Sally Nome 3nb«atrial Marker.
Published Daily except Sunday
Mr Nome Mine Workers’ Union, No. *40. Western Federation of Miners.
Subscription Price
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"To secure to each laborer the whole product of his labor, or aa
nearly as possible, is a worthy object of any good government-’’—
Abraham Lincoln
Address all Communications to Dally Nome Industrial Worker,
Box 210 Nome, Alaska. Phone, Black 184.
All changes In standing advertisements must reach this office at slz
•'clock each evening to Insure Insertion In the following Issue.
Advertising rates made known on application.
Entered as second class matter March 1, 1911, at the poat office at
Nome,■ Alaska, under the Act of March I, 1879.
L.YIJOR CONTRACTS.
' The case of Weckman versus T ie
Alaska Lighterage and Commercial |
Co. was followed with considerable
interest and some matters apier-'
taining to it are worthy consider
<.tio... Like all cases i". whi’.h
workingmen are involved this facts
will tcpay attention.
As for the verdict of course it Is
duo to the particular jihase which
fastened itself upon the minds of
the 'urois, and without a knowledge
of that, comment would be beside
the question. In any eevnt, intrinsi
cally speaking, while of great im
portance to the litigants, to us it
is of the least itppor*ance in the
whole cause.
What is important was that
astonishing contract. It is an aston
ishing state of things when a man
has to work seventeen hours or
thereabouts a day and to be a jack
<)f all trades to obtain a position of
the kind.
In tlie first place it is a physica.
impossibility for any person,
whether a superman or not, to do
any kind of efficient daily work for
seventeen hours—from seven in the
morning until twelve at night. It
is impossible lor any person to
work that length of time and to
maintain a clear head and an atten
tive tirelss hand.
What is of necessity involved in
such a contract is that there must
he a slackness somewhere, and that
there is that slackness somewhere
must have been tacitly umlerstoo I
by both employer and employee.
We say it advisedly that no em
ployer who undersands employment
could expect to receive efficient
service from any employee and re
quire of him at the same time to
■work from seven in the morning
until twelve at night. And as we
see it, although none of the experts
saw it from the evidence, Weckman
as engineer and hoistman, mud
have exceeded that time in order to
have steam in his boiler to start
work.at seven in the morning.
Yet despite this, the testimon >
showed that the employee had re
quired of him by his employer du
ties as important as they were vari
ous. Most of them were such as are
in the nature of things anywhere
usually termed skilled, and which
are well requited. Their import
ance is not to be disguised by the
testimony which seemed to indicate
that the control of steam was easy
in high pressure boilers. Such
testimony is strangely In conflict
with the safety first regulations
which now prevail in almost alt
states and most plants outside.
However that is neither here nor
there. The length of the work day
defies any possibility of Us being
an effective work day, and simply
creates a condition of drudgery
that would be fatal to tolerance by
the majority of men.
And this paper wonders wny
these contracts. ” Contracts for
workers have no benefit whatever.
They are no substitute for labor un
ion control, nor for the failure to
live up to an agreement entered
into with organized labor. It
would be no loss to labor If every
employer broke every contract that
ever he went into. That’s fiat. It
would be a distinct benefit to labor
if there never was a contract signed
That’s fiat also. The contract is a
relic from chattel slavery. Its very
terms are insulting. The legislation
and the court decisions are perpe
tually reverting to the chattel in
terest of the “master in the serv
ant”. The contract is no benefit to
the worker. The contract is not en
tered into except when beneficial
to the employer. The employer has
the job. The average worker de
mands certain terms before fllllnk
It. The employer makes his own
terms and says to the employee
sign these or you dont work. He
has that power and that privilege.
He is not going to draw up terms
against himself. He would be fool
ish if he did and these employers,
taken by and large, are not fools.
It is not an agreement between
equals. It is an agreement between
one who controls the job whereby
the other man lives. How can the
other man then expect in relation
to his employer to benefit by it?
He simply cannot, and a contract
merely protects him to a certain
extent against the opposition of the
other worker. Just take a look at
the terms upon which the Alaska
Lighterage and Commercial Co. em
ployed Weckman. Look at the long
working day, so long as we said ef
ficient service during that time was
a physical impossibility. Just look
at what was expected of Weckman.
He was eveyrthing from engineer
to boiler maker from fireman to
chore boy. And in return for that
he got a promise of a job that’ was
to last from First day of May un
til the close of navigation. He was
to have the job and the other fel
| low that looked for it would be
denied. Because he signed his
name to the terms set forth by his
employer, he held work.
