting Monday
evening, and he and several , other
trades unionists talked about the ben
efits of organization. But the best
talks along organization lines were
made by colored men. They are eager
for it, and they are in dead earnest
Those present at Monday night's meet
ing will see to it that practically every
unorganized working man is notified of
next Tuesday evening's meeting.
ANNOUNCEMENT.
The Sunday afternoon meetings of
the Lincoln Economic Educational
League are beginning to attract a
good deal of notice. This Is a work
ing class movement, intended for ex
tension of economic knowledge to
working men and women. ' The league
hopes to make these lectures... a
"Workers' University Extension" in
Cact as well as in name. The meet
ings begin promptly at 3 p. m. and
close at 4 o'clock. The program for
Sunday, February 6th, is as follows:
Music "The Marseillaise," Mrs. F.
J. Webb.
Tenor Solo "If I Only Had the
World to Give You," Frank R. "Webb.
Lecture "Whither Are We Drift
ing?" Clyde J. Wright.
These meetings are held at A. O.
U. W. hall, 1007 O street.
GOD'S TRUTH.
"What we ought to strike at first,
and strike at hardest, is the bottom
monopoly, the parent of all. Men
lived without gas and electric light
ing. Men lived, drawing their water
from wells and springs, before water
works. Men lived without railways,
the telegraph and the telephone. Aye,
men have lived and could live again
without money. But no man ever
lived, no man ever can live, without
land. Henry: George.
Well, Lincoln is pretty "wee right
"now, anyhow.
