WAGEWORE
JO.
VOLUME 7
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, JULY 29
Sv. &ER 19
nrnnr
CM
...
J BILLY MAJOR'S
THE SAME CONTAINING A FEW
!
MATTERS OF MORE OR LESS
The wide spread protest against the
exhibition of the Reno fight pictures
is calculated to make the average man
somewhat weary. Not that the protest
is ill-founded, for I am of those who
deprecate the exhibition of such pic
tures. For that matter, the average
picture show is always exhibiting pic
tures that have a bad moral effect up
on the boys and girls that flock to
see them. But it wearies me to see a
big army of men and women throwing
fits over the exhibition of the Reno
fight pictures and never exhibiting a
single symptom of interest in a lot of
other things that are of vastly more
injury to the young men and women
of the country.
For instance, right here in Lincoln
a big bunch of well meaning men and
women enter protest against the pic
ture exhibition, but they never make
a move towards stopping some things
that are in operation day and night in
Lincoln things that do more to. shatter
health, wreck morals, destroy homes
and break down the social system than
the exhibition of fight pictures ever
did or ever could do. Did you ever
hear one of those protestants against
the fight pictures making protest
against the conditions that are forc
ing young women of this city to work
for meagre wages in thehot malodorous
laundries of the city. With my own
eyes I have seen girls taken in a
fainting condition from Lincoln laun
dries, bundled into hacks and sent
home. They had succumbed to the
stifling heat the heat of the weather
intensified by the heat of the laundry
rooms. These girls make small wages
compared with the work they do and
the conditions under which they work.
But I never heard of any of these good
people, these censors of public morals,
interfering to better the condition of
. the-laundry girls, or even giving con
sideration to the effects that the pre
sent industrial system must have upon
the social and economic life of the na
tion. v
The othre day I saw a state official
round up more than fifty Idttle girls
who were working amidst dust and
heat in one big room, crowded closely
together and bending over long tables
hour after hour. What may be ex
pected of the next generation when
the to-be mothers are being stunted
physically and mentally in the factor
ies? Far be it from me to favor let
ting the boys and girls grow up in
dleness, but what I object to is an in-
iHtrial system that is forcing our
littftsboys and girls into the factories,
toilinvfor a pittance and compelling
them to beco'me factors in the problem
of existence. I rather opine that the
exhibition of prize fight pictures is
not going to add very much of a bad
effect to an effect already as bad as
it can be.
Of course women have a right to
work but how about an industrial
condition that forces women into the
industrial field ? The woman who is com
pelled to work for wages can not be
a home maker, a mother. She dis
places the natural bread winner be
cause she can and docs work cheaper
than the man. This means that the
business of home making is falling into
decay. It means that the social fab
ric is being destroped slowly, perhaps
but none the less surely. Today there
are seven million women in the indus
trial field, and they are there to stay.
But shall nothing be done to stay the
title ? What' is the matter of exhibit
ing fight pictures compared to the mat
ter of remedying an industrial system
that is breaking down the American
home which is the bulwark of the re
public? Mayor Brand Whitclok of Toledo
characterizes all this rumpus over the
fight pictures as "a spasmodic acces
sion of righteousness over something of
little or no consequence," in contrast
to a "generally supine attitude to-
DOPE CARD j
UNBIASED OPINION BOUT J
INTEREST TO THE PUBLIC
wards industrial abuses in real need
of correction." '
That is a clever presentation of the
great fundamental idea. The would
be goods who are opposing the pre
sentation of the fight pictures and ac
quiescing in the rotten industrial con
ditions of today are merely lopping of?
a few twigs instead of cutting at the
roots. Men whose physical strength
is sapped by hard toil performed for
meagre wage are not going to take
kindly to efforts at righteousness that
do not first make for physical and
economic betterment. Girls whose
strength is being sapped and whose
very souls are in danger every day,
are not going 'to be bemfitted by ef
forts in their behalf that are confined
merely to preventing- them from see
ing pictures of an exhibition that oc
cupied more space in the daily prints
than a presidential election.