Does Weckman or does any one
suppose tlie Alaska Lighterage or
any other corporation makes a con
tract with its employee, if sucn con
[ tracts are not considered beneficial
to them? Does anyone suppose that
if a company believed that it
could secure the same serivce with
out these contracts they would for
( one moment enter into them. They I
give an employee a definite value
in securing him work against other
workers and in return for that they
.will weigh against it definite terms
which are beneficial to them. The
contract stripped of all legal phra
seology is a deed of sale. The man!
, with labor to sell signs up with a
buyer of labor power at so much
per. Manifestly the buyer has lots
of choice. Weckman in this in
stance was not the only man that
' that the Alaska Lighterage could
| have hired. But the , Alaska
Lighterage just at that time
; was the only company in Nome
[with certain jobs going at $250 a
1 month for several months. In other
, words, as a buyer the corporation
found lots of supply and as a seller
Weckman found relatively little de
mand for his wares.
| The contract is the result of the
I individual worker dealing by him
self and for himself.* It is the an
I tithesis of a union agreement
j While union men could get together
and say that they would not hire
out to the Alaska Lighter
age Co. for more than eight hours
a day and only for one definite job
and would if they all stuck together
insist upon it, the individual worker
cannot control his rivals in the
market and he is bound to sell
his labor power also upon such
terms or less as the employer mav
demand.
Generally speaking what an em
ployer wants is as much work as he
can for as little money as possible,
it may be protested that this is not
always the case. But that is the
case in the only business that will
stand the test. It is impossible to
expect an employing firm, how
ever well intentioned, to regard
this in any other light. The em
ployer pays what he has to pay. It
may be not what he wants to pay.
He nay be forcedsto pay higher by
conditions in the labor market or.
the necessities of getting the work
done well, quicklv and satisfactor
ily. He may pay lower than he
wants to pay. But he may be com
pelled by competition among rival
business men to so reduce the costs
of operation as to cut the wages to
meet that cost.
It is conditions of this kind that
labor faces and faces always. The
remedy sought by the individual is
often enough by a contract. He
establishes himself in a position of
employment by agreeing to what
the boss demands. Who is sf fool
ish as to think that the employer
is going to make terms against
himself? That he will draw up a
contract on any other basis than j
that upon which he discovers an
ample benefit to himself? So the .
contract is no remedy. Yearly we j
receive reports published on labor j
decisions by the courts, and we j
notice that there is never any year
passes but labor contracts involve
litigation. The worker Cannot af
ford to sell his labor power as an
individual. He cannot sign it away
as an individual and benefit himself.
His only refuge in this state oi
things is to organize and to hire out
in terms which organize^ labor se
cures for him. There is no other
way and every other attempted will
end only in loss of time, worry, dis
appointment, joblessness and exva
tion of spirit—not to say litigation,
usually the most unsatisfactory of
all.
CITY BATH HOUSE*.
Moonlight Spring Water. (Boll*
Ing Hot).
M. O. S0LBERG.
HOLT’S NEW & 2ND HAND STORE
WATCH CS GROW.
2nd hand Quicksilver pr. It) $1.25
Silver Plate per foot.|1.00
Sewing.Machines .. .. $5. to 10.00
Phonographs . . . . $2.50 to $20.00
Stoves, Ranges & Heaters $2.50 to
$35.00.
Mason Jars, per doz.75c.
Mining Screen 15 and 20c. per foot.
Electric Washing Machine and
motor.$30.00
3 h. p. Boiler, complete... $35.00
16x20 Tents.$15.00
1 Furniture, Trunks, Guns, Rubber
Goods.
| SAVE 50 % at
HOLT’S CASH STORE.
Tel. Main 96. 411 Front St.
The House that Saves Yon Money.
OVERSTOCKED
To the Public:—
We have just finished stock tak
ing, and find that we are heavily
overstocked so are making enorm
ous reductions in Hardware—as
much as 50% in certain lines. Not
withstanding Immense advances out
side, especially in Hardware and
Metal Goods, we are still selling on
the basis of goods purchased the
past two or three years.
We will sell for cash only at these
prices, and for a limited time, until
we bring our stock down to the re
quirements of the Camp.
If you have an order to be filled,
let us figure on it; we can save you
money. We have proved it oj
others, we can prove it to you.
DARLING & DEAN COMPANY.
