secretary of the local union in that locality who will be pleased to give them information as to how business is and what the chances for employment are.

SUNDAY SERVICES.

Local Union No. 246, of Des Moines, Ia., has arranged a series of Sunday afternoon meetings to be held in the Trade Assembly hall. The officers and members of all the local unions in the city and the general public are invited to attend. The object of the meetings is to build up the membership of the unions and strengthen the labor movement and to discuss problems of education and civic interest.

At the first meeting-held particularly for the benefit of the men in our crafta number of applications for membership were made. The Central Labor Union has heartily endorsed the movement and will assist in making the meetings a success.

THE NEW YEAR.

The New Year comes

With a dawn of hope

That America,

By combat and sacrifice

Will establish a world-wide peace,
Not a formal peace-

A permanent peace is America's scope.
So that never again

Will the people of the civilized world
Have to lay aside the teachings

Of our Saviour,

To abolish autocracy,

As is necessary

For the sake of equity

To make the world

Safe for democracy,

And a place of freedom and humanity. Granite City, Ill.

DONATION TO WAR SUFFERERS.

Italian members send ald.

L. U. No. 874 (Italian), of New York City, circulated a subscription list among its members and friends, the funds raised to be used for the relief of those who suffered in the recent Teutonic drive into Italy. The amount collected ($400.00) was cabled to Prime Minister Orlando at Rome for distribution.

A. FERRARA, Rec. Sec. L. U. 874.

TWO "BIRDS."

Another way to kill two birds with one stone and get a home for all indigent painters and decorators and paperhangers, is by placing a small assessment of twenty-five cents per month for a period of three (3)

years. On the basis of a membership of 90,000, that would give us $684,000.00, half to be placed to the credit of the Painters' Home fund, and half, or $342,000.00 to be placed to the credit of the Death and Disability fund. The amount would not be missed by the members and would insure the indigent members a home; also insure members their death and disability claims in the future. I myself do not expect to participate, as I have drawn my benefits and am now an honorary member, but others will be sorely disappointed if the fund should become a thing of the past. I hope to interest other members and Locals in sufficient numbers to bring this matter to a referendum vote and thereby insure their safety and that of their wives and children.

Brothers, put this matter up to yourselves and think it over, talk it to your Locals; it is the only way you can make the matter good.

C. G. BISHOP, Galveston, Tex.

THE UNION BUTTON IN THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY.

The emblem for Labor and Democracy is a button bearing an inscription whereby all who read may recognize the union to which the wearer belongs and the cause to which he is committed. It stands for freedom and liberty; it means Democracy, the right of the toilers to direct their own destiny. Such are the teachings of unionism in which I believe as a free American and which are in accord with the constitution of our country.

Now capital is a tool in the hands of a few money kings who are working night and day to tear down the trade unions and labor organizations from the foundation of truth and justice upon which they are builded and to deny them the right to organize. This is what the corporations and the big capitalists are trying to do to organize labor in the state of Minnesota. In the last few months they have attempted to disrupt the organization of the Street Carmen and have refused to accept the services of the arbitrator appointed by the Federal Government. It may be necessary for these men to fight for their rights. If so I believe, as does every union man in the state of Minnesota, that we have a man in Washington who is big enough to see that the rights of the workers to band themselves together are respected and recognized. Right, not might, will rule in this our country dedicated to the cause of Democracy. FRED SCHWENZER.

Pres. L. U. 61, St. Paul, Minn.