The Wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, March 05, 1910, Image 1

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Patronize out Ad'
veUisers and Boost
Wished I go 3
X Still Growing
VOL. VI.
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1910.
8 PAGES x
NO. .50
TALKS AT THE TEMPLE
The attendance upon the Sunday af
ternoon "Temple Talk" last Sunday
waa considerably larger than at the In
itial meeting, but It still lacked several
hundred of what It should have been.
In view of the prominence of the
speaker and his familiarity with a
subject that should deeply Interest the
wage earners of the city, the atten
dance upon the meeting addressed by
Mayor Love was discoura'gingly small.
It waa discourteous to the speaker and
not a good showing of the interest that
union men should be taking in civic
affairs.
Mayor Love discussed the commis
sion form of city government, argu
ing from the viewpoint of one who is
heartily in favor of it and giving many
reasons for his belief. He urged fol
lowing along the lines heretofore laid
down In Galveston, Des Moines, Cedar
Rapids, Colorado Springs and other
cities, but favored a departure from
those plans to the extent of providing
for a board of unsalaried commission
ers. He believed that the salaried
commission was the fundamental
weakness of the new form of munici
pal government now In operation in
the cities above named. He proposed
that the Lincoln charter provide for
an unsalaried commission, believing
that this was Ideal. He declared that
. men should be elected upon questions
of policy, making their office a politi
cal office. Administrative offices are
non-political, therefore should be ap
pointive, not elective. It was upon
this generalization that Mayor Love
argued for the unsalaried commission.
There were those In the audience who
wondered how non-partisan officers
could be obtained through appoint
ments made by partisan commission
ers, but the mayor did not enlighten
them on this subject.
"Only those charged with the duty
of representing the will of the people
while In office Bhould be elected," de
clared Mayor Love. "These only
only should have the deciding ques
tions of policy. The duties of such of
PLUMBERS
The local union has a new wage j
scale up for. the consideration of the
employes, and the matter la now In
process of negotiation. The commit
tee from the organization is putting
in ?ood time In an effort to secure an
increased wage and better shop con
ditions. The supreme court of New Jersey,
on February 1C, affirmed the judgment
of the Second district court of New
ark in favor of Anthony S. Ruddy a
non-union plumber, giving him $250
.damages for having been discharged
by two employers in that city because
TYPOGRAPHICAL TIPS
The Typographical Union will meet
next Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock at
the Labor Temple. With the excep
tion of the report of the ball commit
tee there seems little to be done out
side of the transaction of the usual
routine business. However, every
member ought to be on band, and espe
cially should every member who
handled ball tickets be there, ready to
settle in full. The ball made a little
profit, but not nearly as much as ex
pected. However, what It lacked in
financial success it more than made up
in a social way. .
The San Francisco Labor Clarion
says: Will C. Israel, editor of the
News-Chronicle, Benkleman, Neb., was
married in Kansas City, Mo., on Tues
day, February 1, 1910, to Miss Selma
L. Nixon. Mr. Israel Is well known to
many members of No. 21, having
worked in this city for several years
prior to 1906.
The four-year agreement between
the Typographical Union and the em
ploying printers of Pottsville, Pa., hav
ing expired, the union presented a new
agreement calling for an Increase in
wages of $1 per week, time and a halt
for overtime work and double time for
Sunday. The employers refused, but
consented to arbitration. At the ap
pointed time the latter failed to show
up. Another meeting was agreed upon,
when again tbe employers were con
spicuous by their absence, and on Feb-
ruary 1 locked out their union men.
ficials are political, and they should
hold office directly from the people
and be accountable to the people for
their official conduct."
Mayor Love insisted that Lincoln
ought to take a step in advance of
other cities; that Lincoln apply the
universally admitted truth that men
who direct the general policies should
be appointed because of their fitness
and efficiency. He also urged that
the workingmen refrain from balking
at the proposed plan because it
seemed ideal. "An appeal to the ideal
in people always meets with re
sponse," he said. "Appeal to men to
give a portion of their time to the pub
lic service without pay and plenty of
men will respond."
Mayor Iove closed his interesting
address by urging his hearers to Join
in a movement to adopt a plan of
municipal government "in Lincoln that
would make the "Lincoln plan" more
famous than the Galveston plan or
the Des Moines plan. The address
was listened to with close interest
by the small audience, and the mayor
received hearty applause.
