....
ewotlket
Patronize out Ad
vetiisers and Boost
Established l go 3
and Still Grouting
VOL. VI.
IilNCOL,, NEBRASKA, SATURDAY, TEBBUAE vl 2, 0,
8 PAGES
NO. IP.
CARPENTERS
Local Nj. IOCS, Brotherhood of Car
penters sad Joiners, has come out of
its Iouk sleep, and Is today wide-awake
enough 'o dumarf the persistent ana
insistent attention of the trades
unionist of tho community. That No.
inr.fi la nnw thornnelilv awake and
right in line with the spirit born of
the Labor Temple movement, was dem
onstrated Monday, night, when what
was perhaps the largest mass meeting
of wage earners ever held in Lincoln
for the purpose of . discussing union
ism, was held at tho Temple. .First
and last more than 400 men were pres
ent, and as a result of the local com
mittee's hustling the meeting was not
only hugely successful but the mem
bership ot No. 1055 was practically
doubled.
The planning for this glorious meet
ing haB been going on for a month,
and the entire membership gave the
committee the right kind of support.
The resultsshow what may be accom
plished by the right sort of hustling.
'There was enough variety in the pro
gram offered to please all tastes. The
geuial "Doc" Bixby was there with all
his radiating good nature, and read a
little poem of his own manufacture
which sang with the praises of the
men who wield the hammer and saw.
lie also told a few stories and made
some happy hits, and quitted the plat
form when he had the appetites of his
auditors whetted up for more. Miss
Dullenty, whose father is a live mem
ber of No. 1055, rendered a platio solo,
.Meditation." with mnslciauly grace
and finish and was warmly applauded.
A piano duet by Misses
set the feet of the
ussembly workers to tapping ami
earned for the young laches a hearty
round of applause.
President Frank -M. Coffey of the
State Federation of Labor was the
first speaker Introduced by Chairman
Quick. Mr. Coffey demonstrated that
unions have Justified their existence
and declared that unions demanded no
favors they were unwilling to concede;
that they demanded justice Instead ot
bugging favors. The speaker was espe-j
daily severe in his criticism of some
recent Injunctions, and asserted that
the time is come when wage earners
must organize to protect themselves
against the aggressions of those who
would enslave them. Mr. Coffey 'a ad
dress was thoughtful and argumenta
tive and was listened to with deep In
terest. T. C. Kelsey spoke briefly, urging or
ganization and independence of
thought and action.
Rev. Mr. Zenor, pastor of the East
' Lincoln Christian church and fraternal
delegate from the Ministerial Associa
tion to the Central Labor Union, made
a big bit with the assembly. Rev. Mr.
Zenor frankly admits that up until a
year ago ho was' rather prejudiced
againHt trades unionism, the prejudice
being born of Ignorance. lie began
studying the question and associating
with union meu for the purpose ot
learning things from their viewpoint.
For a year he has been a fraternal
delegate, and as a result of his study
and associations he Is today one of
the staunchest and most eloquent de
fenders of the principles of trades
unionism In this section ot the coun
try. When he stands up to speak to
union men they sit straighter, for
they know they are going to hear
something to their advantage. Tho
reverend gentleman was at his best
last Monday evening, and as a result
he held the audience for twenty min
utes without losing their attention
once, and he was frequently applaud
ed. Quick, sharp and incisive. Rev.
Mr. Zenor' word carry weight The
trades unionists of this community re
alize that they have a splendid cham
pion In Rev. Mr. Zenor, and they are
taking advantage of his generosity and
using him whenever possible.
Will M. Maupln, deputy labor com
missioner, related a few anecdotes and
rond a couple of poems of his own
manufacture, preferring this to making
any remarks on unionism. He said
there were a number of better orators
present and he thought it would be
easier and more profitable to let them
argue while he tried to entertain a lit
tle. V, D. Michler, general organizer ot
the United Brotherhood of Carpenters
and Joiners, or Kansas City, was the
last speaker. Mr. Michler la well
known in Lincoln union circles. He
dwelt particularly on the benefits or
organization and explained in detail
the work of the brotherhood. With all
& JOINERS
the facts and figures at his tongue's
end, Mr. Michler is able to demon
strate beyond cavil the benefits of the
organization and convince the most
skeptical.
