The wageworker., 1910-01-08
CURT COMMENT ON
THE TIMELY TOPICS


the price to the consumer ard at the
same time pays his employees a less
wage than is paid in any other skilfe5
trade. The republican national plat
form declared for protection that
would equalize the difference in
wages at home and abroad. Yet the
tariff on clothing, yarns, blankets, etc,
Is more than the total labor and cost
Of materials combined And working
men who foot the bills are a difficult
lot to convince that they are not being
worked both ways from the middle by
lot of scheming manufacturers.
Recently N. z. Smell of Lincoln ad-
dressed the Commercial Club, and dur
ing his remarks said:
1T would be as consistent for a
Catholic to contribute funds to propa-
gate the protestant faith. for a brewer
to furnish aid to the local option
league, or Senator Cummins and La
Toilette to advocate the reelection
of Speaker Cannon as for Nebras-
kan, except in extraordinary cases to
take out life insurance at the present
time in any one of the big eastern
companies" Et
The more You study that remark the
better it sounds. Mr.. Smell has ut
tered a keynote that should ring in
every Lincoln citizens ears. 1t is ap-
Mi f0 h,.r
than insurance. The insurance,-life.
fire and accident-that may be pur-
chased of Lincoln companies. is just
as good and just as cheap as that
which may be purchased of eastern
companies. If purchased from home
companies the money remains at
home and gets into the channels of
local trade. Every citizen gets share
of 1.-THE printer, the pressmen. the
plumber, the carpenter, the bricklayer
and so all along the line. If sent
to an eastern company it is lost to
local business. Why should Lincoln
workers contribute to the building of
hughe Office buildings in Hartford and
New York when by patronizing home
companies they will soon compel the
erection of such buildings right here
in Lincoln? But while Mr.. Smell and
his associates in home insurance com
chase of home insurance, are they fol-
lowing it up all along the line? Are
they buying all their printing in Lin
coin? Are they smoking only Lincoln
patronage to Lincoln tailors? Come on.
gentlemen! Mr.. Smell has given a.
new start to an idea that the union
men of this city have been working ON
for these many years.
Now is the time to set i'll motion
the machinery to have park bond
proposition submitted to the city at
the coming spring election. Lincoln
has adopted the initiative and refer
endum, and if sufficient number Of
voters petition to have a bond propo-
sition submitted it is mandatory upon
the council to submit dt. Lincoln
ought to have a park system worthy
of the name, and the only way to get
it is to raise the money and Pay for it.
And the way to raise the money is to
vote bonds. This Is the fair way, be-
cause the generation to follow will
then pay its share Many of the pres
ent generation will not live long
enough to benefit by fine Park sys-
tenn. Thos who benefit most should
pay for it. The park commission
ought to have at least 100000 right
now, and not less than 500, 900 a ;.
year for the next ten years. The
workers of the city are the ones most
vitally interested in the establish
ment OF parks, and The Wageworker
suggests that they take the lead IL
demanding a referendum on the bond
proposition. This is matter that the
Central Labor Union could take up
with credit to itself and advantage to
the men and women it represents.
There ought to be a live, active
Woman's Trade Union League in this
city. If the club women of Lincoln
really want to perform a service in
the interests of their working sisters
they will organize such league. The
makes this proposition to
the Lincoln Woman's Club: If you
will guarantee that majority of the
II, t,,n horchip vxyi11 f1,rv nd
listen to an address from the presi-
dent of the International Woman's
Trade Union League, The Wagework-
er will agree to have the president
make the address. If she fails to con-
Continued on Page 4.