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About The Wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-???? | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 1911)
A Highly Appreciated Letter The Wageworker takes the liberty of printing the following let ter, written by Mr. J. S. Ewart of the Ewart Grain Co.: Lincoln, Neb., Jan. 17. To the Editor of The Wageworker: The copy of The Wageworker came to my office this morning, which I have read over and find it has the right kind of a ring. Your riticism of Lincoln is not the critcism of a "knocker," and we have enough of them, but it is the criticism of a "booster," and one to which a loyal citizen should give heed. It is not like some "labor journals" whose purpose is to hold the wage worker in line with the "interests," and we are pleased to note that your paper is not one of them. Enclosed please find $1 for year's subscription. Yours truly, J. S. EWART. Mr. Ewart pays us a high compliment and a deserved one, we believe when he says The Wageworker is not of those so-called labor journals notorious for their efforts to hold wage earners in line for the "interests." To date this little newspaper has fought with an eye single to the purpose of securing for the wage earners better hours," better conditions and a larger share in the product of their toil. As long as the present management is in charge it will not cease its efforts along those lines. Neither will it lose any opportunities to "boost" for Lincoln the best town of its size on the map. Secession's Semi-Centerary - When you see the grizzled and bowed men who wear the little bronze buttons of the G. A. R. walking about our streets and may thev continue with us for years to come can you realize that it was iust a half centurv ago this winter that secession blossomed? Just fifty years ago last November Abraham Lincoln was elected presi dent. Immediately the south was rife with secession talk. A little later Sumter was fired upon. Then followed Lincoln's call for volun teers, and the greatest war in civilized history was on. After all half a century is but a brief span in the life of nations. Thousands of the men who fought through that awful struggle are still with us, but they are dropping off rapidly. Some of them are still hale and hearty, but the majority of them are about ready to answer the final call. They march no more on Memorial Day, for most of them have passed the marching stage. They march no more in grand review, save as they are called upon to march in grand re view before the Great Commander. Fifty years ago red-blooded, patriotic youths; foday grayhaired, feeble men, still patriotic, still upstanding citizens whose influence and whose example make for better citizenship. But, seeing the old veterans every day, as we do, is it not difficult to realize that the beginning of the civil" war is a half century behind us? Lincoln's Livest Wires The Lincoln Ad club, whose membership embraces some of the livest wires in Lincoln, is preparing for "social night," which will be February 7. On this occasion the ladies will be present,, a banquet will be spread, "booster" talks made and dancing indulged in by those who enjoy that sort of thing. The Lincoln Ad club has started some things worth while. It started the Lincoln Industrial exposition, and at one of its evening luncheons launched the movement that promises to result in the establishment of a well equipped bureau of publicity and immigration as a department of the state.- The club has a lot of good things up its collective sleeve, and men who want to get into the boosting game for Lincoln ought to join the Lincoln Ad club, where they will have every opportunity to boost. An Extra Session? Of Course! The New York World wants to know if we favor the calling of an extra session of congress immediately after March 4, for the ex press purpose of reducing the -tariff. To be sure we do. That's the way we voted last fall. The present congress is not democratic be cause a lot of republicans turned to be democrats; it is democratic because the republican congress failed to keep faith with the people, and the people rebuked it. In administering that rebuke they ex pressed themselves as favoring tariff reduction not some time in the indefinite future, but now, right away, immediately, forthwith. The people the ultimate consumers are not to be fooled by "tariff commissions." They need no long drawn out investigations of schedules. They have only to refer to their grocery bills, their meat bills, their clothing bills, their shoe bills, to any of their bills for the necessaries of life, to have convincing proof that the tariff should be levised d-o-w-n-w-a-r-d ! A Liability Law Worth While .The employer's liability law now upon the statute books of Ne braska is not worth the paper it is printed on. The wage earners of this state are entitled to a liability law that means something; a law that is not discrimnatory, but applicable to all classes of work wherein there is a hazard. There are 50,000 people in Nebraska working at occupations that put life and limb in more or less jeopardy, and this vast army of toilers is entitled to full protection. Men who provide for depreciation in machinery should be compelled to provide for depreciation in men and women. The life and limb of the workers demand as much attention from our lawmakers as the hogs and the cattle. And the wage earners of the state are rot extravagant in their demands when they ask that for every dollar expended to eradicate hog cholera and tuberculosis in cattle a dollar be expended in eradi cating that dread enemy of all factory workers, consumption. Ne braska has not spent too much in protecting her live stock; she has spent too little in protecting her men, women and children. The time is come w-hen we should talk conservation of human energy as well as conservation of soil and forest and stream. Is Our Water Service Really Cheap? We have been much given to boasting that under municipal ownership Lincoln has secured a better water service, and a cheaper water service, than most cities under private ownership of the water supply. Better service, yes. Cheaper service? Perhaps, but that amybe open to dispute, figure it out for yourself. The householder is required to pay 50 cents a month flat, and mere if the meter shows more than a dollar and a half's worth of water used per quarter. How many private residences consume 3,300 gallons of water per month the year around? That's a lot of water; more than 100 gallons a day. That is more than two barrels a day. Besides, under municipal ownership we pay for our own meters, and if they go wrong we have to pay for the repairs ourselves. Oppose municipal ownership? Not much ! But are we householders getting our water as cheaply as we should when we pay 15 cents per thousand gallons ? It sounds cheap, but is it? Is it as cheap as we ought to be getting it under all the circumstances ? 'And if Not, Why Not? The legislature biennially appropriates several thousand dollars to pay the expenses of farmers' institutes, which is all well and proper These institutes are for the purpose of educating farmers to better methods, better living and better everything. But how much money does Nebraska's legislature appropriate to hold wage earners' insti tutes for the purpose of educating wage earners to better methods? Everything done to help the farmers not a thing done to help the wage earners, who are expected to hustle for themselves. Thousands spent to show fanners how to raise better hogs and cattle and horses and sheep ; not a dollar to show the city wage earners how to raise healthy children in an environment that tends to stunt the child men tally and physically. Thousands to save the Nebraska hog; not a dollar to save the child of the father and mother driven by stern ne cessity to toil from sun to sun for meager wage in mill, shop, factory or store. Every dollar that has been spent on farmers' institutes has been well spent. But isn't it time to do a little something for the wage earners? Poultrymen Have a Kick Coming The poultrymen of Nebraska have a "kick" coming. They point to the fact that while the poultry and egg industry in Nebraska is quite as big in a financial way as the dairy industry, not a dollar is expended by the state in teaching poultry raising at the State School of Agriculture, although thousands are spent in teaching the science of dairying.. The poultrymen are demanding the establishment of a poultry department at the Agricultural college, and they are fortfied by facts and figures to back up their demand. Measured in dollars and cents Biddy Hen is quite as valuable to Nebraska as Bossy Cow. And scientific poultry culture will profit Nebraska fully as much as scientific dairying. The Wageworker is in favor of the claims of the poultrymen, and hopes that the legislature will lend willing ear to their reasonable demands. Some Brief Little Bits A Lincoln fruit man has been fined for selling cider that was a bit too "hard." The first thing we know we'll have to have our ap ples analyzed by the state chemist before we use 'em. President Taft is opposed to whitewashing Lorimcr, doubtless believing it will exhaust the available supply to keep the Ballinger coat on sufficiently thick. - Some of the legislators take as much interest in locating the Panama canal exposition as if the old day of free railroad transporta tion Avere come again. Of course the wise democrat ambitious to be a presidential candi date will not start to sprinting too early. He might become exhausted before the race fairly begins.