Master Charley and Miss Dorothy
Righter entertained the audience
with several violin and piano duets
and were warmly applauded. While
young In years these two little musi
cians are fast achieving reputations
for finished execution of good music,
and they will always be welcomed at
the Temple.
Mayor Love, who owned the Temple
building prior to its purchase' by the
Temple Association, expressed himself
as astonished over the transformation
that had been wrought. He congratu
lated the unionists of the city on their
enterprise, and said that they were
not only building for themselves, and
their children, but were building for
a bigger and better Lincoln. He fur
ther added that the good influences of
the Labor Temple were already bein
felt, and he was satisfied that as the
years went by it would work more
and more for the betterment and up
building of the city.
& FITTERS
of not being a member of the union.
The suit was against the Plumbers'
Union of Newark and William Ryan,
its business agent.
Work has been woefully slack for
some time, but is growing less so every
day. Contrary to public opinion, win
ter is not the harvest time of the
plumbers. Frozen and bursted pipes
represent a very small proportion of
the work done by plumbers. With the
opening of the Tiuilding season work
that is really profitable will begin,
and the outlook for the coming season
is good.
In consequence the Pottsville Repub
lican, Chronicle and Miners' Journal
have hard times in getting out their
papers.
The new outfit . ordered for The
Wageworker has arrived aAd the work
of "laying cases" will be finished in a
.short time. The outfit was purchased
from the American Type Foundry, and
Includes the latest faces, cabinets, la
bor saving devices and presses. The
location of the shop has not been defi
nitely decided as this issue goes to
press.
The following from the Omaha
Western Labor will be Interesting to
the old-timers In Lincoln, as it tells
about a printer who "made good" as
a union man in this town: "Tuesday
we had a visit from an old time union
man who was well known to the print
ing craft of Iowa and Nebraska in the
early 90's; M. T. White. For several
years beginning in 1892, he was presi
dent of Lincoln Typographical Union
and a printer on the Nebraska Farmer.
He was president of that union when
the memorable Lincoln Journal strike
took place in December of that year.
After several years in that struggle,
and before It took place, he was giv
ing more or less of his time to outside
work in study of the business to which
the Farmer was devoted. Later he
went on the road or became what they
call a field man. He was a success,
both as a solicitor, advertising man
I and student of the facial expression
of the Duroc-Jersey hog and the Angus
cattle. In due time he became more
.than a student, he became an expert.
Later, or about six years ago, the
Iowa Homestead secured his services
at a salary that would, frighten most
printers to carry. He was still the
same modest Martin White. Still later
he became a recognized authority
among the breeders of Iowa "and Ne
braska as a sale ring man, buyer, ad
vertising man, and judge of hogs and
cattle. During the. Lincoln Journal
strike he studied men. - Since then he
has been, studying live stock. There is
more money and less grief in the lat
ter occupation. Still he seemed to en
joy an hour's session Tuesday in talk
ing over old times. He has made a
CAPITAL AUXILIARY
Capital Auxiliary met Friday, Febru
ary 25, at the Labor Temple, Mrs.
George Freeman being the hostess.
Mrs. C. E. Barngrover was in Lin
coln" for the ball, but left for Omaha
the following day. She will be hostess
at the next regular meeting, Wednes
day, March 9th, to be held at the
Laibor Temple.
(Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Wolf spent Sun
day and Monday with Mr. and Mrs.
W. S. Bustard. They left Tuesday
morning for Chinameca, Mexico, to
make their future home.
Mrs. J. E. Mickel of Harvard, Neb.,
is spending a few days in Lincoln
with relatives and friends.
Mrs. Mary Fancher was given the
membership pledge at our last meet
ing and one application was received.
It is quite encouraging to the mem
PRESSMEN &
At the Pressmen's, regular meeting
last week there was an unusual
amount of enthusiasm shown, both 'by
the attendance and the activity of the
members in attending to (business
through the Central Labor Union and
Allied Trades Council, in both of which
the Pressmen expn;t to take an active
part in -the future. New deegates are
to attend the C. L. U. F. M. Coffey
gave the boys a stirring up and some
advice along the right lines that met
with their approval. As a consequence
106 are to be members of the State
AMONG THE BARBERS
There is rejoicing among the ranks
of the union barbers of Lincoln these
days. For two months a committee
from the local union has been striving
to reach an agreement with the Em
ploying Barbers' Association, and last
week success crowned their efforts.