Preventing fight pictures from be
ing exhibited is, not going to make
mothers of worth out of the girls who
are being physically wrecked in over
heated laundries and foul garment
shops, nor home builders and bread
winners out of men who are fighting
a desperate battle for existence against
industrial odds that do not excite a pro
test from men and women who think
they are doing something to advance
the public welfare. There is such a lot
of Tommy Rot about some of the no
tions of people who think they are re
formers, that some of us who have had
experience in the industrial field must
confess to a feeling of lassitude in the
lumbar region every time they butt in.
If there was nothing more dangerous
to the young manhood and young wo
manhood of today than the exhibition
of fight pictures, I'd be hollering my
head off in protest against their ex
hibition. But when I see a thousand
girls in Lincoln compelled to work for
meagre wages; when I see them fall
fainting and bundled into hacks to be
sent home; when I see all the dangers
and temptations that surround them
by reason of the industrial conditions
of today when I see all these things
and never hear a peep from these same
people who are throwing fits over the
e xhibition of the fight pictures, I sim
ply say "fudge" to myself and won
der what will be necessary to arouse
them to the real dangers that front us.
Mr. Bryan took one hot shot at his
opponents at Grand Island, and it was
a shot that told, too. One of his op
ponents taunted him with not advocat
ing the submission of the question of
re-locating the state capital. Mr.
Bryan retorted that Lincoln, having put
out the saloons, could not be bulldozed
into admitting them again by threats
of moving the capital. And that's a
great fact, too. And that is the basis
of all this talk about capital removal.
It never would have been sprung on
the people had it not been thought that
it would frighten the people of Lin
coln into re-admitting the saloons. Lin
coln may re-admit the saloons some
time or other, although I doubt it. But
this much is sure the saloons will
never come back to ; Lincoln because
Lincoln people are afraid of losing the
capital by refusing them re-admission.
This little scheme on the part
of the "wets" will prove to be a
blunderbuss more dangerous at the
breech than at the muzzle.
It is difficult to understand the men
tal processes of the gentlemen who
compose the water committee of the
city council. There is a large section
in the northeast corner of the city that
is totally without an adequate water
supply. But because these people have
a little service pipe the committee says
they are already "consumers," there
fore it would not be profitable to give
them an adequate supply. There are
thirty families in this particular sec
tion served by a pipe one inch in dia
meter. They have pleaded in vain for
a water main, but Chairman Sehroeder
refuses to entertain their plea.
"What's the use?" he asks. "You
people are already paying a profit to
the city, and we will spend our money
in getting water to people who are
not already consumers. ' ' That may be
good policy and again it may not be.
But one thing is sure, it is neither fair
n of; just.
When the weather is as hot as it has
been for several days past, then it is a
good time to keep cool mentally. It is
the easiest thing in the world to de
velop a grouch when the thermometer
records 100 in the shade. Men are
more apt than dogs to go mad during
a hot spell. The best of friends get
on edge and swear; husband and wife
get cross and angry, the children get
cranky, and everything goes wrong.
The only way to correct these things is
to keep cool mentally.
I
Speaking of ursurpation of author
ity by the courts, here is a sample case
that liberty -loving pjeople should pon
der over. '
. The miners of Westmoreland county,
Pa., went on strike some time ago, and
the first thing the employers did was
to secure an injunction preventing
them from pretty nearly everything
save sleep and breathe. Among other
prohibitions was one against congreg
ating on the public highways, parad
ing or gathering in groups of two or
more. Shortly after , the injunction
was issued one of the striking miners,
John Campbell, died. His comrades
wanted to bury him, but before they
could hold a funeral and accompany
the remains of their comrade to the
cemetery they actually had to get a
written order from Judge McConnell
permitting them to do so. Three
American flags were carried by the
miners. As the funeral procession
moved slowly past one of the mines ,
the owner, backed by twenty-five de
puty sheriffs, ordered that the Ameri
can flags be lowered, and . they were
lowered. And this ..in free America!
What do you think of it, Mr. Work
ingman? What do you think of it,
you men who fought , to make that
flag the emblem of the free?
And "government by injunction"
does not raise a protest from those
people who are excited to frenzy by
the thought of exhibiting the pictures
taken when Jack Johnson knocked
Jim Jeffries into kingdom come. ;
And Charley Aldrich, the man who
prevented county option three years
ago, is now posing as the county option
candidate and being boosted by lead
ers of a party that stood still on the
liquor question for twenty years.
