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About The Wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-???? | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 1910)
T WAGEWORKER. VOLUME 7 LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1910 NUMBER 24 i I THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF UNIONS I I WHAT WELL KNOWN WRITERS ON ECONOMICS HAVE TO SAY CON- I I CERNING THE SUBJECT OF UNIONS AMONG THOSE WHO PRODUCE I "I do not hesitate," writes Mill in his "Political Economy," to say that associations of laborers, of a nature similar to trades unions, far from being a hindrance to a free market to labor, are the necessary instrumentalities of that free market the indispensible means of making the sellers of labor to take due care of their own interests un der a system of competition. There is an ulterior consideration of much import ance to which attention was for the first time drawn by Professor Fawcett in an article in the 4 Westminister Re view.' Experience has at length enabled the more intelligent trades to take a tolerable correct measure of the circumstances on which the success of a strike for an advance of wages de pends. The workmen are now nearly all as well informed as the masters, of the state of the market for this com modity: they can calculate his gains and his expenses; they know when his trade is or is not prosperous, and only when it is are they ever again likely to to strike for higher wages; which wages their known readiness to strike makes their employers for the most part will ing to concede. The tendency, there fore, of this state of things is to make a raise of wages in any particular trade, usually consequent upon a rise of pro fits, which as Mr. Fawcett observes, is a commencement of that regular par ticipation of the laborers in the profits derived from the profits of their labor, every tendency to which, for the rea sons stated in a previous chapter, it is so important to encourage, since to it we have chiefly to look for any radical improvement in the social and econ omical relations between labor and capital. Strikes, therefore, and the trades societies which render strikes possible, are for these various reasons not a mischievous, but on the contrary, a valuable part of the existing mach inery of society. "The labor organizations." writes Kit-hard T. Kly in his splendid bo;ik, "The Trade Union Movement in America," "enable the laborer to with hold his commodity temporarily from the market, and to wait for more satis factory conditions of service than it is possible, for his to secure when lie is obliged to offer it unconditionally. They further enable him to gain the advan tages of an increased demand for h- commodity, to bring about a niore satis factory relation than would otherwise be possible between the supply and the demand for labor, and also to exercise an influence upon the supply in the future market. These organizations are calculated to do away with the in jurious consequences of the peculiari ties of labor as a commodity to be sold and, through them labor for the first time becomes really a commodity, and the laborer a. man." "Trades unions," continues Profes sor Kly, "have, as a rule, grown up out of conditions during a strike, and these first days have been abnormal; yet it is only during the abnormal period of a struggle that public at tention is called to them. The general public knows little and seems to care less for the quiet, steady, beneficent in fluences which these unions are exert ing upon workingmen. Union men make mistakes, and even very intellig ent men are not infalliable as guides. Men. too. have often committed crimes and been guilty of folly for which they alone, as individuals, were to blame, yet which have been attributed to them as union men.!' Rev. Dr. John Hall says: "There is a widespread suspicion of trades unions as being selfishly managed by paid agents for fomenting discord be- 1ween the employer and the employed. AVhen a continued strike embarasses af ractor anil throws the workers and ' the': families on the benevolence of ili. fellows, it is natural to look to the evil on the surface and forget the un br'ving good which is contemplated. In t'.ie nature of the case, union effort ly working people admits of easy vindication." Rev. Dr. T. Edwin Brown says: "When we remember the history of the Christian church, the history of human ity, and by what terrific throes good evolves itself out of and through evil, we must not be too hard upon work ingmen. Are we perfect T Do we com mit no blunders T Are we never car ried away by passions t Are we al ways able to balance with perfect ac curancy the conflicting interest of our selves and our fellows? Remember how labor has been oppressed. Remem ber that in the early days of the modern industrial revolution, labor was being reduced to slavery. Remember that these modern