Labor Bulletin from Pratt, Kansas • 1

r. HH T1 Til 1 111 i At' THE AFFILIATED LABOR BULLETIN, DEC. 20, PRATT, KANS. VOL. 1 1 HiU NUMBER S3 f.

WHAT IS THE PLUMB PLAN? THE MAN ON THE LATHE He turns out a few ideas and opinions II. D. FLYNN IS SURE OF MOONEY'S GUILT I TEACHERS DRIVEN OUT Sacramento, Dec. 13. Secre-' Washington, Dec.

13. The most ef-tary-Treasurer Scharrenberg, of the fective method of destroying the state federation of labor, has been teaching1 profession is the present pol-informed by Governor Stephens that ity of refusing to meet increased costs he (Stephens) is convinced of the of living, 'says School Life, issued by guilt of Thomas J. Mooney, now serv- the UniceVi States bureau of educa-ing a life sentence for complicity in tion. the preparedness day bomb outrage. This publication shows that the The American Federation of Labor United States bureau of Labor sta-has declared in favor of a new trial tistics' figures call for $1,100 a year the lowest that a single woman can for Mooney because of charges that prosecution resorted to perjury when Moonev was convicted.

This The coal strike is a thing of the fnst, like a bad dream, but its effects will be felt for some time to come. It appears that the settlement was a victory for the miners; as though some sort ot tentative unuerstanu ing must have been reached, so the mm will receive a lartrer incresae than that awarded bv Garfield. Which if the Hombres are any more resent-isas it should I.e. The excuse offer- ful than we would be if some one ed by Garfield to iustify his offer stepped in and grabbed all the cream, of 14 was that this would bring! It does rather seem that there is charge is strengthened by the state- man. wife and normal family of three ment of the trial judge to State At- children.

torney General Webb, that if the "Most of the teachers' salaries perjury charge had been brought to schedules recently adopted do not his attention before the case left his even meet this minimum requirement court he would "unhesitatingly" have for a single woman," continues granted a new trial. I School Life. "And as for meeting the Despite this and similar situations, 'needs of a normal married person with Gov. Stephens injects a new theory dependents, the schedules go on as-into the case German agents. He suming that none such will come into says: the schools.

The mere fact that the "I am convinced he (Mooney) cost of living has exactly doubled had a part in one of the most atroc-isince 1913, and that anything less ious crimes involving treasonable pur-1 than doubling salaries is to make them the waees of the miners to the relative plane of the increase in the cost of iivinir since the war. In other words, if the miners were underpaid before the war justice demanded only that they be no more greatly underpaid at present. There obligation ceased, as, indeed, did their right to force more favorable consideration. Curious they usually num anu naw anu ar-reasoning. ue- Somehow the "gnngoes" seem More curious, however, is the fact 'to be held in contempt.

It would un-that he did not apply the same form- doubtedly be to the advantage of Ger-ula to the operators. The conten- many to. have this country tied up in tion was raised that the years of 1914 a long, drawn out conflict, and from sind 15 should not be used as a cri-1 advices published by the government terion by which to judge reasonable this factor undoubtedly enters into it. profits, as numerous operators lost! The United States has to deal with pose ever perpetrated in the history of our country. Mooney and his associates evidently were in sympathy with Germany's agents, who were re- sorting to every desperate measure to thwart preparedness of the Ameri can nation for war." MEXICO A TREASURE HOUSE Washington, Dos.

13. Humboldt, once pronounced Mexico "the treas- ure house of the world," says the i jTationaj Geographical society in its bulletin on conditions that exist in the southern republic. Before the war, it is stated, Mexico produced one-third of the world's sil ver, a considerable percentage of it gold, one-ninth of its lead and 1 one-twentieth of its copper. The country's mineral production exclusive of iron, coal and petroleum, amounted to $15,000,000 in 1910 and probably but one-fourth of the mineral possibilities have been exploited. Of the 15,000,000 population, but one-third can read or write.

