Oklahoma Labor Unit (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 8, No. 22, Ed. 1 Saturday, November 20, 1915 Page: 1 of 4
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OKLAHOMA LABOR UNIT
VOL. VIII.
DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE INTERESTS OF THE WORKING PEOPLE OF OKLAHOMA
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, SATIUOAV, NOV EM HE II l>0. 1 iM:
imperative mi is r7raT~tn~imthf.rsDIG DEEPER AND LOOK HIGHER; i; protestsof union card
closedsh#meU!EL™*5™iJ US(JRY EATS INTO THE VITALS
& "As for the woman who approves
WOULD HAVE NEITH S 'i ENIOR-i'he song. 1 Dill Not Raise My Boy to
,,.A ,TU Be a Soulier, her place is in c hina—by
ITY NOR GOOD WAG, ITH- preference- ln H harem ln China-ami
OUT ORGANIZATii not in the United States."
| Theodore Roosevelt.
Railroad officials no longer victimize This shows the type and character
members of brotherhood grievance of the men who would feed the work-
committees. Other reasons, sufficient ers to the cannons.
to themselves, has caused these broth Men who differ with this human
erhoods not to insist on the union apology are always branded as liars
shop- I by him. Now he casts the slur of
The Locomotive Firemen and En prostitution on the Mothers who dlfTer
ginemen's Magazine, official organ of with him.
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Fire-, This should be sufficient to make
men and Enginemen, indicates, how- pVery Mother become an advocate of
ever, that the time is ripe for the ap- peace, and to hate every uniform she
plication of the theory that those who 8ee8i it should make all Mothers firm
enjoy benefits should pay for them. jn their stand to refuse to bear chil-
A Magazine correspondent, imbued (|ren untn ajj war preparations have
with the non-union shop fallacy, pro- ceased.
tested against the views of another1 Thp0(,0re nooseVeirs picture should
' correspondent who supported the union bp takpn ou( of the white Housp. Hls
shop theory. The former presented name Bhou,d bp ,)lott(1(1 (lut of the
the well-known views of anti-unionists | His(orv of thP United states. Of all
and insisted that the brotherhood mpn he ,B (hp mQgt unde8lrabie citizen
should not "dictate to non-brother- w(tb which the United States was ever
hood men or try to take from them | curseti
what "rightfully belongs" to them. H(s p)ace ,g Jn (he junglei but hp
This claim is answered by Editor Mc- wmtId probttbly be lonesome tHere be-
Namee of the Magazine in the follow-1 g(j skunks. lizards, snakes and all
ing straight-from-the-shoulder manner: crawjerg> slimy, stinking, creepy
"As an expression of the honest things would refuse to associate with
views of its author the foregoing let-1 a human who had sunk so far below
ter is entitled to space in the Maea-: their level as to cast a slur on moth-
zine, but the imperative need of rail- ] eli.aod—Minneapolis Labor Review,
road labor today is the closed shop j
and the eight-hour day. The enjoy- nnftTCCTC CKC ADClCD.
ment by train service employes of hu- rKulLMo uAu UKULKJ
mane working conditions and a square nimrifT inklADrC 1*117
deal in the matter of bearing the bur- BURlAU IuNUKlj LAW
den of the cost of protection depends
on the institution of these reforms,
and the sooner they can be established A. F^OFL EXECUTIVE nNAI
the better will it be for the railroad FAVORo CONGRESSIONAL
workers. As to keeping the non-broth-
erhood fireman from what 'rightfully
belongs' to him, it should he borne In In its report to the thirty-fifth con-
mind that he would not have either the vent ion, the A. F. of L. executive conn
wages or the seniority rights he enjoys I eli protests against a ruling of the
but for the brotherhood, and that he United States civil service commis-
is simply a paraslte-an unprincipled j "Ion. In which employes of the Mare
sponger ir he persists in enjoying the Island navy yard, Vallejo, Cal.. are de-
benefits and advantages that the bro- "led the right to take part in political
therhood men have won while he him- activities, and if, in the future, permls-
self contributes nothing either in mon- «'<>n to engage In political activity
«ey or effort to aid the brotherhood in desired in a specific case request
its work. The Brotherhood of Loco- therefore shall be forwarded to the
motive Firemen and Enginemen is a commission
business institution and at this stageJ The executive council declares that
of developments, when complete or-1 the commission has "entirely ignored"
ganization is so requisite to success the law of August 24, 1918, which or-
in the coining struggle, the locomotive ganized labor secured from the slxtv-
fireman who is obstinately determined ! second congress as a protest against
to stay out of our brotherhood, al- the "gag" orders of former Presidents
though eligible to membership therein, j Roosevelt and Taft.
is entitled to no respect from our j The executive council further says:
members, much less to any solicitude j "The civil service commissioners
on our part as to his getting what and departmental officials have exag-
Lending Agencies of This State Have Been Bolder
Than Was Horatius at
at Bay the Etruscans.