labor 'organizations, made necessary by bad conditions, and made possible by the very causes which, un hindered, made the conditions bad, were repressed with passionate vio lence and obstructed by malignant watchfulness, so long as repression and obstruction were possible. Remember that a thousand evil prophecies had been littered against them which have never been fulfilled. Remember that not until 1824 could these unions exist openly, and that not until 1871 did they have a fully legalized and corporate existence in England, while in this m I I I THE UNION PRINTERS' HOME, COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. An Unanswerable Argument in favor of Trades Unionism. I country they have never been adequate ly organized and protected, and regu lated by law. Remember that the ma jority of those who compose these unions were men ignorant by necessity, suspicious as hunted animals are suspi cious; distrustful of advice, because so often deceived by advice, with many violent and vicious men among them. And then, with all the facts in mind,' ask yourselves whether it is wonderful that there have been mistakes, mischief, crimes, much folly in principle, and much wrong in fact. Is not the won der rather that there have not been many more of these characteristics which arouse our complaint? There have been unwise restrictions, tyranni cal regulations, vast aggressions, and hindrances to intelligent labor "and to best production. Yes! But these are incidental. Many of the party tyran nies, which are quoted even now as characteristic of trades unionism, be long to the past. . They have been out grown. Many others will be outgrown. The workingmen, in spite of all the blunders that hare been made, ought to lve proud of their organized history. I, as a man, sharing their common hu manity, am proud of their history on their behalf." Quoting Professor Ely again : One precaution which should not be for gotten by those who would judge the laborers honestly is this: You get only one side of the case in press dis patches. Could you know both sides your opinion would frequestly be quite different about alleged misdoings of laborers. Ill WHO WOULD KNOW BOTH SIDES MUST TAKE A LABOR PAPER." And again: 'Finally, that terrible weapon of labor, the 'boycott,' found a precedent in the far more cruel blacklist which preceded it, in most cases caused it, and still continues its actrocities un rebuked. Now the parallels are not in themselves justification, but if the practice is wrong, they do prove that our entire industrial society needs re formation, and that it is cruelly unjust to saddle all the 'blame on those who follow their natural leaders." "Alton Lock," is a novel written by Charles Kingsley that all union men should read. The hero of this wonder ful novel expresses the complaint in one place and that with a tinge of bitterness that the workingman who remains true to his class and tries to help it, is called a demagogue. "Is ..WHM"" Tl"l4,i" 1 ' t. . " " f' '"""'I. MHPM..IM... y'-, I -N,:- f-v this true only of England?" asks Pro fessor Ely. Let the trades unionist of every community answer the query for themselves. TRADES UNIONS Foster education and uproot ig norance. Shorten hours and lengthen life. Raise wages and lower usury. Increase independence and de crease dependence. Develop manhood and balk tyr anny. Establish fraternity and discour age selfishness. Reduce prejudice and induce lib erality. Enlarge society and eliminate classes. Create rights and abolish wrongs. Lighten toil and brighten man. Cheer the home and fireside and Make the World Better. All wage-workers should be union men. .Their progress is limited only by them who hold aloof. Get together, agitate, educate and do. Don't wait until tomorrow; to- I I morrow never comes. I THE STATE FEDERATION OF LABOR I I AN ORGANIZATION OF THE WORKERS OF THE STATE FOR THE PUR POSE OF SECURING BETTER CONDITIONS AND BETTER LEGISLATION I The Nebraska State Federation of Labor was organized at Lincoln on June 24, 1909, an the hall of the House . of Representatives. The call for a delegate assembly to organize the Fed eration was issued by Will M. Mau pin, deputy labor commissioner, and met with a ready response from the lo cal unions of the state. Mr. Maupin assumed the duties of the labor com missioner's office while the legislature of 1909 was in session, and until the session closed was unable to undertake the work of laying plans for organizing a state organization. As soon as the leg islature adjourned Mr. Maupin, who believes that the Labor Bureau should 6 m I be conducted in the interests of labor, undertook the task of calling a can to the union men of the state, outlining vention. He started a series of letters his plans and asking for advice and co operation. The responses were numer ous and sincere. Not one dissenting voice was heard, and union officials all over