There's always something strange and
peculiar about politics.
I am in hopes that the unions of
Lincoln will all fall into line this year
and make Labor Day a day long to be
remembered. There are peculiar rea
sons why organized labor should make
a particulary strong showing in Lin
coln this year. Equally true it is that
there is every reason why the Labor
Day celebration should be participated
in by the men and women who are
keeping business going in this city.
You may talk about your Commercial
Club and your Ad Club, and all your
other clubs, but the one great factor
in the financial life of Lincoln is the
wage earning class the class that is
keeping men at work by shortening
the working day, that is keeping the
wheels of business greased by keeping
wages up, that is protecting the weak
and helpless against the greed of the
would-be exploiter of labor. Here is
the gospel truth if wages in Lincoln
were all on the basis of the unorgan
ized industries, the volume of Lincoln
business would not be more than one
half of what it is now. This fact
should be Carefully considered by the
business men who may be thinking
of joining forces with the union bust
ing organization known as the "Busi
ness Men's League."
Congressman Norris felt the stand
pat steam roller at Lincoln last Tues
day. It's pretty hard going up against
the postmaster-revenue collector ma
chine in Nebraska.
Your fanatical prohibitionist is sit
ting tight and saying mighty little
these days. BILLY MAJOR.
I
BUCK COMPANY SETTLEMENT
THE END OF A LONG AND BITTER CONTEST REACHED WITH
CREDIT TO BOTH SIDES OF THE NOW FAMOUS CONTROVERSY
The bitterly fought and historic fight
of the American Federation of Labor
and the Buck Stove Range Company,
of St. Louis, was brought to an unex
pected end in the Cincinnati office of
the International Molders' Union last
week. The result was a clear victory
for organized labor.
The manager of the company and the
representatives of the unions involved
, will confer within 30 days in St. Louis
to fix wages, hours and conditions of
labor corresponding to those in the
shops of union competitors in St.
Louis.
After the death of J. W. VanCleave,
on May 15, Frederick Gardner came
into control, although Lee Van Cleave
son of the late president, is manager
of the plant. -
Mr. Gardner has been a large stock
holder for many years. He opposed
the policy of Mr. Van Cleave, but al
ways was overruled.
When asked whether he considered
the undertaking a victory for organ
ized labor, Mr. Gompers said:
"I am not going to crow, but this is
extremely gratifying. ' I believe that .
it will help the union movement enor
mously, for the Buck Stove fight has
been one of the greatest that organized
labor has had to engage in. This is
a great boost for union labor.'-'
Not the least inkling of the mission
of Mr. Gompers in Cincinnati leaked
out until the signing of the agreement '
at S o'clock Tuesday. The settlement
was reached only after an eight-hour
battle. The Buck Range represent
ative made larger demands than the
labor men Would accede to and for a
time during the afternoon it looked
as if the gathering of men from New
York, Chicago and St. Louis would ac
complish nothing.
But as William H. Cribben, of the
big stove firm of Cribben & Sexton,
Chicago, and representative of Lee Van
Cleave, the new manager, said: "We
got all we felt we could get, and so are
satisfied," and the agreement was fin
ally signed.
Mr. Gompers held a conference with
Frank L. Rist, local organizer for the
Federation, after the completion of the
stove business, and left for St. Louis
at 2 o'clock Wednesday morning to
make arrangements for the meeting of
the American Federation of Labor to
be held there in November.
The five articles of the agreement
are as follows :
1. A conference to be held by offi
cers at the labor organization involved
and Mr. Van Cleave within 30' days
of date, at St. Louis.
2. The agreement in regard to
wages, hours and conditions of employ
ment shall take effect 90 days from
this date, based on wages and condi
tions existing in shops of competitors
in the city of St. Louis operating un
ion shops.
3. The labor unions will make
known that the difficulties between the
two organizations have been satisfact
ory adjusted.
4. The Buck Stove and Range Com
pany will withdraw all suits now pend
ing against the labor organizations.
5. A copy of the agreement will be
published in the journals of the labor
organizations and displayed in the lab
or department of the stove company.