Hy Thomas H. West.
| Here I am a UNION CARD,
This pocket in my home;
Than Was Horatius at the Bridge When He Held
From here; I'd quickly roam.
I
their opinion regarding a special ses-
sion of the legislature, has defined as
one of the necessities for a special
session, such a law. many opinions
have been vouchsafed as to what the
law should cover. As an attorney,
and in a position to Judge what is
needed in this respect, gleaned from
actual experience in many cases, we
herewith present from the pen of Mr.
E. J. Glddings of Oklahoma City, a let-
ter addressed to Governor Williams
and the members of the legislature:
"To the Governor and Oklahoma Leg-
islators:
"In the suggestion for a special ses-
sion of the legislature, stress is laid
upon the necessity for usury legisla-
tion. We may, therefore, consider
usury as an accepted and unfortunate
condition in this state, and that there
is grave need of betterment through
law.
Like the average Oklahoma citizen,
the writer does not believe any good
substantial legislation along these
lines wil be passed. Past experience,
divergent views, and powerful influ-
ences, which the poor are never able
to combat, all aid in fortifying an ex-
pression of that belief.
"Every people, civilized or barbar-
ous, has had its usury laws, but few
have had such farces as those we pos-
sess. Even the Jews, credited with
being money-makers, ant whose sub-
lime fortitude and courage in the pres-
ent great war prove that they are as
humane and courageous as other
races, always discountenanced usury
among their people, reaching the apex
in the Psalms of David when he gave
high rank to him "that putteth not out
his money to usury." It remains for
us to have a law of more practical
benefit to the usurer than the usury-
burdened—that law being almost an
exact reproduction of an antiquated
federal statute.
"If, however, there is a possibility of
getting a law of some worth, will you
permit one who has sought to make
a close study of this question for years
to indulge in a few suggestions, based
on personal observation and experi-
ence?
"The passage of a stringent anti-
'right fully' belongs to him. If a man gerated their own personal importance ,a"„ Wi" *'mutrdig'deeper'an.i
of such debased principle had wl.at and the amount of authority delegated cure the I1L i
rightfully belonges to him he would to them while temporarily clothed with i , H , ' ,ith lhp rofl
be8neither fir„,gga locomotive nor fill-j official power. There are many evi ' -m -"eu banks,_ with a, the ^d
ine m lob as hostler" dences that a bureaucracy of very dis- taPp ProNai
a j b tasteful character is being engrafted where near a remedy. When a man
Annmiritirn /\n I HIT public and cHll employes. Many and does not desire t0 .
ftPPftNFNTS OF I AW onerous industrial conditions arc be- mal application lere or^weni ^
Viruilljlllu VI Lift If inK jnIrn,iUC(,,i in the departments
Made in a sweatshop; what a shame
| That I'm compelled to stay;
— | No t'NION LA1IEL for a chum-
Since it is conceded that Oklahoma | transaction. A good oeal of poverty. Why can't I get away?
needs a law covering usury that will is through the lack of fhrift and en-
be workable and since the governor deavor. but the major portion of it Is j ] wonder are there other
in his letter to all legislators, asking in spite of thrift and endeavor. Ordi-| UNION CAUIIS In such a fix;
ACTION.
narily, the man who borrows money is : pan there be other Union Men
too poor, or disheartened, to fight I \\*ho do such awful tricks?
these usury practices. If he does pn j11S| off and kill myself;
tight, he 'is boycotted by every bank j ^ least, that's how I feel;
and money-lending institution and in |The sweatshop goods impain my health
dividual within the trade radius, and j [ cannot stand tills deal.
even farther.
"My experience teaches me "that If I could only talk to him,
the national banks are not the real j I'd say a word or two
culprits, at least not to that extent j That he'd remember all his life—
that other lending agencies ln the j He'd know my words were true,
state have been, and that the comp What right has any man like him
troller has the situation with regard J To own a UNION CARD?
If 1 was only able, I
Would kick him good and hard.
to national banks somewhat in hand.
"Your lending agencies in this state.
outside of state banks and farm loan
companies, most of the latter being
non-resident concerns, are under no
governmental supervision. The best
end the worst ply their vocations un-
regulated by law and, generally, un-
fought by anyone. They have, there-
fore, become bolder than was Hora-
tlous at the bridge when lie held at
bay the Etruscans.
