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

Public Spirited Women of Omaha Seeking to
Aid in Aboihing Child Labor and Protect
ing Women Forced Into the Industrial
Field-An Encouraging Sign to Unionists
Who Have Worked Along That Line for
Years.
The Social Science Department of the Oma-
ha w Woman's Club has taken held of child labor
and kindred industrial problems, and as re-
suit there is an awakening to the enormity of
the otfenses against God and man that have
become prevalent in the industrial life OF
america. The National Consumers League
is working along label lines, having designed
white label which guarantees against child Ia
Dor and unsanitarY surroundings he Omaah
women have been studying the conditions
sought to be combatted by the white label.
and to that end invited the editor of The Wage
worker to address them from the trades union
standpoint. The invitation was gladly accept
ed and the editor appeared before the club last
Monday afternoon. Aside from the pleasure of
discussing this question before such intel-
gent and energetic body. the meeting
source of great pleasure becarse it showed an
awakening all along the line and was great
encouragement to the earnest union and
women who have long sought the assistance
of women in other walks of life. Mrs. Burbank,
of the Omaha Club read paper on child la
Dor and the labor of women in tenements, and
the dozen trades unionists present were as
much surprised as they were delighted with
the advanced stand Mrs. Burbank took the
question They had heard many strong argu-
nents in defense of the labels, but her paper
what every trades unionist would call
square man talk, and made her at once the
friend of all of them. She has studied the
question, and is now seeking to abolish the
vicious conditions.
MIR. Lovely of St. Louis and Mrs. Robinson
of Brockton, Mass, both national organizers
of the Boot and Shoe Workers Union, Mr.
Pratt of Cleveland. organizer of the Street
Railway Employees, F. A. Kennedy, editor of
-the Western Laborer, and George Sanchez,
president of the Omaha Union Label League,
were also present and were invited to address
the meeting. Elsewhere in this issue appears
the reports of the meeting Appearing in the Bee
and Word-Hcrald of Omaha Mr.. Maupins
address was as follows, and he illustrated by
showing fac SMILES of all the union labels and
contrasting union made overalls with
union made overalls
The question of the employment of women
and children in the trades and industries is
one of most vital Importance, relating as it
does to the very life of the nation. Permit me
to say in starting that ! am not one OF those
who believe in the equality of the sexes |
am lust old-fashioned enough to believe that
womankind must lower itself if it becomes
equal to mankind, and while do not deny that
women have right to engage in the trades
make the positive claim that any system which
makes it necessary for them to do in order
to make an honest livelihood is wrong and VI
cious But our present industrial system has
brought us face to face with a condition, and
it is of the condition that would speak, not
of the theory.
| claim that the trend of modern industrial
ism threatens the home life OF the nation, and
whatever threatens the home life of this repub-
lie threatens the very foundation OF the repub-
lie itself. The home is the unit of society. and
our country is made up of combination OF
these home units. The destruction of the
units, therefore, means the destruction of the
republic. In mad race for wealth, in our
frenzied chase after the almighty dollar we
have all but lost sight of the American home,
and it is today threatened witt, extinction.
NV time is limited, and being comparative
stranger | will seize the occasion to speak
plainly This is not time for false modesty
or for the mincing of words want right here
to pay moments attention to recent propa-
ganda-the race suicide theory OF President
Roosevelt This so-called suicide is mere
Iva mothers strike against existing conditions.
Why raise up children to feed the greedy NAV
of modern intlustrialismo Why bring children
into the world to toll and struggle at the mill
wheel and the machine to still further increase
the wealth of those who are already wealthy
beyond the dreams of avarce. Give us back
again the conditions that once existed. when
every womans child had equal chance in
the world and there will be need of polit-
ical Jeremiah to sound the alarm about dy-
ing race. The complaint about race suicide
comes from two quarters-thc great manufac-
turing centers where child labor is in demand,
and from military boomers who want unlimited
food for the belching cannons i'll order that
military glory may be written in blood upon
the pages of history. Race suicide is not
threatened by the of the land, but by
the insatiate greed of those who would seize
upon your child, and mine to toll and slave
at pittance while the father walks the street
in vain search of the work which is his God
given right.
Present day conditions leave hundreds of
thousands of women face to face with great
question--whether to enter the industrial field