Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-24
FOR EQUAL WAGES
The Wage Question women's
Wages VS.. Mems Wages.
FARMERS'UNION FORMEDINOTIUMWA
6ottlers' Strike Still On, and May
Come to Head shortIy-commIt.
tee on the Erection of Labor Tenn
pie viii Report Next Sunday.

THE matter published in this col
umn is furnished by the officers of the
Federation of Labor.l
From Fridays Daily.
Mrs. Clara Chapman Gait, the wo-
man suffragist, is making campaign
against discrimination in favor of men
in the matter of wages. She says men
are paid more wages for the same Ia
Dor in any line of business, and that
this is an injustice.
1t is an injustice. The laborer is
worthy of his hire, and if a woman
does a certain amount of work she
should receive the same pay as man
would receive for performing 1t.
But who is to blame for the low
wages received by women? Nobody
on Gods green earth but the women
themselves. They will accept posi-
ton which displaces man, at one
half the wages he received. and in
many instances even less than this,
and where men organize and stand by
each other, women in too many in
stances go helter-skelter, bidding
against each other and accepting work
at one-quarter what they might re-
ceive If they stood together.
Look at the clerical positions in our
| cities. Men who received $50 to $100
per month as bookkeepers have been
displaced by the women who are con-
tent to take their places at Sc to So
per week; dry goods clerks who re-
L NJ 10 ~rs,,
way to girls who stand behind the
counters for 81 to 81 a week, not
enough to pay their board, and in ev-
cry coal Office, livery stable and junk
shop girls are found who are working
for wages that would not pay for the
clothes they wear.
Women have the same right to earn
living as men, but they should de-
mand at least living wages. They
should remember that every position
they fill at these wages takes from
some man the opportunity to earn a
living for himself and family, and they
should be the last ones to cut the
price of labor to point below where
that labor will give them fair living.
Mrs. Gait is right. Women are not paid
what they should receive, but they
have only themselves to blame.
| declarations Consolidate.
The Western Federation of Labor
and the American Federation of Labor
will consolidate. This will place I'M
der the jurisdiction of the latter all
labor organizations west of Denver,
and in fact all labor organizations of
any Importance in the United States.
Il Il re
can Federation of Labor has annulled
the charter Of the American Agents
association on the grounds that the
strength of the organization was mis-
represented and consisted almost en-
tirely of the officers.
Local Notes.
The committee of the Trades and
Labor Assembly appointed to settle
1 the differences existing between the
mine operators and the drivers have
decided to call meeting of the
operators on next Friday even
ing, July 81, at Labor hall,
for the purpose of settling the
team drivers scale for the ensuing
season. 1t is believed that no oppo-
sition will be made to the new scale,
and that it will be signed by all the
operators at this meeting.
The team drivers will meet this ev-
ening at Labor hall. All members are
urgently requested to be present. A
cordial invitation is extended to all
ex-members and teamsters in the
city.
Printing Pressmens union No. SO
will be rendered a benefit at the Or
III, Sot1 nuanino I111u % Tho
play on that occasion will be "Capital
VS.. Labor" and will be given by the
| Orpheum stock company.
The bottlers in the employ of w. v.
Silvers & Co.. who recently quit work
because of difference existing be.
| tween the firm and themselves, are
still out, but there seems no doubt but
that the trouble will be settled in a
manner satisfactory to the union
President Jones contemplates making
a trip out of the city in the interest OF
the union, but just what this means
members of the union refuse to say.
/ The committee recently appointed
to look after the affairs of the new
labor temple which it is proposed to
erect in this city, will meet next Sun.
day afternoon for the purpose of com
plotting report to be presented to the
4 Trades and Labor Assembly.
4 Members of the Painters union are
very much elated over the consolida
ton of their two national organiza
4 lions. They predict a wonderful in
crease in membership not only in this
i city, but all over the state
u A farmers union has been formed
consisting of farmers living west Of
the city limits, and they will affiliate
with the Trades and Labor Assembly
The union is opposed to the manipu
lation of prices on the board of trade
and will practice reciprocity in that
4 they will buy union made goods AND
ask the union to buy their product.
o.