SEATTLE
Barber Shop Ij
FIRST CLASS SERVICE.
Next door Miners Restaurant
JOHN H. NICHOLAS. |!
Prop.
»J* *j« *J« •[• *J«
+ ^ + + + + + + +
MINERS
RESTAURANT
Opposite Industrial Worker.
FIRST CLASS MEALS.
Served in
FIRST CLASS STYLE.
Under New Management
OPEN ALL NIGHT,
l’hone Main 153.
S. H. SIMEON
4,4*4*4,4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*
4* 4* 4* 4* 4* 4* 4* 4* 4* *1* 4* 4* *1* 4* 4* 4*
♦ + + + + + + + + + + + + +;++
+++++++++++++
U. S. MAIL BOAT ^
“Silver Wave
ff
Making scheduled trips l»e- +
tween St. Michaels and all
way points, including Bluff, •{•
Solomon, Nome, Teller, York,'
Tin City, Peering, Candle and
Kotzebue. ^
+ 4» + + 4, + *J, + + + ,fr4,+
ON STEAMER UMATILLA: CAULIFLOWER, GREEN PEAS,
CELERY, RHUBARB, GREEN ONIONS, CABBAGE, CHERRIES,
BANANAS, PEACHES, PLUMS, WATER MELONS, TOMATOES,
CUCUMBERS, HEAD LETTUCE. #
Mollers Groeery
v 811 FRONT STREET
PHONE, MAIN 88.
**•* v4m && ■"j** tk**
Steamer Arctic
will sail for Teller, Lost River, York, Tin City, Wales, Peer
ing, Keevalik and Kotzebue, MONDAY, JULY 17TH, 7:30 P. M
For Information call up Al-aska Lighterage & Com. Co. or
U. S. Mercantile Co.
MANUSCRIPT
Cover Paper
Typewriter Paper
Carbon Paper
OUR TYPEWRITER PAPERS COMBINE ALL OF THE
QUALITIES, STRENGTH, DURABILITY AND FINENESS OF
TEXTURE. MOST ESSENTIAL TO GOOD WORK.
HILI^ PHARMAcIT ~
We Deliver The Geode.
imif j.i.»- «•;_
MMMM
S. UMATILLA”
For Seattle Direct
SAILING FROM
NOME
AUG. 3RD
AUG. 29TH.
SEPT. 25TH.
OCT. 25TH.
SAILING FROM
SEATTLE.
JULY 20TH.
AUG. 15TH.
SEPT. 1ITH.
OCT. 7TH.
SCHEDULES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
F. J. O’CONNOR,
Commercial Agent,
Front St. and Steadman Are.
ALASKA L. A C. CO.
AGENTS
At Dock.
g, bia Glacier. At Cordova steamer will remain long enough to a>*
! I ic
ALASKA STEAMSHIP Gt.
-w .» '-,«•? ■ •*»>*» »»..V«t •
S. S. VICTORIA
LEAVE SEATTLE:
jT
JULY 25.
AUG. 23. T
SEPT. 18. w
OCT. 15.
• . U
LEAVE NOME.
AUG. 7.
SEPT. 5.
OCT. 1.
OCT. 20.
VICTORIA LEAVING NOME JULY 11 AND AUG. 7 will
call at Seward, Valdez, Cordova; Steamer will also visit Coll
low excirvionists time to make special trip out over the
to Miles Glacier, from Cordova the Steamer will return direct
by the outside route to Seattle.
|j R. A. Carroll, Agent, Nome
'jaaiaaaraaaaDiaaaBBBKMraaeBfagaiKiiifaaaaaiBai^^
We have reseived on the
Umatilla a nice line of
SLICKFR COATS before
buying see
Cheap John Store
ONE PRICE TO ALL.
TELEPHONE MAIN 48.
:
■i
Kent Transfer Co.
mi it nr?
General Transfer & Freighting
eioat & QU
Phone Main 139.
«*?;*•■> • ..j{ ttiiJ fain***
MR. MINER
For Hose, Tents,
and Canvas■, See
$n4 \
4 ii j v%. t -V*in. »***«
MURPHY HAS THE SOODS
-7-p---r
WK CAN DO IT.
~ -:-- f. , ,!t-:-:
ARK JOB SEEKING A PATENT*
If ao It will pay yon to tnreatlfato
rotao of tb# In«Mtrtal Worker mm
publication of application therefor.
Beta* yo>r forfeiture notloeo to ito
laAwtrtal Worker