The open meeting was brought to
an end by David Manrose, who pre
sented one of the cleverest little vau
deville stunts imaginable. Mr. Man-
love is a "lightning artist" with the
brush and watercolors, and with his
electric lighted frame and his clever
way of manipulating the brush and the
lights he made a big hit with the au
dience. He earned the long applause
which rewarded his clever work.
At the conclusion of the open meet
ing, which was held in the big hall on
the first floor, the local convened in
Hall No. 2 and proceeded with the
work of initiating the huge class of up
wards of sixty applicants for member
ship. This was done as speedily as
possible, and then the entire member
ship proceeded to enjoy a little social
"feed." Apples, sandwiches, cigars
and pipes were passed around, and a
genuine old "gabfest" was pulled off.
With a membership practically dou
bled by this short campaign No. 1055
is going to keep right on and do some
more doubling. Three years ago the
local had a membership of upwards of
250. But-through following unwise
policies as is now admitted the
membership dwindled down to about
fifty, and a sort of paresis, or loco
motor ataxia, seemed to have gripped
the organization. But the leaven of
union enterprise was still there, and
recently It began "working." : The in
dications are now that before spring
work opens in earnest the carpenters
will again be thoroughly organized and
once more the largest union in this
section of the country.
"O, I want to tell you this Labor
Temple is putting the ginger into all
of us!" exclaimed a uuion carpenter
Monday evening. "We couldn't have
stirred up all this enthusiasm on such
short notice if wo had not become the
possessors of something that denion-
l stiated -our way of, accomplishing re
sults. , Now, when they usk us what
unionism lias done, we just point to
the Temple. That settlesthat part of
the argument."
Chairman Quick, who presided over
Monday night's meeting, has a lot of
native wit, and his introduction of
some ot the speakers was thoroughly
enjoyed, even by the speakers them
selves. - '
'"This is only a starter,", declared
Billy Emberson Monday evening. "We
are going to shove old 1055 further
along than she was even'in the palmy
days of 1906. We are all Just waking
up again."
"Sure thing!" exclaimed Fred Els
ler, who quit a minute tho task of
trying to be in three or four places at
once. "Just watch us make No. 1055
the livest wire in the union bunch
around here. ! We are just getting our
second wind, and with the experience
of the past to guide is we are going
to do things worth while in future."
A column or two might be filled with
the self-congratulatory remarks of the
union carpenters who had helped to
make the meeting a success., but the
remarks would all be about alike. So
what's the use? It was one of the big
gest union meetings ever held In Lin
coln, and its results are going to be
beneficial in every department of the
Jabor movement. - From this time for
ward Local No. 1055, United Brother
hood of Carpenters and Joiners, must
be accounted as a big factor in the
union game bigger than ever, which
is saying a lot, for at one time No,
woa was there with the goods. ' It
will be again with more gootb.
TRACING THE POSTAL DEFICIT.
More than one hundred thousand
copies of Speaker Cannon's Kansas
City speech, in which he denounced
the insurgents, are being sent out from
Washington under the congressional
franking privilege. And yet congress
affects to wonder at the annual deficit
in the poBtofflce department. Kansas
City Star.
INCREASE IN WAGES.
The machinists and boilermakers
employed at the shops of the C, P. &
St. L., in this city have been granted
an increase in wages from 32 cents to
34 cents per hour, effective January
1st. The Increase, although small,
will add considerably to the pay roll,
and the employes will be benefited by
it. St. Louis Times.
NO TECHNICALITIES SHOULD INTERFERE!
The Wageworker believes V in the initiative and
referendum. It believes that the people should have a
right to vote upon any question, at any time, if that
question is of interest to a sufficient number) The refer
endum law of this state, as it applies to cities and
towns, provides that a petition containing the signatures
. of 20 per cent of the legal voters of the city is sufficient
to send any question to the referendum. Such a peti-.
tion, containing the required number of names, has been
-filed with the city clerk asking for a' referendum on the
"wet" or "dry" question this spring.
