The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1915-10-01
MOVEMENT HERE To STAY.
Substitutes For Industrial Organization
Must Be Rejected-Workers Want to
Spend Their Earnings as They Please.
Welfare Work and Social Centers Do
Not Take Place of Justice.

Spend Their Earnings as They Please.
Welfare Work and Social Centers Do
Not Take Place of Justice.
BY MELINDA SCOTT.
president New York Women's Trade
Union league.l
1t has been very wisely said there
san be no division of interest or pur-
pose between the men and the women
who work for the organization of the
workers in our country. This is demon
strated in the onward sweep of or
ganizaLion among women wage earn
ers.
The great curse of all nations and
peoples has been and is that labor,
especially womans labor, is not proper
ly rewarded.
One of the purposes of the American
Federation of Labor through the or
ganization of both men and women is
to get the proper reward for services
rendered TO all who work for living.
When labor receives such reward
through the efforts of organization we
will have no more sweated industries,
no more child labor, in this country.
The National Women's Trade Union
league held its fifth biennial conyen-
tion in New York. Any one really in
terested in the organization of women
need only attend these meetings to
realize what Il splendid body OF women
workers in all trades are today doing
the uphill work Of organizing the wom-
en- wage earners of our country and
teaching them the meaning and pur-
pose of our great labor movement.
These workers fearlessly teach that or
ganizatien is necessary not only for
their own industrial welfare. but for
the protection of their fellow workers
and those who will come after them.
These women realize fully that upon
them as workers rests the responsibility
of working out their own salvation and
raising the standard Of living for all
workers. because. organized or unor-
ganized. we stand or fall together
These delegates from all over the Unit
ed States proved that the organization
of women is possible and beneficial,
for every one Of these women worked
like woman who felt herself re-
sponSible member of 4 movement that
stands for better conditions for every
man. woman and child in the world
today.
Anything which helps the organiza-
tion of the workers helps to make US
better educated people as whole.
1t has been said that organization
broatheS discomfort. We organized
workers must answer back: Well. if
it does. it must be holy discomfort,
for any man or woman who is satisfied
Will the labor conditions as they are
To-day is little better than slave. To
wipe out all forms of slavery is holy
calling. Men have found ii necessary
to organize to improve their conditions.
How much more necessary is it. then,
for women. who are supposed to be
tbs weaker sex. to organize. Yet ia
the unorganiZed trades women often
work longer hours theu men.
The cheapest thing IN the labor mar
let today is immigrants, women and
children. 1t is just because women
are SO looked upon by the employers of
labor that we the organized women
must appeal to our organized brothers
to help us by understanding us and
our sincerity in the great labor move
ment. They can begin with the wom-
enfolk in their own homes. We find
very often that the wives and sisters
of the Erot hers in our trade unions
know nothing of the trade union move
ment. and we must work together unit
we get women as thoroughly organized
as men are. Together we will see to il
that child labor is abolished There
shall be equal pay for equal work and
workday which shah not bring to the
workers physical and mental exhaus-
tion and starvation wages.
This is a great age to be living in
Great changes are being made. and
women must be alive to the situation
and take their places by the side of the
men in the industrial warfare which
we are now waging against child labor
starvation wages. unfair conditions and
the crushing of the hopes and aspira-
tions Of our men and women. These
are CAUSES lot HluuStFldl WIZ, ana we
must have soldiers with courage and
sympathy.
Women must organize into trade
unions. for organization among all the
workers has come to stay. They must
not take any substitute for industrial
organization. We do not want welfare
work. social centers or vacation funds
We find that the manufacturers are
willing 10 give us everything under the
sun but justice and the right to de
mand living wage. shorter hours and
decent conditions. with the right Il
spend the money that we have justly
earned and a freedom TO take oul
pleasures where and with whom we
choose.
-