The journeymen did not succeed in
getting all they asked for, but they
did secure important concessions. The
employers yielded, but they also re
ceived some concessions. As a whole
the matter was most amicably adjust
ed and the best of feeling exists be
tween the parties to the contract.
The contract runs for three years
from January 1, 1910, and provides a
guarantee of $12 a week and 60 per
cent on all receipts over $20 per
week. The working time is cut down
thirty minutes a day for half of the
year, opening time to be 8 a. m. dur
ing the months of November, Decem
ber, January, February and March,
and 7:30 a. m. during the other
months. Closing time remains at 7:30
p. m., except on Saturday, when it is
extended to 10:30 p. m. During the
week of the state fair shops have the
privilege of opening at 6 a. m. On all
legal holidays the shops will close at
noon, except July 4, Labor Day and
Christmas, which will be "closed
days." The exception in this case is
when Labor Day happens on a state
fair date, and then the closing time
will be noon.
The following named employing
barbers signed the agreement: W. H.
Barthelman, A. L. Strum, C. A. Green,
G. A. Petro, George Shaffer, W. G.
Worth, J. J. Simpson, Lundahl &
Ward, Elmer Scott, E. A. Woods,
Chaplin & Ryan, C. W. Fafler, J. B.
Rayner.
The union was signed for by the
following officers: N. A. Otis, presi
dent; A. R. McConnaughey, vice-presi-y
:x.iBeaaes Suipjooa.1 'jfarejs -g
AV ijfJinaJoas 'uosijaqon 'A "H
uap
great success in the live stock world,
but it has not swelled his head. He is
probably the most valuable and high
est salaried farm paper representative
in Iowa or Nebraska, yet he is the
same man who thought he was going
some when he drew $18 per week
from thje Nebraska Farmer. He has
a bright, cleverwife and two healthy,
growing kids out on Walnut Hill who
think a j great deal of him. We have
known 'him intimately for eighteen
years apd we sometimes think the
mold was destroyed after the Lord
made him. They don't make his kind
any more." i
Jack Curry spent the first of the
week in Omaha.
The ffeate of trade is still good in
this section of the footstool.
bers to be able to welcome so many
new members. ,
The label committee is quite de
serving jof thanks for the good work
being done along their line, and every
one of us should help them to do more
of suchj work.
Mrs.. W. C. Norton, of Humboldt,
Neb., writes that Will has been quite
sick, but is better again.
The secretary has received notice
of two deaths in the- international In
the past ten days. They are Mrs.
Emma Pyeatte of Marian, Indiana, and
Mrs. Eugenie Fiesse of Washington,
D. C.
The chairman of the apron com
mittee has called a meeting again for
the .last of this week. It is to be
hoped more of the ladies will be able
to he- out this time.
ASSISTANTS
Federation from now on. Even union
men have to understand what is good
for themselves sometimes before they
will act. ,
, There-promises to be something do
ing now in the way of stirring things
up. All the 53 members are working
and there is a demand for good men
that can deliver the goods and have a
card. .
Since Harry Hilderbrand leaves the
Journal presses, Harry Toliver takes
his presses, and Charlie Pierce of the
State will again take out his card and
run his own presses at that shop.
Humpal, treasurer; P. C. Evans, A. R.
McConnaughey, C. B. Ellis, committee
on agreement.
For a period of three years there
will be peace in the union shops of
Lincoln, arid the agreement will tend
to raise the standard of the journey
men. Shorter hours and a guarantee
of a fair wage will attract the best
members of the craftj, and this will
work to the advantage of the employ
ers as well as the employed. Consid
erable satisfaction is expressed by em
ployers and employes over the sue
cessful termination of the conferences
Conversation anent the Jeffries-
Johnson scrap is giving way to "bug"
talk about baseball. There are more
baseball "bugs" in the ranks of tht
J. B. I. U. than in any other craft.
"I see that Curry of the Typo
graphical Union is framing up a pool
tournament," said R. L. McBride last
Monday. "Well, I'll yield the pool
palm to printers, but I'll bet a cake of
shaving soap against a shooting stick
that I can find a barber man who'll
eat 'em all up at billiards. What?"