It is now demonstrated that technicalities are to iay
terefere and prevent the voters from having an oppor
tunity to express themselves. , Because the signers failed,
with few exceptions, to append "Lincoln, Nebraska,"
after their names, City Clerk 'Ozman, backed by City
Attorney Flansburg, decides that the signatures are il
legal. . r .;' " ,
This is a petty technicality that the gentlemen
should be ashamed to advance. They have a right to
their views as to the best policy for the city to pursue.
They have no right to resort to petty subterfuge in
order to prevent others from expressing their views.
Tactics' of that sort may go , in the courts as they are at
present conducted, but they will not go down with the
masses of the people. By signing such a petition the
signer does not bind himself to vote either way. ;He
merely shows that he has confidence in the voters and is
willing to abide by the decision of the majority.
The Wageworker has taken no part in the present
discussion as to whether Lincoln shall be "wet" or
"dry," but if the advocates of a "dry" city are going
to defeat the intent of the referendum law if they are
unwilling to give the voters a chance to express their
choice, then the Wageworker will fight them to a finish.
Not because the Wageworker particularly favors a '
"wet" city, but because The Wageworker believes thor
oughly in the initiative and referendum in the right of
the voters of this municipality, or any other, to say for
themselves what they want. That principle is a whole
lot dearer to The Wageworker than the abstract ques
tion of whether Lincoln shall be "... wet" or "dry." i
The prohibition advocates ought to make it known,
without equivocation, that they do not concur in the
stand taken by City Clerk Ozman and City Attorney
Flansburg. Fair-minded people are easily disgusted
with petty technicalities. More Jthan twenty per cent ,
of the voters have asked for a referendum on the excise
question. That is all, and more than the law requires.
The Wageworker insists upon the referendum. Techni
calities may delay it, but cannat prevent it. - And unless
the question is referred on. the present petition The
Wageworker is going to take a hand in the fight, and it
is not going to support any cause advocated by men
who are so afraid of public opinion that they will re
sort to petty technicalities to prevent the people from
having an opportunity to vote;" The Wageworker and"
its editor have spent to many years and to much effort
to secure the initiative and referendum to now begin
standing in with men who are afraid to let it become
operative. ' ,
The "wet" or "dry" question has been thoroughly
discussed in Lincoln. The people know what they want.
A legal number have asked for an opportunity to vote
on it, and they ought to have it and they will have it,
no matter what legal technicalities may be offered. And
the more the advocates of prohibition try to prevent
this expression of opinion the more certain they will
make it that men who are willing to fight to the death
for the referendum will register a vote of protest against
such foolish tactics.
The Civic League should take warning in time.
SARCASTIC HIRED MAN.
Blair Farm Laborer Shoots It Into
Unthinking Farmer.
Editor Omaha Daily News: I am a
reader of the Daily News, and I wish
to say in regard to J. F. Lambson's
letter of the 26th Inst., stating that
men worked for $14 per month fifty
eight years ago, that the hired men of
today bring ten bushels of corn to tbe
boss, while in those days they brought
one. The price Is better, too. The
reason the men ride nowadays is they
use brains with muscles.
I don't belong to any union, but I
think the laboring people of the cities
have to hold together, or their bosses
would soon tell them to live on brend,
cold water and fresh air. The renters
are as good workers as the owners,
and just as honest, too, but they hate
to give all to the land baron.
! A farmer that treats his help white
can generally get young men of his
county to work for him, but if he hap
pens to be a grouch, he puts up with
the hoboes, and then wants pity. ,
Perhaps Mr. Lamberson's land was
generously given . to him 1 by Uncle
Samt or else he did not have to pay
more than $8 or $9 an acre. He says,
"Why don't the poor- people of the
cities go to the country?" Does he
know how many there are? Land
around here is worth $100 an' acre
$8,000 for eighty acres.
.Go to the country, roost in the
trees, raise? poultry and garden stuff
on' the sand bar that is free, or else
say In Omaha and work - for $2 a
day. Prevail on your wife and chil
dren to fast, wear sack-cloth, or, bet
ter still, wear leaves, as they did in
the Garden of Eden, and after a while
you will have $8,000, the price of
eighty acres of land.
GLAUS SCHMIDT,
Blair, Neb.
COLORED GIRLS WON'T SCAB.