Nineteen per cent are white, 43 per sent are mixed parentage and the remainder retain their Indian blood uncor-rupted. WHY THEY OPPOSE JAPS Los Angeles, Dec. 13. When organized labor was demanding ex-1 elusion of the Japanese20 years ago, many newspapers and organizations that now demand exclusion were "deaf, dumb, blind and paralyzed," says the Citizen, owned by the Los Angeles trade union movement. "But there's a reason," continues! When I read of the raids, murders and kidnapping exploits of the Greasers I feel pretty certain that it is the sacred duty of the U.

S. to wipe them off the map, but when I turn to some article dealing with the exploitation of the I country by foreign capital, I wonder 1 some sinister cause ior iviexico sup ercilious attitude toward our coun try. American rights have not been well defended. Petty governments usually act very promptly when the British government demands protection for their citizens, but when the security of American rights are asked a nominal government in Mexico that is stubborn, unfriendly and unable to' force the law in the country over which it is supposed to rule. Out.

lawry is going from bad to worst. Kidnapping Americans is becoming a lucrative and favorite pasttime. It would seem tiiat the writer of notes has ceased to be effective. About the only thing left to do, other than actual invasion is to support some other leader and let him clean up on the survival of the fittest can we gain Carranza. Only by elimination and our own self respect.

Vive Villa. The fair price committee is at work getting data on the prices of commodities, probably with an end in view of decreasing the cost of living, If it takes as long to gather the data as it did for them to start to get it, the prices quoted will be so anti- quated as to be useless. Here's hoping they rush the job and accomp- lish some real service AMERICAN FEUDALISM From time to time during the past year there have come from West Vir ginia and southern Ohio sensational press reports of invasion" of the Guyan coal mining field in south ern West Virginia, no the part of or- ganized miners from adjoining re-; gions. Twice these reports have had tv, coal miners in adjoining counties have started with guns in their hands to jnum.h across the mountains into Lo gan county, which includes the Guyan field. On each occasion Governor Cornwell of West Virginia has summoned federal troops to stop the miners' march.

Now these organized coal miners ditions of employment is made. Wages for machine miners are alleged to be cents below the ton rate in ad- joining fields; pick miners get 31.5 tents per ton less; and 23.5 cents hss I uation the less I know, money that year. Why, then, should-! n't thev lose monev in 1919, if their condition was to remain the same, What siince fm-the L'oose ismot al-! ways sauce for the gander. The result in either case would V.nvf Viooii Who would expect an operator to run his mine at a. los3, and what thinking person would expect an organization like the mine workers, with a membership of half a million and an annual income of $11,000,000, not to progress in five years Ohiectional as is the thoueht of ignoring the mandates of the govern ment, one thing must be said of the miners they surely are stickers.

They knew what they wanted and how to get it. And I rather imagine that most of the volunteer coal dig-' gers will readily agree that no mat-! ter what they ask, it would be insuf-1 ficient. The more I study the Mexican nit- FAILURE OF PRIVATE OWNERSHIP From Senator LaFollette's Minority Report on Cummins Bill) Private ownership and uncontrolled private operation of railway trans- portation was tried for 40 years It i 1 1. 1 Became niiuiuiuuif. Private ownership with a commis- sion regulation of rates and services was tried for 30 years.

It resulted in colossal failure. Through it all the public has been the long-suffering victim of a monstrous system of venal exploitation. We are now urged to enter upon another protracted period of attempt 1 I i i the labor paper. "When the eyed Orientals first commenced to hve in health and decency and that is, absolutely necessary for a lower than before, does not seem to have penetrated "If there is any surer way of de stroying the teaching profession than by the present method of starving the teach, it is not clear what it lis. Men dimply will not go into a profession that forever bars them 'from the possibilities of normal fam ily life and a decent living, and as the opportunities of womerf grow greater, increasingly few really capa- ble women will enter upon teaching." ASQUIT POLICE Charlotte, N.

The chief of po- iice of this city and a score of others that were charged with the death of five and the wounding of 20 workers, have been discharged by two justices of the peace. The trial lasted 14 days. The police admitted that they shot into the crowd of street car strikers and sym-pathipers at a car barn on August 25 last. The police admited and, 40 witnesses testified that all but two of the persons were shot in the back, thus proving that the workers were running from the police, and not toward them. In dismissing the accused, one of the magistrates said: "We have accumulated a vast amount of evidence here; it would fill a volume, Ut is impossible for' us to go into it, and wo will not attempt it.