the state promised their help. This help was forthcoming at the prop er time. After securing a complete list of the officials of local unions throughout the state Mr. Maupin is" sued, a call for a meeting on June 23, 1909, asking for one delegate from each local union in the state to meet in Lincoln for the purpose of organizing a State Federation of Labor. At 10 :30 on the morning of June 23 Mr. Maupin had the pleasure of calling to order an assembly of men representing eighty-one local organizations and a total membership of over 18,000. Ad dresses of welcome were made by Gov ernor Shallenberger and Mayor Love, and then Mr. Murray of Omaha was elected temporary presiding officer. The delegates buckled down to work immediately, and after a two days' session permanently organized the Ne braska State Federation of Labor and elected a full set of officers. Mr. Mau pin was elsoted president with the un derstanding, insisted on by him, -that the first annual meeting after organi I I zation should be held the following January, at which time he should be relieved of duty. Frank Hart of South Omaha was elected secretary-treasurer, and South Omaha selected as the place of holding what is known as the second annual convention, but which in real ity was the first annual convention of the Federation. The Federation met an South Omaha on January 4, 1910, in the midst of a raging blizzard that interfered sadly with th'e train service and prevented many delegates-eleet from attending. But despite these untoward circum stances there were upwards of eighty local unions represented, and the con vention proceeded to transact a lot of business of great interest and import- ' ance. It is not necessary to review in detail the work of the South Omaha convention. Many important resolu tions were adopted, and many plans laid for prosecuting the work of organ ization and securing laws needed in the interests of the wage earners. The following officers were elected for the present year: President, Frank M. Coffey, Lincoln First Vice, Jo'hn C. Trouten, South. Omaha. - Second Vice, Will M. Maupin, Lin coin. Third Vice, J. A. Booth, Fremont. Fourth Vice, John Lambert, Fair bury. SecretarjT-Treasurer, Frank P. Hart, South Omaha. Delegate to American Federation of Labor, W. A. Chrisman, Omaha. Sergeant-at-Arms, A. A. Hyers, Havelock. Legislative Committee, F. M. Coffey, chairman, Lincoln S. A. D. Smith, Havelock ; T. C. Kelsey, Lincoln ; Ja'taes Koilera,. South Omaha; J. C. Lynch, Omaha ; C. L. Widman, Fremont ; S. Grace, North Platte. Havelock was selected, as the pt . for the 1911 convention, and Janui c 4 is the date set. The Havelock woi - crs promise that the delegates will be entertained in a royal manner, and that this promise will be carried out to the letter is not doubted by . those of us who have the pleasure of knowing the loyalty and energy of the union men of that city. . - President Ooffey is a member of Lin coln Typographical Union, and is well known in union circles throughout the country. He was twice president of his local union and was a delegate to the memorable Toronto convention. To him m'ore than any. one' man Mr. Mau pin is . indebted f or assistance, in carry ing out tlhe plans that resulted in the organization of the Nebraska Federa tion of Labor. Secretary -Treasurer Hart is a mem , ber of Omaha Typographical Union, and resides in South Omaha. His work as secretary-treasurer 'during the first and most trying year of the Federation was such that- he" was honored with a unanimous re-election. . - - - it is the purpose and .aim of the Fed eration Vs legislative, committee to have-, at least three of its -members on duty in Lincoln while the legislature is in. session, and to not only introduce and: urge the passage of legislation in the interests of the wage-earners, but op pose legislation inimical to their inter ests. The Federation will not meddle in partisan politics, but it does expect to put every candidate for public of fiee on record as to his views on those matters that are' of especial interest to "' those who work for wages. The revenues of the Nebraska State Federation of Labor are derived from a per capita tax levied 'upon the aetive membership of the affiliated unions. The secretary-treasurer is the only sal aried officer ofthe Federation, he be ing paid $100 per year. The chief ambition of the men fore most in organizing the Federation is to get it on such a fifrm financial basis that it will be possible to maintain an organization in the field all the time, and have a live legislative committee always at work wlren work is needed. If the union men of the state do their duty to themselves and their comvades, they will come forward and help make the State Federation of Labor stronger and better, to the' end that its legislat ive committee will have every oppor tunity to press for the enactment ' these needed lawn . J