UNIONS NOTTO BLAME
High Prices Cannot Justly Be
Laid at Their Doors.
KIRBY'S STATEMENT REFUTED
Attempt to Saddli tha Inoraaaad Coat
of Living en Organized Labor's
Shouldara Faila For Laok of Proof.
Facta to Consider.
President Kir by of the Manufactur
ers' association is reported to have
said Id a recent address In the east
tbat the labor trust (the uulonst is the
jtrluclpul cause of high prices because
It Increases wages and limits output.
This Is tbe moat absurd statement 1
have sen regarding tbe cause of high
prices, writes D. V. Kennedy lu tbe
American Kederatlnnlst. Mr. Kirby's
position is untenable and utterly lack
ing lu proof. Tbe farm products bare
Increased more In price tbau any other
staple product, but there Is no union
of farm labor. Cotton has gone sky
ward, and there is no union of cotton
producing labor In fact, it Is tbe
cheapest labor In the country and ma
chinery la uow used lu picking cotton,
which Is atlll cheaper than tbe negro
labor.
Lumbermen have no unions, and lum
ber is high priced. Woolgrowers and to
bacco growers have no unious. Their
labor is cheap from tbe ground to the
flulsbed product. There Is not a single
trust tobacco factory organized. Sugar
uses no unlou labor.
Tbe furniture Industry and the
Standard OH Industry are unorgan
ized. A large part of tbe stove foun
dries are uonunion. aud we note tbe
nonunion stoves are as high priced as
tbe union product.
Oti the other baud, we note tbat tbe
railroads, Interurbaus and street cars,
nearly all operated by union men,
have not Increased prices. Steel and
' Irou products are decreasing In price.
These are uearly all unlou made.
Clothing Is uearly all made In non
uulou shops. Printing Is nearly all
unlou. yet papers aud magazines are
cheaper and better than ever. Hats
are nearly all union made, but they
have not Increased lu price. The build
ings are nearly all built by union la
bor, aud yet the present Is one of the
greatest building eras lu our history.
I Now, Mr. Klrby. tell us what you
base your statement on. We admit
there Is one way tbat tbe labor trust
may have contributed In a small way
to higher prices. By raising the stand
ards of living In tbe Industrial centers
it has increased tbe markets some
what. Unious have enabled hundreds
of thousands of workingmen to move
Into larger and better homes, and these
hjftmes are better furnished. Music
deulers will tell you they now sell many
plauos to workingmen. They buy a
greater variety and a better quality of
food and clothing. But we assume Mr.
Klrby will not find fault with this, for
his organization stands for larger mar
kets. Besides, If it is wrong for labor
to raise the prices of living by living
better It logically follows that it is
wrong for his class to live high and
, thereby make larger markets and high
' er prices. Tbe 15 per cent Increase in
wages Is more than ''made up by the
cheaper methods of production and tbe
larger efficiency of labor.
Tbe labor cost of a factory product
Is now only 30 per cent of the factory
price and only 13 per cent of tbe retail
price. An Increase of 15 per cent in
wages would amount to less than 2V4
per cent Increase in the retail price.
This is more than offset by the im
proved methods. As for the limiting of
output, statistics prove tbat the unlou
factories turn out a "larger per capita
product than ever before. Mr. Klrby.
the people want facts, not unsubstan
tiated statements. If tbe statements
herein are not true we invite any one
to refute them.
Plan of. French Workman's Pension.
Tbe recent passing of tbe workmen's
pension bill by tbe senate of France
marks tbe end of a legislative strug
gle extending more thau four years
and of political agitation In France
reaching back to 1882. . The plan In
volves contributions from three sources
for tbe creation of tbe pension fund:
First, obligatory yearly contributions
from tbe wage earner amounting to
$1.80 for men. $1.20 for women and 85
cents for minors; second, the cootrlbu
tlon of tbe employer, which equals
that of tbe wage earner, and. third,
tbe contribution of tbe state.
Even tbe experts differ as to what
the latter will be, but tbe generally ac
cepted figure Is $30,000,000 for tbe first
year, the amount decreasing until the
scheme works normally, when It will
be about $2.1.000.000. Tbe beneficiaries
are to draw their pensions at tbe age
of sixty-five or after thirty years of
service, with certain diminutions for
advanced enjoyment,
Growth of Unions Abroad.
A compilation of trades union statls
tics In the principal countries of the
world places the number of members
In good standlug at 9.000.000. or 1.000.
000 more than last year. Germany
contributes a gain of 400.000. which
outstrips Great Britain and nearly
overtakes the United States. At tbls
time tbe United States and' Canada
have about 2.300.000 members, where
as last year Germany bad 2.215.000.
