Labor group whatever party ticket Labor had put him on and elected him on. The time is short for action. There are great issues before the country-preparedness, taxation to meet large additional expenditures, the right of Labor to organize and to bargain collectively without suppression by privately controlled militia and gunmen. If Labor is to have a potent voice in determining these issues its voice in Congress must be its own voice. SUPPLEMENTAL FINDINGS, ETC. Continued from page 7 Society's interest in the triumph of labor's cause should spring not only from the love of justice and the human sympathy that animates every good citizen, but from a realization that industrial and social evils menacing large groups of the population cannot continue without eventually bringing disaster to society as a whole. While inviting the aid of every good citizen, we, as representatives of organized labor, urge that this aid be directed not solely to seeking new legislation or new Governmental machinery designed as a cure-all, but to giving moral support to labor's own efforts, and insisting that trade unions be fostered and encouraged as the most effective agencies making for the wage workers' progress." "Well, how about the rest of you?" "Oh, the majority of the boys are like myself. They got disgusted long ago and don't bother much about it. This other crowd wants to be the whole bill-offare, from soup to nuts, so we just let them go to it." "Some bunch you have." "Well, you know how it is. You get a few fellows into a local. They pull together. Everything goes under the one hat. If you're not one of the gang, well, you're not asked to sit down. They just make motions, second them, and over they go. The rest of us don't get a lookin." "Brother, come again. Elucidate to your wondering pal how it is that one little clique, as you call it, runs the local. Don't you vote on the questions which come before the union?" "Sure, but they hold all the offices." "Well, what's that got to do with it?" "Oh, they're some politicians up here. When the inner circle wants to put anything over, they have a nice little caucus before they come into the meeting. The old steam-roller stuff. One of them takes the floor, makes his little talk, another O. K.'s it and the motion is carried. It doesn't matter whether it's right or wrong, it goes through." "Well, if the rest of you don't want it why do you vote for it?" "We don't." Now "Stand back. A little air, please. That's far enough; thank you. repeat. How does it happen if the majority are not in favor of a motion the minority puts it over regardless?" "They always have their crowd out to every meeting." "Now, you said something." "What?" "It's the old story, pardner. The 'wise majority' don't come out to the meetings. They don't risk their reputations as members of the owl family by suggesting or taking part in the constructive work of the local. Oh, no! It's safer and so much easier to 'let George do it.' If George makes a slip, you can pan him and come back with the old wallop: 'I told you so.' Isn't that right?" What's the good of going to all the meetings? They're running the local. If the rest of us butted in, there would just be arguments, a lot of trouble, and the fellow who took the floor against anything they wanted would probably lose his job." "Kind brother, just come up under this arc light. That's fine. You look perfectly human, thoroughly sound in mind, body and limb. Gee, but you have me doing the whirl. You are a union man. Certainly you are. 'Peace at any price,,' eh? Some box of jolts you have handed me. Let me offer you a few thinks that possibly haven't found their way into your headgear. Don't you know, pal, that the fellow who gets anywhere in this dear, delightful old world of ours has got to fight? You've got to fight from the day you're born until you disappear over the 'Great Divide.' You've got to fight to earn your bread whether you want to or not. You've got to fight your weakness to be a man. Let that one rest in a prominent location in your upper apartment. Call on it often. Man alive, that's why life is the greatest game of all. It's a battle. There's an even chance to win. Either you're a soldier or a quitter. God Almighty put you here to do your share. If you sidestep, you're cheating. There's no one out to 'get you,' they are too busy getting theirs. Your share is theer. Go get it. Don't sit on the fence and look on. Get into the running. It's worth the exertion. Pardner, hustle right down the street, turn in at that corner grocery and take home a box of starch. Apply it to your spinal column. Stiffen it up. When that operation has been successfully completed, straighten up before the looking-glass in the little old 'hall-room.' Look yourself over. You're there. Don't wait for New Years. Do it now! Resolve that from now on you're going to do your share. Make up your mind to be out to the meetings. Do your talking on the floor, not on the street corner or in the barroom. Stick to your task. You'll be welcomed. The boys will see you are fighting with them, not against them. All the world loves a worker. Don't waste you effort 'panning the bunch. They're out there on the firing line scrapping your scrap. Tighten your belt, jump into the trench and fight with them. They need you. You need them. Every good soldier counts. Just jot down in your little book that the fellows who are