The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-02-09

Nero fiddled while Rome burned and Newport
gives monkey dinners and Fifth Avenue visits
the horse show. while women and children toll
through the weary hours only that starvation
may be warded off for few days longer
But it is encouraging to those who have been
graphing with this great problem for weary
years to awakening of the American
conscience. Every day some
steps forward and takes Hold 10 help along the
needed industrial reforWatior-for the social
reformation that all know is SO much need
ed can only come a corroary of an indus
trial reformation. Anson Phelps Stokes, Jane
Addams-God bless her-and others too num-
erous to mention are helping along the pioneers
in this great work And who are the pioneers?
You have heard great deal about the law
breaking and law-defying trades unions in
Omaha during the last two three years You
have read multiplied columns of newspaper
stuff about riots and assaults by trades union
lists. and perhaps many OF you have been led
to believe that trades unionism is synonym
for murder and riot But let me tell you, my
good friends. that the pioneers in the work of
protecting women and children against the
evils of modern industrial system have
been these same despised trades unions. The
protest against child labor i'll mill, mine and
factory did not have its genesis in the heart OF
any employer 1t sprang from the heart of
wage earning father who banded himself with
other wage earning fathers in an effort to bring
about conditions that would give their boys
a better chance in life. than the fathers ever
had. and to give their girls a chance to be-
happy wives and mothers instead of
slaves at the loom the sewing machine
At the last state convention of Womans
Clubs an eastern woman appeared and made a
talk in favor of the National Consumers
Leagues white label This label she told
us, is guarantee that the article to which it is
attached was made in sanitary factory. All
we'll and good. Far be it from me to oppose
the aims of the National Consumers League.
But it is not pioneer in the label movement,
and it does not guarantee enough. 1T may
guarantee sanitary surroundings Tor the work
while at work. but does it guarantee
enough wage to enable the worker to live III
sanitary surroundings, have enough to eat and
a little left for the indulgence of the worker in
some of the pleasant things OF life? 1t does
not But there is a label that does guarantee
all these things. and more. It guarantees san
itary conditions in the factory 1t guarantees
that the article not made by child labor, it
guarantees the safe guarding of life and limb,
it guarantees living wage, and better yet it
guarantees to you Women that II the article
to which it is attached was made by wo-
man she made as much wages as the man en-
gagged in making a similar article. Equal pay
for equal work is cardinal principle with all
trades unions. and if your cloak your dress
skirt bears the label of the United Garment
Workers of American you rest assured that
the woman who made it received wage equal
shop. The woman who operates typesetting
machine in union printing Office receives the
same scale as her union brother.
at the cigarmakers bench receives dollar for
dollar as much her brother for equal
amount of work. The cloth hat and capmakers
of America demand that women shall receive
equal wage with the In fact. all unions
practically enforce this demand and this may
explain in part the suddenly developed opposi-
tion to the "closed shop on the part of lot of
manufacturers The trades union movement is
"a safeguard against industrial slavery, and the
union LIBEL is a guarantee of decent wage,
decent surroundings. adult labor. and happy
homes-any thing that guarantees happy homes
for American workin"men should appeal to
every man and woman in whose heart there ex-
lists the smallest spark of patriotism.
Push the white label of the National Con-
suners League all you will. but [ insist that
to do will merely divide forces and tend
to nullify efforts at industrial reform. Our
label in the field quarter of a century
before the National Consumers League
organized, and it guarantees much more
without any extra effort Your part
Now for few brief words about the trades
unions. They need no defense, but perhaps
they need a little explaining A trades union
is merely banding together Of men engaged in
the same occupation for mutual protection and
betterment. CLOSED shop is employing
only union men, and is open to any man who
will join the union of his trade and pay his
share of the expense of securing and maintain
ing better conditions. hours and wages The
'open shop" is one in which men work with
out having any voice in the disposition of their
labor, being dependent wholly on the generos-
ity of the employer, and is closed TO every
craftsman who has any sef-respect 1t is
claimed by the opponents of trades unions that
the union men deny the non-union has
right to work. That is absolutely and unquali-
hedly false | am trades unionist and free
ly concede to my non-union brother the right
to work for whom he pleases, for what wages
he pleases and as many hours as he pleases.
But pause moment while | explain further
History will prove that every move for short
er workday had its inception in labor organiza-
ton. Every increase in average wage came