*'11. is quite obvious that one can
much more easily criticize than create.
Criticism itself, however, often con-
tains value. It is not that everything I
is bad. because it is not, but that the
bad may be made good so that the good EEL|EF NQW THAT FORD JOB WILL
may be all the better, that citizens
criticize ills and suggest remedies.
"All merchants, particularly country
merchants, down in tficir hearts, want i
a good usury law. Usury eats into
the vitals of their business adn throws
He takes me out and pays his dues,
And thinks that ends it all;
Upon my word I never heard
Him for the LABEL call.
They'll fix him yet. and when they do,
With joyfulness I'll sing;
If he is not a hypocrite
There is no such thing.
carpenters' demand
met by contractor
BE THOROUGHLY UNION-
FOR ALL CRAFTS.
The strike of carpenters employed
on the assembling plant being erected
... . . i on west Main street, near the Frisco
many of them in o « •; b-nk " I ,rack. by the Ford Motor Car company
r 'V<>rfi, " "ii i h nt w mis is off an<l "" members of that union
guished from the wildcat banker, wants
the same, for, no matter how near i returned to work I hursday. A signed
blameless, he must bear his part of statement issued by a committee of
the odium. Certain it Is that the pro- Local No. 270 United Brotherhood of
ducing classes desire such legislation, j Carpenters and Joiners, whs to the ef-
Why, then, can we not obtain it? P,e-|fect that the agreement was reached
eause legislators cannot agree upon i at 5 o'clock Monday evening at a con-
what is necessary legislation and sel- ference of the executive board of the
fish interests, therefore, have been i carpenters' union and W. E. Hodglns
able to make agreement possible. of the Hodgins Construction company
"One of the prime causes of usury | 0f Paul. Minn., the contractors who
in this state is the unfortunate condl-j are erecting the big four-story struc-
tion of the tenants therein Largelv j ture.
due to Indian situations. 67 per cpnt of i
„ „ , |, r l The carpenters assert that the con-
the farming classes on the east side or
. * , , i „ ... >truction company agreed to the by-
the state are tenants and, even uith-^ , 1)w>
are inconsistent wh'ich make the lot of civil service em-
Washington-
slow serpentine way
ward and back again.
"Necessity of the borrower, and ne-
^p^ity or greed, or both, of the lender,
form the component parts of a usury
NO. 22
farmers are with
the labor unions
SAYS SHOULD BE CLOSER CO
OPERATION BETWEEN PRO-
DUCER AND CONSUMER
In speaking before the A. P. of L.
convention as a representative of the
Farmers, J. 11. I'atten, delegate of the
Farmers Union and the Farmers Na
tional Congress, outlines the neces-
sity of closer affiliation. In part he
said:
"Recently much has been done to re-
move a wrong impression that \%as for
years cultivated among the farmers
with regard to the objects, aims and
I urposes of organized labor. A great
deal of poison was spread by certain
selfish interests that tended to arouse
the antagonism ot the farmers from
one end of this country to the other;
but the interchange of fraternal dele-
gates from local, state and national
bodies, and the great help, the great
assistance which your officers have
rendered us in our legislative efforts
at Washington, hap shown the farmers,
and especially the leaders, that the ob-
jects and purposes—that the strug-
gles and afflictions of the tillers of
the soil, the men in the field—are
strictly analagous to the difficulties
the working men in the factories, the
inlllh and the mines are meeting with.
"We submit that the ideal condi-
tion of agriculture in this country is
one in which there is the largest num-
ber of intelligent, patriotic white
farm home owners, and for those reas-
ons we are unalterably opposed to the
dumping of large numbers of cheap
laborers into this country so as to
bring about the conditions I have
spoken of. There are many other mat-
ters, such as the extension and main-
tenance of free rural delivery, exten-
sion of the parcel post, direct election
of officials, that have become a part of
the farmers' legislative program.
"I come today from the farmers with
their hearty fraternal greetings, to ns-
sure you that they are coming into a
better understanding of your alms anil
purposes; that they, too, believe In de-
cent wages, reasonable hours and
wholesome working conditions, wheth-
er in the factory or on the farm.
Among some of them the idea is
growing that there ought to be closer
co-operation between the producers in
the country and the consumer in the
city. And in closing I want to say
that some of them are getting the no-
tion that the other hand grasping the
calloused hand of labor is the horny
hand of the tiller of the soli."
out those situations, 34 per cent be-
come tenants on the west side of the
state. This is about the percentage.