Of course you look for the shop card
when you enter a barber shop. '
CHICAGO PACKERS INDICTED. '
The directors" 0f the National Pack
ing company which includes about all
the packers of Chicago have been
indicted for violation of the anti-trust
laws. The packers are not a bit
scared. They'll be .tried, found guilty,
enjoined from dofng it again and
turned loose. That's the way it hap
pened a few years ago.
TROUBLE AHEAD.
Union Pacific firemen have voted to
strike unless the management comes
across with an increased wage. ' The
grievance committee of the organiza
tion is in conference with the mana
gers, and It is hoped that a strike will
be avoided. A decision will have been
reached by the first of , the week.
STREET RAILWAY MEN
Ashland, Nefor., '"March 1. Will M.
Maupin, Lincoln: The question is,
"Resolved, That labor unions are, on
the whole, beneficial." If the nega
tive should point to the lawlessness
of the Philadelphia street car strike,
how wutild you answer it? I would
appreciate anything upon the ques
tion. Do labor unions encourage their
members to use the savings banks,
and have they in some places founded
them? If so, would you tell me where?
If labor unions promote temperance,
why is there a Bartenders' Union?
Lincoln, Nebraska, March 2. -Dear
Sir: Your favor of March 1 at hand,
and I undertake to answer your
queries in the order made. The law
lessness attending the Philadelphia
street car strike is caused, not by the
strikers themselves, but by an ele
ment existing In every large city
which seeks to find a vent for its law
less exuberance. This element is aid
ed by young boys, and even girls, who
take delight in the excitement attend
ing such occasions. As proof of the
participation of children, I cite
you tne lact that a tew days . ago
Archbishop Ryan addressed ; a letter
to Catholic parents warning them to
keep their children off the streets of
Philadelphia. The Associated Press
dispatches appearing in the daily pa
pers of February 28, say: "Realizing
that much ,of the disturbance was
started by children, Archbishop Ryan
sent a letter, which Was read in every
Catholic church . today, warning pa
rents not to allow their children on
the streets during the present dis
turbance." The Associated Press dis
patches appearing in the dally papers
of February 24 say. "Most boys are
participating in the trouble through
pure mlschleviousness. They are
having the time of their lives and. Su
perintendent of Police John B. Taylori
has issued an official warning to pa
rents." 1
That strikers seldom are responsi
ble for disorder is proved by the fact
that almost invariably strikers are
compelled to report daily at strike
headquarters, and only packets are al
lowed to be outside. Union officials
aAways warn the members against vlo
lence, knowing- full well that violence
always alienates public sympathy, and
without public sympathy 'a strike can
not be won. That the Philadelphia
strikers are justified is demonstrated
by the attitude of the clergy, the press
and the public. I cite you to the daily
newspapers ' for the facts. During a
strike every breach of the peace
attributed to the strike, even though
fhere be not the remotest connection,
For example, during the teamsters'
strike in Chicago a few years ago a
man sitting on his front porch was
killed by a bullet fired from a target
rifle-in the hands of some one' un
known. The police added the death
to the list of deaths caused by the
strike, claiming that the man had been
shot by a striker. It developed that
the man was killed by a bullet from a
gun in the hands of a small boy who
was shooting at pigeons, another
man was killed duringthe same time
by a large piece of cut stone dropping
on him from the top of a high build
ins in course of construction. The
police claimed that he had been killed
by a brick thrown by a striking team
ster. Liter it was proved that the
stone fell of its own weight and killed
the man, who was guilty of having
gotten inside the guard ropes just in
time to be. struck by the falling stone
Yet the daily papers heralded his
death as due to a riot. Illinois has a
law to , the effect that a county is
liable for any damages result'ng from
a strike or riot, if said damage is due
to the inefficiency of the public offi
cers. A'great deal of property belong
ing to ; the railroads was destroyed
during the A. R. U. strike of 1894.