The unions of Great Britain were cred
ited with a membership of 1,888.000
last year. Five European countries
hare more trades union members than
the state of New Tk, but New York
outranks Russia. Ilungary and Spain,
as well as the smaller countries,
SAFETY APPLIANCE LAW.
Makaa Railroada Responsible For De
fective Equipment.
Tbe legla.itlve nseuts of the various
labor organizations at Washington are
distinctly pleased over the agreement
In congress ou the so called safety ap
pliance legislation. This new law is
called "an act to promote the safety of
employees and travelers upon rail
roads." It is amendatory to the exist
ing law, which compels railroads en
gaged in interstate commerce to equip
their curs rtth automatic couplers and
continuous brakes end locomotives
with driving wheel brakes.
One of the chief objects of the new
legislation is to bring about uniformity
In equipment. Some of the new re
quirements provided under tbe legisla
tion are:
First. That in the loading and haul
ing of long commodities requiring
more than one car the hand brakes
may be omitted on all save one of the
cars while they are thus combined for
such purposes.
Second. The interstate commerce
commission receives authority after
hearing to modify or change and to
prescribe the standard height of draw
bars and to fix the time within which
any modification shall become obliga
tory.
Third. Where any car shall have
been properly equipped as provided in
this legislation or by preceding laws
and tbe equipment shall have become
defective while the car Is being used
by any carrier upon its line of rail
road the car may be hauled from the
place where the equipment was first
discovered to be defective or insecure
to the nearest available point where
the car can be repaired without liabil
ity for the penalties imposed by the
law.
Fourth. The movement or hauling
of a car with defective equipment is
to be at tbe sole risk of the carrier,
and nothing in tbe act Is to be con
strued to relieve such carrier from lia
bility in any remedial action.
Fifth. The hauling of defective cars
by means of chains Instead of draw
bars in "revenue" trains or in associa
tion with other cars that are commer
cially used unless the defective cars
obtain live stock or perishable freight
is prohibited.
The legislative agents of the employ
ees on tbe railroads have represented
to congress for a long time that many
of the fatalities on the roads were tbe
result of defective equipment. The
railroads. It Is asserted, took long
chances. If a car with defective
equipment was urgently needed It was
allowed to continue In service. The
railroad employees are hoieful that
tbe Interstate commerce commission
will enforce the new law rigidly. The
commission will, of course, afford tbe
roads a reasonable .opportunity to
make their equipment conform to the
provisions of the new legislation.
- Barbara Trust Threatened. .
The barbers are uow said to be
threatened with competition along the
lines the cigarmukers have been up
against with the tobucco trust. It Is
reported that a corporation is being
formed for the purpose of putting in
elegantly furnished barber shops in all
tbe larger cities. The new corporation
Is said to be backed by ample capital
and In addition to; competing will
spend all the money necessary to an
nul all antl Sunday "work ordinances
and statutes.
German Strike Statistic.
Statistics published 'ill 'the Imperial
Labor Gazette show tbat there were
1,347 strikes In Germany in 1008 alone
against 309 in England. France and
Austria had. respectively. 1,073 and
721. Germany, too. had far more
strikes tban any other country in Eu
rope In 1909. Of 1.419 German strikes
for higher wages, 255 were successful,
488 partly so and 076 failed. The Ger
man trades unions disbursed on ac
count of strikes In 1907 the sum of $3.-
500.00Q.
Printing Must Bear the Label.
Tbe Maryland legislature bas passed
a law requiring that tbe union label of
the Allied Printing Trades be placed
on all the printing done for tbe state,
The bill did not meet with much op
position, as tbe wisdom of tbe pro
vision seemed to be generally recog
nized. LABOR GOSSIP.
The Harbor Boatmen's union of New
York city has a membership of 3,000.
Tbe Central Railroad of New Jersey
bas raised tbe wages of the employees
on its ferryboats 0 per cent.
In Boston 1,800 painters have been
accorded an Increase of $1.90 a week.
making a wage of $20 a week for paint
ers aud $22.20 for decorators for forty
four hours' work.
A wage agreement between the Pa
clfic States Telephone and Telegraph
company and tbe Pacific district coun
ell of tbe International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers, signed recently,
calls for a raise from $3.50 to $3.75 a
(ay.
The United States tenats I as passed
tbe bouse bill, so amending tha em
ployers' liability law as to give the
state courts concurrent jurisdiction
with the federal courts In dealing 'it b
suits for damages growing out of ac
cidents. This law will affect inter
state railroads only.
The Carpenters District council of
Bosten has announced tbat the refer
endum vote of the 6,000 members of
tbe affiliated unions was unanimously
In favor of demanding 50 cents an
hour, an increase of 2Vi cents of tbe
present rate, on June 1. No change in
working hours will be asked, tbe men
now having the 'forty-four hour work
week.