The boss shirt waist makers in Phil
adelphia have become . very desperate
because of their inability to get
enough Jewish girls or Americans, to
scab on the strikers, so the past few
days ads have appeared in the press
for negro girls to learn the trade. Im
mediately after the first ' attempt to
get colored girls to scab, the colored
members of the Socialist party began
an agitation to prevent members of
their race being used to break the
strike.. Thus far, it is said, the bosses
have not succeeded in getting any col
ored girls to stick as scabs. Detroit
Advocate.
Js the State Journal puting the "cop
per" on "its prohibition bets?
h. VELOCK
Say, that town of Havelock beg
pardon, city is forging to the front
in a way to remind one of the storyv
of Alladin and his wonderful lamp.
Actually, the folk out there are talk
ing about' annexing Lincoln and Uni
versity Place and calling the whole
thing Havelock. !
Wouldn't that jar you? ,
They may do It, too, unless Lincoln
and University Place ginger up and
keep in the running. T ;
And the unionists of Havelock are
not lagging behind in the race, either.
They are np and coming, showing the
kind of union spirit that gets some
where, and without a lot of lost time,
either. When you can get 300 union
men to meet of a Sunday afternoon, in
a city the size of Havelock, for the
purpose of talking about matters cal
culated to benefit them, you can set
It -down that the union spirit is ram
pant.' And that's just what occurred
at Havelock last Sunday afternoon.
Three hundred union men met at
Union Hall and organized what might
properly be called a "metal trades
section." The meeting was made up
of the membership of the Boilermak
ers, Machinists and Blacksmiths, and
the'men were there for business. Wil
liam Greenwood officiated as chair
man and began the meeting by outlin
ing the plans In view and urging
closer co-operation between men of
crafts that were in many respects
closely allied. F. . M. Coffey, president
of the State Federation of Labor; Will
H T TV , '.1 i li i
er, and T. C. Kelsey were the "import
ed speakers," and S. A. D. Smith spoke
for the local membership. -The ad
dresses were all of the same tenor
better organization, better co-operation.
Not the least pleasing feature of the
meeting at least to The Wageworker
was the good line of talk put up for
better support of the labor press. And
it was a line of talk backed up by the
actuar"do,!! for. the subscription lists
of The Wageworker show a handsome
increase as a result of the Havelock
meeting. , ,
' A male quartette rendered a couple
of selections at the beginning in order
to put the men present in a good hu
mor. The efforts of the quartette were
successful. t 'v, '. ::y '", ;
After the speaking a recess was
taken, and when the 1 meeting ' was
called to order again the three trades
were seated In separate sections, of
the hall, and the work of organizing
the joint 'council taken up. , It was de
cided to let each local appoint three
members of the joint committee, the
committee to select its. own chairman
and secretary. As a result of the bal
loting the following committee was
selected: , . V ;
Boilermakers ' Charles Rankin,
Thomas Duffy, James Jonas.
Blacksmiths -S. A. D. Smith,, C. V.
Lindquist, R. O. Wagner. - 'f '.
Machinists J. K A. Malstead, 'Wil
liam Greenwood, L. C. Koenig. .',''"
Arrangements were ' made for a
meeting of the committee during the
week, for the purpose of organizing.
The matter of fuller representation
in the Central Labor Union was thor
oughly discussed and it was general
ly agreed that hereafter Havelock
would be represented In that body.
At Its last meeting Machinists
Union 'No 698 appointed a committee
to arrange for one of the semi-monthly
meetings in the Labor Temple, and
also, invested $25 In stock of the Tem
ple Association. This investment will
be Increased from time to time. : The
machinists meet twice a month, alter
nately between Havelock and Lincoln.
Ever see the Jonas boys of Have
lock? Four of 'em count 'em four.
All boilermakers, all over six feet tall,
all weighing more than 200,' and all
just as enthusiastic unionists as they
are big physically, and' just as jolly as
they are full ot enthusiasm. .
Havelock is going to , vote on the
adoption of the initiative and referen
dum on February 15. It ought to
carry. The initiative and referendum
is a cardinal principle of unionism.