Hundreds, yet, thousands, of freight
cars were burned. The A. R. U. offi
cials dared the railroad managers to
sue Cook county, saying that proof
wou'd be offered that the managers
ran old and dilap'dated cars on the
sidings and fired them for the double
purpose of winning sympathy away
from the striking railroad men and
establishing cause for recovering from
Cook county millions of dollars' worth
of damages, thus profiting by the de
struction of their own cars. That the
A. R. U. officials were right is well
shown by the fact that up to date
Cook county has not been mulcted
for damages on account of that great
strike. Tbe police of the larser cities,
and notoriously In Philadelphia, are
the tools of the ble corporations. Usu
ally they are only too willing to incite
all the trouble they can, thus giving
themselves a chance to gain . great
credit . for having suppressed it. ' Labor-riots
are by no means the great
est we have. The greatest mob In
Nebraska's history was the one that
attacked the Douglas county jail a few
years ago and lynched a negro. The
greatest riot in , New York's history,
or the history of the republic, was the
draft riot of Civil War times. One of
the greatest strikes in the history of
trades unionism began in January,
1906, and was won .by the strikers.
Yet comparatively ' few people ever
heard about it. It was the Typograph
ical Union strike for the eight-hour
day.' Nearly 40,000 men were inter
ested, and they put up $4,000,000 In
less than twenty-two months. Today
the Typographical . Union has more
members than ever 'before in its his
tory, and its membership draws more
mohey for eight hours' work than was
ever drawn for ten or nine hours
work. '
Labor unions encourage thrift -by
reason of educating the membership. '
It' naturally follows ' that this educa
tion results In greater saving, there-'
fore increased deposits Tin savings
banks. I -believe several attempts
have : been made to establlsh trades
unions savings banks, but I am not in
formed as to the measure of success
attending the efforts.' I know that one
such effort was made' in, Chicago 'a
few years ago. , , . ,
The Bartenders' Union also includes
cooks, waiters and hotel and restau
rant employes. The union has worked :
a revolution in the personnel of the '
bartenders. Today they ' are usually
well' educated, gentlemanly and clean-,
ly. A few years ago they were-usually
selected for their ability as slug-,
gers, short-change 5 workers and
"spenders." Contrary to the common
idea, bartenders do not encourage
drunkenness. Bartenders would rather
serve men who drink moderately than
to serve men who get drunk at every
opportunity.; In one of the largest and
best appolntei saloons in South .Omac
ha hangs a handsome picture of a
bunch of pretty children. Underneath
this picture is the legend: "Remem
ber, men, that your families are en-'
titled to first consideration." Near 'by
hangs the card of the "International
Alliance of Bartenders." Bartenders
organize for the same ' reason that
other wage , earners ,, organize for
mutual benefit, mutual protection,
mutual helpfulness. They pay sick,
out-of-work, strike and death benefits.
They look after widows and orphans.
I trust that what' little I have been
able to give you in reply to your re
quest for information will be of bene
fit to you. Very truly yours,
WILL M. MAUPIN.
PRAISE FROM SIR HUBERT.
Brer Guiney Hands Us a Big Bouquet
'';" of Roses. '
"On the dead square, we didn't get
a single valentine, comic or other
wise." Lincoln (Neb.) Wageworker.
Come off, Maupin, come on. We
should think it out of place for any
one, however weakminded, to send
you a comic valentine, but you know
that you always have the lasting re
gard of all adherents of the labor
movement, and, while this may not
be exactly a tribute handed to you
on the day of the frolicsome and sen
timental saint, it is as good as any
thing he could possibly bring you,
and may therefore be considered a
sentimental valentine of the highest
order to have always at your elbow
to remind you of the esteem in which
you are held. 'Fess up, old boy, 'fess
up! St. Paul Union Advocate.
WARNING TO LABOR PAPERS.
Fake
Solicitors Busy and May
Be
- Headed Your Way.
. The Jersey City Labor World, act
ing for Yonkers, N. Y., Federation of
Labor, warns the labor press against
F. A. Thomas, known as the "carnival
king," and Otto Tripp. These men are
denounced as fakirs, high-binders end
falsifiers. 'Just now these artists are
working the Atlantic coast labor pa
pers and they may seek pastures new
in the west. . Labor editors should
take due notice and not be gulled by
these fellows.
REFUSED DEMANDS.
The managers of the southern rail
roads have unanimously refused to ac
cede to the demands of the Brother
hood of Railway Trainmen and Order
of Railway Conductors. '