It is not the purpose of this article to
deal at length with the tenant sU-
uation. It is reserved for another ar-
ticle. One may look in vain for laws
upon our statute books protecting the
tenants of the state. I find but one
laws and working rules of the carpen
ters' organization and that the job
hereafter will be a straight union job
so far as the crafts are concerned
that are bound by the International
agreement
It is believed now that all work
performeed on this building until its
completion will be performed by
law, standing as lonely as Marlus amid ' " lah"r ,hp member: of several
the ruins of Carthage, for the protee
crafts are already at work.
ployes most unenviable and practically
unbearable for free citizens."
WESTERN NEWSPAPER ADVISES ti1(? report declares that it will be
MANUFACTURERS TO GO advisable, if not imperative, to have
STILL FARTHER jntrod,lcetl in congress which will
clearly define the rights of these work-
ers, guaranteeing them the right to
The national association of manu- organjze (now agreed to negatively)
facturers has petitioned congress to ;m(j pr0fPCt them from the "spleen
reconsider the seamen's law, specific anfj jjj wjjj political partisans who
objection being made to the language ;ire aoting as department chiefs." The
test, the provision that G5 per cent of oxecutive council also states that as a
the crew of a vessel must be able rPSUit 0f many complaints "we are
seamen and the provision that makes c0nip0]jP(i t0 believe that our present
it legal for a member of a vessel's civij
service system needs an entire
crew to quit his job. overhauling, reconstruction and reno-
Editor Barry, of the San Francisco vation."
Weekly Star, makes the following com-
ment on the above action: FEDERATION TO HAVE
"To prove its good faith and uncom- PAPER JANUARY 1.
monly good sense, the association
should have passed other resolution
along the following lines: Labor will have its own official news- ] ,-peommendations. including th
tion of the tenant, and that law is
that landlords shall make the premises BANKS WARNED AGAINST USURY,
of tenants fit for human beings! !
(Continued on page 2)
Comptroller of the Currency Wll-
! liams has mailed a letter to all na-
I tional hanks calling attention to the
law against usury.
"This office," says the letter, "re-
grets to report that the sworn state-
ment of condition of a great many na-
tional banks show that section HI97,
1". S. revised statutes, against usury,
has been grossly violated by these
banks.
"You are respect'ully advised and
admonished that 'his provision of the
time and place that a general congress | ' ' previous history of the ! erf^by ^ 11°!aa 'loilal hank''^h'elr
M,all be held at the close of the present | w lnternational relations have' observed b>
Professional Diplomacy Is Harmful
= WORLD'S LABOR CONGRESS DISCUSSED =
The declaration of the A.
F. of L. I that human welfare must have the
i« ii,a n u-nrid', greatest consideration."
convention, last year, that a worms *
Acting on this theory the repott
labor congress be held at the same |
war. Is discussed at lencth by the A.,|wn ]pf| ^ (|io f()r prefcaglonal
F. of L. executive council, in its report I dlp)omaU an,| polit icians. As a result
OWN f0 the annual convention. ■ )5is field has not been organized and
I While the executive council is con- there are few permanent agencies for
| sclous of the many difficulties that ,]paiing justly, comprehensively and
The Oklahoma State Fedeiation of^ay ariSP- |t makes several general humanely with international ques-
! lions and rights. There exists, how-
officer- and directors. In accordance
ATTEND MEETING.
A number of representatives from
the shop trades of Shawnee attended
the "Safety First" meeting in this
city this week. Harrv Myers, machin-
ist and popular union man of Shaw
nee, delivered an iddress before the
meeting on Tuesday.
not to press their
demands at present
BROTHERHOOD TO WAIT UNTIL
SPRING TO PUT NEW WAGE
SCALE IN EFFECT.
The five hig railway brotherhoods
will not press their demands on the
railroads of the west for an eight hour
day for yardmen and an increase in
j wages and better working conditions
for men in the train service until after
April 1, according to reports from the
(east, where union meetings of the
trainmen, firemen, engin" >rs, con-
ductors and telegraphers have been
held.