We have possibly taken a lot of evidencethat is very competent and relevant. "At first we thought of writing out our verdict which we found would be entirely too lengthy, consequently decided that after having all the material points of evidence that have been brought before us bearing on the jcase that we will simply arrive at our conclusion, announce our verdict and (iet the critics, wherever they may be, ret all the pleasure they may from a reference to the stenographer notes, to which all may have access." RIDE HORSES INTO HALL Pittsburg, Dec. 13. State cos-sacks at Donora, a steel town 30 miles frTJTh this city rode their horses into the hall of striking steel workers and down the aisle of the small room where the terrified workers were assembled. Nearly 100 strikers were arrested and each man was held in $500 bail.

The strikers were charged with conspiracy and intimidating men from working in the mills. Mill managers in Donora have al most exhaused their ingenuity in an lengths they will go. U. S. PAYS $10 A MONTH Washington, Dec.

13. A congressional commission that is investigating wages of government employes finds that one employe who cares for pigs at an insane asylum is paid $10 a month for 14 hours a day, seven days a week. Skilled gardeners, with 30 years experience, are paid as low as $900 a year. The commission declares that wage STEREOTYPERS GAIN Tulsa, Dec. 13.

Stereotyp-ers employed on newspapers in this city have raised wages to $7 for day work and $7.50 for night wrk. El Paso, Texas, Dec. 13. A new wage agreement secured by newspaper stereotypers calls for $6.75 for foremen for day or night work and $5.75 for journeymen. AND INTO COURTS' HANDS New York, Dec.

13. In favoring the incorporation of trade unions, the New York World says: "A good many excellent friends of labor believe that incorporation would add dignity, responsibility and ccur- It is a plan now before Congress ifor the: 1. Purchase of the railroads by the Government at their legal unwatered 'value, vs established by the courts, 'and the issuance of Government bonds paying AVz to 5 per cent interest to I pay for the same. I This takes the roads out of the i hands of Wall Street and puts them in the hands of the people. They will be operated as a single system.

2. The railroads will be leased to a corporation, save that it is not for profit. It is for service. The corporation is to be managed by fifteen directors, five appointed by the President to represent the public, five selected by the railroad officials and five selectel by the classified employees. The country is to be divided into smaller administrative units for local administration with similar boards of directors.

Speculation and graft are to be put out of management and experts are to be put in. 3. Service is to be at cost, with rates to be fixed by the Interstate Commerce Commission on estimate of previous year's cost of service. 4. Railroad earnings are to be used to pay- (a) (b) (c) Operating expenses Interest on the bonds.

Sinking fund to retire railway cebt in about fifty years. 5. Any savings under estimate of cost of operation is to be divided into two halves. One-half goes to the Government to be used to make extensions, and one-half goes to the officers and employees, the officers receiving on their salaries double the percentage received by the clas sified employees on their wages. This is a dividend on savings, on economy, on efficiency.

It makes two million men partners in the operation of the railroads. It is a stimulus to better service and loyalty. 1 G. Wages are fixed by the board of directors. Wage disputes and other! PROTECT STRIKEBREAKERS Johnstown, Pa.

Attorney General Schaffer has asked the county court to annul the state chai-ter of a Slov-enic beneficial association whose by laws permit the expulsion of a mem ber who becomes a strike-breaker. This city is the home of the Cambria Steel company, which has been completely tied up by steel strikers. Recently a mob of business men chased A. Fj of Organizer Conboy and Wm. Z.

Foster, secretary of the national steel strike committee, out of town. Now the attorney general would smash a beneficial association because its members refuse to associate with strikebreakers. The members rf this organization agreed to accept laws adopted in a regular manner, and they declare they are particular about their company. The atvorrey general does not demand that the money paid in to the associatiDn by a strikebreaker be le-turneJ to him, but he insists that if the Sla-'S won't associate with strikebreakers their charter shall be annulled. PRINTERS RAISE WAGES Portsmouth, N.

Dec. 13. A new wage agreement secured by the Typographical union provides these rates: Newspapers, day work, $30 a week for hand men and $32 for ma chine operators. Newspapers, night work, $30.50 for hand men anl $32.00 for maihine operators. Fort Worth, Texas, Dec.