building up the local, fighting the local's difficulties and holding the organization together deserve the credit. Sure, they'll make mistakes, plenty of them, but give them their due, they're doing their best. Don't ever forget it's those boys who are the backbone of your union. They're the fellows who walk out and suffer the hardships of unemployment rather than see their union go down. They are the busy little bees of the union hive who bring home the honey you drones enjoy. Don't be a card-carrier any longer, Sport; be a union man. Be loyal to those who are protecting your interests. Work for those who are working for you and always remember they who serve will be served. Your local's not bustin' up. You're in a trance. Come out of that 'Rip Van Winkle.' Get that 'majority' together, and 'watch 'er grow.' So long, Brother. Don't forget the starch." TIM. "Hello, old man! Have you had any luck shooting?" "I should say I did! I shot seventeen ducks in one day." "Were they wild?" Well, no-not exactly; but the farmer was!" AND THE NURSE WAS OFFENDED. Doctor-Well, Casey, are the eyes improving? Patient-Sure, they are, sir. Doctor-Can you see better? Can you see the nurse now? Patient-Sure, I can, sir. Faith, she gets plainer and plainer ivery day. HE PROBABLY KEPT STILL. "I see you have your arm in a sling," said the inquisitive passenger. "Broken, isn't it?" "Yes sir," responded the other passenger. "Meet with an accident?" "No; broke it while trying to pat myself on the back." "Great Scot! What for?" "For minding my own business." LABOR IS NOT A COMMODITY. ALBANY, N. Y.-State Senator Wagner wants the legislature to enact the Clayton law declaration that "the labor of a human being is not a commodity or article of commerce." He has introduced an amendment to the anti-trust laws to this effect. Senator Wagner sees the difference between labor power and a commodity, so continually urged by the American Federation of Labor and which was finally accepted by Congress. In explaining his bill, Senator Wagner said: "The bill which I introduced provides that the labor of a human being shall not be deemed to be a commodity or article of commerce. A proper regard for the rights of labor demands its passage. Its purpose is to revest in the workingman rights and privileges which are guaranteed to him by every declaration of rights from the Declaration of Independence down to the present hour. It was never the intention of legislatures or Congress, in my opinion, to take away these rights, but by judicial construction and the evolution of industrial theories it has been held that our anti-trust laws prohibit the laborer from effective and combined action in the common interest of labor. Where the law provides that monopolies in the commodities of life are illegal, it has been erroneously assumed that labor is a commodity and therefore that combinations for the purpose of controlling labor are illegal. My amendment corrects this assumption. Under it the working man is given the right to combine with his fellows for the common protection of all and to control the labor market in such a way as to secure justice and a livelihood. The bill is in the opposite direction to that economic theory which holds that human beings are chattels and that the labor of a human being is an article of commerce in the same class with merchandise. The bill recognizes the difference between the products of man and man himself-the producer. The bill distinguishes humanity from marketable commodities and asserts that a class of legislation which refers to cattle and merchandise cannot in the twentieth century be made to apply to men and women. Congress has already recognized the principle em-bodied in my bill in the enactment of the Clayton law." TRADE UNIONS DEFINED. Some union men are born, some made and others are just unionists-that's all. The first is the man whom you will find a leader among his fellowmen. He's the man who does the real work; he takes up the battles of the unionist's principle, and fights with all his might; he knows no fear; is always in the front rank when a general is needed and is devoid of all selfish motives in what he does. He is the strength of the union. The "made" union man is he who holds a card because he is compelled to do so. If he should lose his job he would be perfectly willing to give up his card. In other words, he is satisfied to accept conditions as they are. faker. . He's a fraud. under false pretenses. Such a man is a He carries a card WAR. War is hell, no matter what The simple truth is War is hell! -W. J. Lampton in the Christian Herald. STARTING TROUBLE. "Why is it that the attendants in telephone offices are all women?" Mrs. Brown made this inquiry of her husband. "Well," answered Mr. Brown, "the managers of the telephone offices are aware that no class of attendants work so faithfully as those who are in love with their labor; and they know that women would be fond of the work in telephone offices.” "What is the work in a telephone office?" Mrs. Brown further inquired. "Talking," answered Mr. Brown. And that conversation came to end and a different kind of a conversation began. NOT SO HEAVY. "It would please me very much, Miss Stout," said Mr. Mugley, "if you would go to the theatre with me this evening." "Have you secured the seats?" inquired Miss Vera Stout. "Oh, come now," he protested, "you're not so heavy as all that." |