The agreement was signed by Wil
liam II. Cribben and Thomas J. Hogan,
of Chicago, representing the Buck
Stove and Range Company and the
Stove Founders National Defense As
sociation ; Joseph F. Valentine and
John II. Frey, of Cincinnati represent
ing the International Molders' Union
of North America ; T. M. Daly, of New
York, and Charles R. Atherton of Cin
cinnati, for the Metal Polishers, Buf
fers Platers and Brass Workers' Inter
national Union; Frank Grimshaw, of
Piqua, Ohio, and J. II. Kaefer, of De
troit, for the Stove Mounters' Interna
tional Brotherhood of Foundry Em
ployes, and Samuel Gompers, of the
American Federation of Labor.
The battle between ' employer and
employe, which has now passed into
history, began in the fall of 1906 in the
i
I
great stove works of the - Buck Stove
and Range Company, in St. Louis. The
metal polishers demanded a nine-hour
day instead of the ten-hour day which,
they then had. President Van Cleave
refused to listen to the polishers and
the stove concern was placed on the
"unfair'1 list in the publications of or
ganized labor throughout the country.
President Van Cleave took the matter
into the courts on the ground that the
American Federation's "unfair" list
constituted a boycott and secured the
decision.
In the meantime, Mr. Van Cleave
was elected to the presidency of the
National Manufacturers' Association,
an organization whose chief purpose is
said to be resistance to the demands of
labor. Then in the Christmas holidays
of 1908, came the decision of Judge D.
Thew Wright, formerly of Cincinnati,
which sentenced Gompers to jail for
one year ; Mitchell, vice president of
the Federation, for nine months, and
Morrison, its secretary, for six months.
The sentence was pronounced because
the labor leaders had not heeded the
judge's injunction to cease naming the.
Buck Company in the unfair list. The
labor leaders immediately appealed to
: the Supreme Court, which will render
its decision in October, Mr. Gompers
was very careful to state that in his
opinion, the adjustment just reached
would not affect the contempt pro
ceedings. Cincinnati Chronicle.
The Office Boy's
I Little Observations
A lot o' people w'ot is interested! in,
my spiritool welfare don't seem t' give
a darn whether I git my eats or not. "
I'll try my dog-gondest t' be moral
if some of my frien's will help me t'
git a chanct t' rest now an' then. -
Th' other day I saw a woman w'ot
is awful interested in keepin' young
men an' women from bein' contamin
ated by them fight picters, keep a girl
in one of our stores haulin' down
dress goods fer a hour an' then bought
a half -yard of gingham' an' ordered it
sent home by a boy that has t' keep
drivin' in th' hot sun all day long.
I'm willin' to git up an' give my
seat t' the woman w'ot looks like she's
been workin' hard all day, but IH
freeze t' me seat instead o' givin' it to
Mrs. Richun who could a done her
shoppih' an hour or two earlier in th1
day.
I'm thinkin' it ain't on de square f
spend me own time in a way that will
make me unable t' deliver de goods t'
me boss th' next day.
My goil has t' work f 'r a livin', but
that ain't no sign that's she ain't bet
ter than th' daughter b' the feller that,
hires her.
I wonder if cle boss o' de big as
sembly, is payin' his goils enough t'
warrant 'em in takin' a week off an'
improvin' their minds an', bodies? -
De blokes w'ot is so interested in me
moral welfare don't seem t' give a
darn whether I git. enough t' eat t'
keep me from swipin' things.
Every time I hear de choich bell ring
it makes me think dat it would be eas
ier f 'r me t' consider me future if I
didn't have to woik so bloomin' hard
t' keep goin' in de present.
De bloke w'ot tells me dat dere's
plenty o' room at de top o' de ladder
takes mighty good care" not t' tell me
dat a lot o' fellers like him has already
pulled out a lot o' de rungs.
LABOR DAY COMMITTE MEETING
The Labor Day committee is called
to meet at the Labor Temple Sunday
afternoon at 2:30. Every man se
lected for the committee is urgently
requested to be present and start the
matter off in the right shape. The
time is short and it will take lots of
hustling to make the Labor Day cele
bration the success that it should be.