13. Members of the Typographical union employed in commercial shops have raised wages from $27.50 a week to $30. UNION CITY PROSPERS Brockton. Dec. 13.

About 25 new concerns have started business here and all are working under ar bitration agreements with the Boot and Shoe Workers' union, affiliated with the A. F. of L. TO START CO-OP STORE St. Joseph, Dec.

13. Organized labor 'will start a co-eperative grocery store and extend branches to other sections of the city. Stock will be sold at $25 a share. BROOM MAKERS GAIN Alton, 111., Dec. 13.

Broom makers have increased wages 21 per cent and established the eight-hour day. The former work day was nine hours. I i I controversies are settled by boards of adjustment, on which the operating officials elect five members, and the employees five members. In case of dispute, there is an appeal to the directors. There is no prohibition on strikes.

7. The with the mission. power fix rates is left Interstate Commerce Coni- 8. Extensions are paid for partly by the community benefitted, partly by the Government. 9.

Under the Plumb Plan, employees cease to be merely wage earners for Wall Street. They work for themselves. They work for their fellows. They share in the profits of their own efforts and industry. They become free men.

The Difference Wall Street's plan provides for 1. Paying owners jfor railroads. I 2. Interest from 0 per cent to 8 per I cent or 1,200,000,000 to 000,000 a year. 1 3.

All surplus earnings bo to rail roads. 4. Rates constantly rising. 5. Operation for profit.

6. Railroads in politics. 7. Strikes prohibited; labor shackled. 8.

Endless controversy over rates, charges and profits. 9. Industrial feudalism. The Plimb plan prvoides for 1. Paying owners $11,000,000,000 to $13,000,000,000 for railroads.

2. Interest from $500,000,000 to $600,000,000 a year. 3. All surplus earnings go to the Government and to employees. 4.

Rates constantly falling. 5. Operation for service. 6. Railroads out of politics.

7. Men do not strike against themselves. 8. Union of interests of wag-earners, producers and consumers. 9.

Industrial democracy. Which do you choose? BEWILDERED PUBLIC IS BEING "EDUCATED" Washington. The public's education on coal profits continues its merry way with officials who have access to the income tax returns recording sharp differences, and coal owners pleading they are headed for the poor house. Former Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo is the first educator. He avers that when he held office, in 1917, the coal owners' profits were "shocking and indefensible," and ranged as high as 2,000 per cent.

He asks that the coal owners' income tax returns be published. Naturally, the coal owners make a general denial of these profits, and say they will go as far in the publication of their incomes as any other industry. "Ur. McAdoo replies: "The publication of returns for any other industry has nothing to do with the case." Secretary of the Treasury Glass then joins the educators and takes some of the sting out of the McAdoo claim. He has access to the same figures as Mr-.

McAdoo, whose estn mate of 2,000 per cent is shaved down to 800 per cent. The present secretary of the treasury says soft coal owners cast of the Mississippi river, made in 1917, "what might be termed fabulous profits, the general average being from 100 to 150 per cent on invested capital, the range being from 5 to 800 per cent." The coal owners softly admit that 1917 profits were high, but insist that they do not come within a million miles: more or less of the McAdoo Glass estimates. Since 1917, they say, many coal owners have lost money, while the profits of others have been reduced to a pittance. The public stands bewildered before these charges and counter charges. CHEMISTS' PAY IS LOW Washington, Dec.

13. At a meeting of government chemists one speaker said high school graduates are loath to enter this most important branch of the public service because the pay is less than that of a bread wagon driver. A protest was made against a proposed reduction from $1,200 a year to $900 for young men entering the chemistry service. PRESSMEN RAISE WAGES Jersey City, N. Jy, Dec.

13 A wage increase pf $7 a week has been negotiated by the Printing Pressmen's union. swarm to this state they were will- to work for low wages. Now they are entering all lines of business and seriously interfering with the profits of men who do not work with their hands. Hence the howl. They were a blessing when they cut wages; they are a curse since they cut profits." ACTORS WANT SUNDAY OFF New York, Dec.