"Demanding that the fire and police paper, operated by 'he offlcerr of the j lowing:: N lever, what may constitute a nucleu
departments may be composed of men Federation, commencing January 1. ..Thpn it should also be understood . for developing permanent institutions,
who do not understand the language By a vote of over three to one unions (hat ropro„on,a,ivoc this congress This nucleus consists of the Hague
of the officers. | over the state affiliated with the Fed-; mug(. bp p|thpr offl„1a1s or dnlv ar tribunal qnd that indefinite mass of in-
with the solemn oaths taken by direr : Thp df,)ay ,s callHP(1 by ,hp faf.( that
'the arbitration agreement between ill"
ineers and firemen of the Western
| roads does not expire until March 1
It requires thirty days' notice for
i either side to bring about a change
of this letter to every nu mhe-of your I -on the
board who may not be present at such
"You are requested to read this let-
ter at the next meeting of your board!' "'
of directors, and to have it. inscribed i ^
upon the minutes, and to send a copy j 1
sel;
Demanding that the crews of ves- eratlon have endorsed the proposition rrpm,prt representatives of economic ternatlonal customs known as Inter
s of the navy may be composed of submitted by the executive hoard on or_anijatlons of wage-earners. No national law
who do not understand the lan- October 15. The tabulation of the reDregentatjon{, 0f political orsraniza
— • - made in Federation head- 1
guage of the officers. Note was maue in r^erauu, '^u-;Mons of phi,an)hropic asaociations, or
"Demanding that railway trains may quarters Wednesday by First Vice any othpr sor| f)f an organiza,ion ex-
be handled by conductors and engln-' President Sam Atkins of Shawnee. ^ bona fi<lp ]abor orK:miza,ion
eers who do not understand the lan- p,e,ident Edgar Fenton and Secretary ^ bp admltted ^ raPmb,,rs of th"
guage of train dispatchers. Ollie S Wilson who compose the elec- conrerencp
••nomandine that it may be made il- lion board. i , . ..
legal for any employe in'a factory or In all probability the Oklahoma La-1 Jn^ order « £ ^ate'°ln regard
mine to quit his job without the con- bor Unit, now privately ownM. jet en- |nternat|nIla, and war may h-
^WKdh^ ^0^r^^CSnandr juny representative ± for -
the end of a run be arrested and pun- taken over by the Federation, other H Jh^weigM rfthet.nan trol^and^ democrat^ and'mternat Ion'
that all international trade unions ! aj mPthods must come from the peo-
WJison urged to give their indorsement and i , , . . , . , that hi*., tion
in
railroads and transportation employe*,
meeting. t jf Western movement is held up
in a speech last month the federal M ()i(. #V(. t-aruzntlon will
bank official called attention to th< to tli« r
usurious practices of certain national j w" of ,h„ brotherhoods
hank -, which charg-d, in some cases, j o(i „f (lv, nii|Wav
provision for influencing Internationa, | ^,5™',', mo" -P-table. as it j | r
"However, there has been no - - V •" '".'"'T-r'
to democratize these institutions and j ^ t ( i,,.i,. f.JUt«n the Order < f RaiK'.ay I elegrapher
"Suggestions have bcf,n made
these embryonie institutions to fur-
ther develop into more comprehensivr
lo make them directly responsible to
| the peoples of the various nations
of their neighbors, deliberately fasten
ing their fangs in the very heart of
poverty."
MACHINISTS MAKE GAINS.
lahed wise a new publication will be launch- of labor of the country we recommend i jntprnat|onai agencl>-r> m ■■ on.-.. international Associa
E-rtSsri
show what the association real!> SECURES Rtcuu^i i iuin
means The opponents of the sea- Fort Smith, Ark.. Nov. 18 —The labor conferen e
men's law have nov.- come out into the local light and traction company has j Discussing "Purposes of Labors
open and occupy the position of de-; signed an agreement with the new Peace Congress." the executive coun-
manding an 'American' merchant ma- Street Car Men's Union. The power eli states that it Is impossible to plan
rine of which the only thines 'Amer- house and car repair departments are in advance for all questions that may
lean' will he the flag floating above also Included. This local was organ- arise, but that delegates must be
an 'American' subsidy." | ized one year ago. guided "by the fundamental principle
Drooose to share tneir pow«. . .
thority with the masses of the people; approximately v'"| ''
and yet It is the masse- of the people ers have secured eith-r the eight-hour
who sufTer most grievously from wars I day or other substantial reductions In
war hours, while wage Increases play fi
and who must bear the brunt of , , . ,
both during the time of fighting and prominent part in the gains made,
in the period of readjustment that About 12 000 other employes have hen
follows cessation of warfare eflted. the machin .s say, y t leir
(Continued on page 4) I agitation.
with the conductors, engineers, fire
i.jen and trainmen Heretofore - •
telegraphers have held aloof from the
federation agreements of the other
organizations. The federation plan in
vogue for years Is being discarded
and In its place co-operative agree-
ments are being signed, taking in the
five organizations now known as
"Big Five."
the
PLUMBERS WIN.
Plumbers of Tulsa have won their
strike for higher wag^s, all employ-
ers signing the agr<>"ment. The scale
in that city Is no* reported to be
$5.50 per day.
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Oklahoma Labor Unit (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 8, No. 22, Ed. 1 Saturday, November 20, 1915, newspaper, November 20, 1915; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc157278/m1/1/: accessed April 25, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.