High Grade Bedroom Furniture
At Exceptionally Low Prices
GO ON SALE MONDAY, MAY 30, FOR ONE WEEK
Early English waxed quarter sawed Dresser
with 28x22 oval mirror fancy turned start-"
dards, worth $25.00
On sale at. . . . 17.50
Early English waxed finish quarter sawed
ChifToner 20x16 oval mirror to match
Dresser worth. $22.50
On sale at 16.00
Early English quarter sawed waxed Bed to
match Dresser and ChifToner worth 1 8.50
On sale at .............. 12.50
j
Golden Oak quarter sawed wax finish ChifT
oner without mirror worth. . . . .. .$15.00
On sale at 10.00
Everything
for the Home
Practical
RINTERS forW ATRONS
The WageWorker
Publishing Co.
Bell J Auto
''iA583tt 2748
Fine Society and Commercial
Printing. Engraved Cards
Wedding Stationery
Artistic Programs
Located at 1705
A SOLID CARLOAD OF
Solid Oak Golden finished Dresser with
large bevel mirror only $7.50
We wish to make this sale a record breaker in as much that
we know this lot of Bedroom furniture has been bought right
and the prices we quote are considerable less than similar
goods have heretofore been sold for in Lincoln.
DEFERRED PAYMENTS GRANTED
BEMWAY'S mou4
H)articular
O Street Lincoln
CHURCH AND LABOR.
Investgation Will Be Made of Condi
tions in Steel Plants.;
The industrial situation m the Steel
Works at South' Bethleham, Pa., is to
be investigated by .the Social Ser
vice Commission of the Federal Coun
cil of the Churches of Christen Amer
ica, which church comprises the unit
ed Protestant forces in the United
States, having eighteen million mem
bers and a constituency of nearly
forty millions. The resolutions with
regard to the appointment of the So
cial Service Commission and an out
line of its duties was published in the
Labor Press some time ago and It
will bo renumbered fhat refereure
was made to it in the address which
I gave at the last convention of the
American Federation of Labor at To
ronto. :
This investigation is the first of its
kind "that has ever been undertaken
by any church body. It will have to
do very largely with the moral and
ethical principles involved in this
controversy but it will also investi
gate quite fully, the economic condi
tions which have brought about the
present situation. The report of the
commit, sion will be presented to the
churches n throughout the United
States and it will serve as a basis for
future action with regard to indus
trial controversies.
It can no longer be said that the
church is not interested m the every
day affairs of the worklngman. This
does not mean that it will always en
dorse the position of the laborer, but
when he is right, the church should
stand by him in his controversy and
help him to win his battles. ;: v
The Committee appointed to make
the South Bethlehem investigation,
Golden Oak wax finish Dressers with 28x22
French bevel mirrors worth . . ...... $22.50
On sale at... 15.00
Golden Oak wax finish Chiff oners with 20x1 6
French bevel mirror worth .. ..... .$20.00
On sale at 12.50
Golden Oak wax finish Washstand to match
Dresser and ChifToner worth...... $ 9.50
On sale at............. 7.00
Golden Oak Bed to match above articles
worth........... ..............$18.50
On sale at.... 12.50
consists of the Rev. Cftarles Stelzle,
secretary of the Social Service Com
mission, Dr. Joslah Strong) president
of the American Institute for Social
Service, and Paul U. Kellogg Director
of - the Pittsburg Survey. Rev.
Charles Stelzle. ' ,' - ,':
COME ON WITH IT.
Don't 8pare Our Feelings, or Hide
Behind insinuations.'
, If ever there was a time when un
ion men . should stand . shoulder to
shoulder that time is now. The "ham
mer wielders" Bhould be forced to
ru a vacation. i;ne wagewomer.
The first sentence, so far as It ap
plies to present conditions, should be
observed. Tet in the same issue of
the Wageworker we note that they
IT1CIU LUC JACIII HIP . LUW U k D.J'l
tilla of cause. We do not care to
pick or make distinctions. But wheat
a scurrilous statement Is sent out for
political, or any other purpose, with
no foundaton of fact, we do appreciate
consistency. Cincinnati Chronicle.
O, come on with the rest of it.
Don't hide ebhlnd the "injured feel
ings" or "beneath contempt dodge."
The Wage worker will stand by any
thing it says if it believes it is
right ''. - ,
We don't know what the Chronicle
refers to, but were willing to wager
a doughnut or two that it refers to
The Wageworker's stand on the booze
business. ; -
The Wageworker is not in the ha-,
bit of making "scurrilious state
ments" about anything or anybody.
It cordially invites the esteemed Cin
cinnati Chronicle to make good by be
ing more specfilc.