13. The Actors' Equity association has appointed a committee to urge state lawmakers to vote against legalizing Sunday theatricals. The actors declare they are entitled to a one-day rest in seven. The managers, it is stated, are maintaining a lobby at the state capital to secure seven-day legislation. GAINS AT FORT SCOTT Fort Scott, Dec.

13. Em ing to combine the conflicting and have appealed to congress to investi-warring elements of private owner- Rate the conditions existing in the '-hip and public control. Guyan field, which their protests and If our past experience teaches us their threats of armed intervention anything, is it not plain that this have failed to correct. The officers means another era of enormous prof- of district No. 19 of the United Mine its for the private owners at the cost Workers, which includes 40, 000 min-f an enormous and unwarranted ex- ers in West Virginia, have sent a pense to the public? I letter to every member of congress Is it rational to believe that in a 'asking immediate inquiry, few short months a small group of They assert that there are now Senators and Representatives no some 12,000 to 14,000 unorganized one of us- an expert in railway trans- miners in the Guyan field, held in a portation has discovered some mag- sort of feudal subjection by "a pri-ic by which the miserable failures of vate army of thugs and gunmen," who 70 years are to be converted into up men, women and children in-marvelous success? discriminatory when the slightest at- And when we discover that the tempt to improve the wages or con- 4 ployes in flour mills, syrup mills andjattempt to break this strike, and the brick yards have secured a 25 per use 0f cossacks to ridp into the hall cent wage increase.

Hours have been 0f the unionists indicates to what reduced from 12 to eight per day and the work week from seven to six, MR. REDFIELD QUALIFIES New York, Dee. 13. Following his recent attack on the American Fed- of Labor at Atlantic City, for- mer Secretary of Commerce Kedfield has announced that he has entered the WANT NON-UNION SHOP Austin, Texas. Planing mill cwn paid for pillar work.

The right tojstocK DioKerage Dusiness. ers have locked out members of the conditions at some of the govern-Carpenters' union and insist that they institutions are "incomprehen-be re-employed on the -o-called "op-'sible." en shop" basis. The workers are not Senate committee has one plan, that the House committee has developed another plan, which in all essential 1 features is opposed to the Senate bill, does it not raise a serious question as to whether either committee has found the way out? Does it not seem the part of wisdom to extend mandatory Government operation for a period of five years rather than commit ourselves in haste to either plan, RAILROAD BOSSES UNITE The "International Association Railroad Supervisors of Mechanics" is one of the latest organizations cre ated by the high cost of living for salaried under officials in the railroad industry. It is not a trade union, be cause its constitution contains no strike clause, but it is otherwise on the same track. Just at present it is asking congress, through circular letters, to establish a special board or tribunal in the railroad legilation turning back the property to private operation which will give them con- sideration er their wage demands and other grievances.

As bosses, they Cannot well submit their demands to the Other Wava hnnrrla in wVii-V VVio classified railroad employes are is have their coal weighed is denied them; they are compelled to work excessively long hours; many special burdens are prjt upcfn them. Aaid when individuals have testified to these grievances before some commission named by the reluctant governor, the witnesses have promptly been I I 1 trrritA linin lllli in n.in nivu IbbUIJl UUUIl LOJG STRIKE IS WON Omaha, Neb. The organized boil. er makers have won the last shop that has stood out against them in their strike for better conditions, which started last May. TAILORS MAKE GAINS Memphis, Tenn.

The Journeymen Tailors' union has established its new agreement for alteration work. The eight-hour dav and a wppklv mini. mum of $30 are the principal features. CARPENTERS GAIN Hanford, Dec. 13.

A wage increase of $1 a day has been secured by organized carpenters. tricked by this anti-union term. RATIFIES SUFFRAGE Pierre, S. Dec. 13.

The state legislature has ratified the equal suffrage amendment to the federal constitution. Thfe is the twenty-first state that has taken such action. MILK DRIVERS GAIN Jersey City, N. Dec. 13.

Milk! drivers have secured a six-day week and raised wages 15 per cent for outside workers and 20 per cent for inside employees. FLAT JANITORS GAIN Chicago, Decj 13. The Flat Jani- 3" tors' union has secured a union shop ity to its organizations, for it would agreement and wage increases that take them out of the hand3 of rcck-avcrage 22 per cent. jless men." 1.