It is democratic because it is repub
lican. It gives to the people the right
to decide for themselves what, they
shall have. If the initiative and ref
erendum is a good thing' for trades
unions, It ought to be a good thing for
the village, the town, the city, the
county, the state and the republic. The
SVageworker hopes, to chronicle the
fact that Havelock has adopted this
reform policy without enough dissent
ing votes to be worth counting.
WORKERS
Havelock Lodge No. 119, Brother
hood of Boilermakers and Iron' Ship
Builders,' will hold its' seventeenth an-
nual ball at Union Hall, Havelock, on
Tuesday evening, February 15. Bruse's
six-piece orchestra will furnish the
music. Tickets 50 cents, ladies free.
Everybody' is invited,' and all who at
tend are assured of a good time, for
the Boilermakers always'inake good"
with their social events. ( The three
anions of Havelock are increasing their '
membership with pleasing regularity. '
The Boilermakers are especially tor
tunate in this respect, and the mem-
bership is now close to 150.
Work, on the new shops Is being
pushed, and as a result there is lots
of work in sight for the building
tradesmen. Everybody who , knows
how can get work in, the Shop City, .,
and overtime is really becoming a
burden to the men. The structural .-
ironworkers are especially busy, and -
they have practically enough, work in'
sight to last a year; -f. The Burlington
is expending in the neighborhood of
$2,000,000 on shop additions.
Union Hall In Kavelock is the nlace
where the Neoraska State Federation
of Labor 'will merit next January : It V
is a fine little a iditorium and a credit
to the enterprising men -who created '
it. '".' v.- ' y f).
Havelock will soon be big enough to
organize two or three more unions.
There is a i.kelihood that a Federal
Union will be organized there soon.
the Idea being to begin an educational
campaign - along union lines ' without
further loss of time. , .' ' v '
Havelock and Lincoln Machinists :
are organizing a Woman's Auxiliary.
This example should be followed . by
other unions. : " - v-r . '
OMAHA STRIKE OFF.
Unfair Contractor Sells Out and Peace
' . . Is Again Restored.
The strike of union building trades
men on the Brandeis theater Jbuilding
is off, and work has been resumed un
der union conditions. .The fact .that
"scab" sheet metal workers were -employed
on the building is in no wise
the fault of the Brandeis boys." They
are always square, with organized la-'
bor none more so. The contract for
the building was let to the Thompson
Starrett Co. of Chicago,' who agreed
to use only union labor. J? The' sheet
metal contract was sublet to. a fellow
named Carter, who is one of . those
wise guys who insists on "running his
own business," : and then trotting to
the Omaha Business Men's Associa
tion with his tail between, his legs with
the plea that, the- association handle
his business for him. Carter employed
"scab" metal workers, and the union
men in other departments walked out -
Carter secured an . injunction ; r
straining the Thompson-Starrett Co.
from cancelling bis contract, and also
an injunction restraining the union
building tradesmen of Omaha from do
ing anything but . eat, sleep and ,
breathe. Judge . Sears granted the
blanket injunction. J
j. The fairness of the Thompson-Star-rett
Co. was shown when it settled the
whole difficulty by . giving. Carter the
full value of his contract and buying
him off. But Carter had to wait until
the Business Men's Association gave
him permission. He couldn't "run his
own business' until the union busters
gave him permission. '
Some of these days the union' men
of Omaha will bury all their fool dif
ferences and get together, Then they
will be able to go after the Wattles
Rees - Martin - Montgomery - Mahoney
bunch of labor haters and come back
with ' a ' big bunch ; of capitalistic
scalps. " '. '
But the union men of Omaha will
have to quit fighting among them-,
selves and also quit being the tools, of
wily political shysters before they will
get anywhere. . t ' . :.i , -
"""' BEN HANFORD DEAD.
Ben , Hanford, a member of New ,
York Typographical Union No. 6, and
one of the foremost socialist writers
of the day, died at his home in Brook- ,
lyn - last week, tie was a true-blue
unionist and one of . the most active
workers in the cause of labor.. When
"Big Six" boycotted the New Tork Sun
in 1899 it got out a dally newspaper of
its own, and Ben Hanford was the ;
editor. It was a potent factor in win
ning the strike. Ben Hanford will be
missed in the game, for he was al-,
ways on the job when needed. Peace
to his ashes., " -
i