The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1904-12-16

sufficient advertiser g AMI partial
Misunderstanding, the open meeting
of the Central Labor Union last Tues
day evening was not nearly so well
attended rs 1t shorld have peen. But
the sixty or seventy workingmen pres
ent We're privileged to hea.' one of the
best addresses ever delivered bctol G
o representative Eody of workingmen
In Lincoln.
Hon. A. a. Wor5ley was the principal
speaker OF the evening. and he easily
maintained the hish reputation he mas
sccured in labor circles as an earnes.
eloquent and forceful champion of the
rights Of labor. Several years ago ne
was the labor candidate for governor
ci Wisconsin. Later hc entered the
campaign in Chicago on behalf of the
labor candidate for mayor. Two years
ago he defended the striking team
s,ers OF Omaha who were arrested for
violation of an injunction issued
against them. and he secured the inn
mediate release OF the thirly-two who
had been hauled to Jail by a deputy
United States marshal.
I'VE go to the universities and ge.
ali the dead languages, speculative sci
ences and isms," said Mr.. Worsley,
but one thing that We ie ed the most
and OF which we get the least is the
science OF national life, of govern
ment. We need change of study at
the schools, a change Of systems ~
government, change in the mode Of
life. Labor, on the maket now, as
merely q commodity. was never at
more degraded stage, and this system,
OF government Is only making it worse.
Representative government is obso-
lote. Direct legislation. single tax and
public ownership OF public utilities will
save US. would not tell you these
things to make you pessimistic. but to
lake you optimistic and &c to work. "
The speaker then discussed the
question ar wages and 'abor's portion
in the fruits of its industry. He said:
The United St0tes census shows
that the laborers OF this country pro-
Gucc annually 13 billion collars worth
%. wealth. OF this they get two bill
l.on dollars in payment for their work.
This means that Tor every able bodied
ran in the country S12 worth of wealth
is produced every day of the yea:
Out OF this he gets from S1,.5 to IS
per day. The question is, where does
the remainder go and why not to the
producer?
Then hc answered his question by
declaring that such men as Rookie
teller get it. and all because labor has
not YET learned how to secure it.
He told of the day when kerosene
sold for 10 to IA cents Il gallon, when
s1i the rest of the produce OF the well
was thrown away, Now that every
particle is used, Tor gasoline, fancy
sc APPS and salves the Standard Oil corr
pany makes more from the gasoline
alone than il formerly made from tn Z,
kerosene.
With all TIE improved refining ma
chinery and this use OF the by pro-
drct we in Boyd county have to pay
90 cents gallon for ::erosene of g
"a ade SO low that the people who use
4, risk their lives. 1t could be sold
in Lincoln at a profit for two cents
gallon. 1t has been shipped to Rus
sia and sold for cent and half a
gallon because the car would not re-
new contract with the Gil company
to operate the wells of Russia at d
rate suitable to Rockefeller. For once
the Standard Oil company is being
beaten" said the speaker. Sheridan
coal that sells in Boyd county for
5000 ton is plentiful in Sheridan at
81 ton. You can prove it by going
,Lere. Gradually these great neces-
stiles are being monopolized. In time.
II the great body OF the people do not
vake to their rights. the earth will oc
owned by one man."
Food has gone up Is Der cent in a
few years, other incidentials Of life
fave risen from 20 to so per cent.
Wages have scarcely moved, said the
speaker, while the purchasing powe-'
ot the dollar has GwindIed. These
figures are given by the records of
the national bureau and the census.
The trend is to increased poverty owe"
the entire world. In 1890 the census
showed that abou, 66 per cent of the
people owned no homes The census
o. 1900 showed that 10 per cent d1
not own their homes. The remaind' +
are very much mortgaged 1t is this
and the unequal distribution of wealth
that causes strikes
When the system of government
subserves distribution and not monop-
oily OF the products of labor then will
the cry of race suicide be hushed,' said
Mr.. Worsley. People will not under
take to raise fanatics in the pinch oi
Increasing poverty"
President Kelsey of the Central
Labor Union also spoke briefly. The
regular routine business of the central
body was transacted in short order
gnd after adjournment those present