New-York daily tribune., 1865-11-25


take right hold Of thfs much needed reform ana prns
II 10 a eopsumIDaioDi Why not woik together. both
the employer ana tne IN wfp Ia giysn on
Christian grounds, why they should notf know the
stumbling block which stands IN the way OF nearly
co0pe efaton between the employer ana t9e eup.eu ~
reference 10 this Eight Hour reform. 1t 10 seshnrss
have not the least doubt but what the great aJory
OF employers wond favor this movement, .ne
torg millions would consent 10 pfoportiona Ieuue
tion of their wages But hold this TO De nhnecessdTH
This brings MS really to the main question:. name
": Can employers be made TO pay az rnuch ior elg
hours labor as they now pay for ten without
M, price .f the article producedT answer tDes can
in he vast minority Of trades hold it 10 he perfectly
trne and demon strabe that there is no necessity LOT
reduction In the price Of wages when the hodfs ol pv
shall have been reduced 70 eight per Sn! mo ~ ,be
there be ony necessity for increasing the pree o 'ne
article produced To prove this 70 be rue Nt mus Ss
csrtqa rhat hc rofs 81 any sicrn udos uu', "a
preseat competition. and the prices "hic" ao '"" p"1
for the article manufactured. n.l
In order To illustrate this. will take the boot anu
Shoe trade because 1t is the simplest III ts uelas VI
any trade can think Of. have learned upon inquas,
th9t good workman viii make rom elsht 10 hihe
nars Of stoga boots per week that be VIII make rou
six 10 seven pairs Of calf pegged boots per wees Nv
will make from four to five pairs OF sewea h evr P
week Adding the lowest OF these numOeIr ~ ~, W,
aVe will he six The prices OF such boots III tno cay
range from eight 10 sixteen dollars per pdr Inc aI
eraee price is twelve dollars. Having these WV iui
ber the nnuber Of pairs when one s r ra%
week and the price per par as hasls ior caleuio"'
we can very soon arrive at conciusi0ns 49,.
We will now suppose that in th's city an enpo,ea ,e
en- ploys ten acknowledged good "orhmen i.esy sn
men II make .ixty pairs Of boots per week As there
are fy two weeks IN yenr Eve will saw MY worhlng
weeks allowing two weeks for holidays, 8el Tue! "d cra
make fifty times sixty pairs of boots Whicn - 100
nairs per wear. Multiply this number by the aeruse
prce fer pair which is Sl2 ana the product amounts
io s36 900 which is the worth VI the boots.
We will now ascertain the expenses oil mahu'aelai
ing establishment which employs ~ nen saDs csn or
store in this city In good locality Tor business, on
one Of its principal streets. for 600 year. neluulg
room sufficiently large for 10 worAmcn We nase' nv
then the following Items; store rem ~ So ss0' NJ
ctinerv and Lasts Ac goo; Clerk hire fOo Au
yertlsipg $780, Sundres. slOO Losses siOi oos. VI
Leather ;or oue yesr. including cutting ana eInhps
allow ing 81 per palr. amounts 10 sl2vNi uo,erh..
tav on manufactured boots s2se0; Invested capital
sl7 $50, Interest invested capital az ~ pe' cen'
(Which IL all In my opinion that Invested cspitaI en
t,tied to) and II amounts 20 1880; subuact 'nis
,onrt ,rom the present worth Of all the boots wblcn
Ia SO COO aud have tor remainder sloa looel o'
wages To be divided between 10 men ana Tue enpo,oi
1loir4 tbe smpiOycr fAf same wdPt' Pe' d'y az "'.
,,,,Joy. Divide sl66s4 by IL. snd the quotleht u
Al 5IGs2a the wages for one year per insn pNds
his number by 800 working days, and 'ach man "ouu
Win ibese 6sares before rs, what would the EN-
ployer realzei He woud realize the same yearly sal.
ary as the men be employs which Is sI,oo.,& plus
the interest on invested capital. which IS 73l making
sum tota Of clear profits amounting q $3.50; 20
while each be employs receives but rloio''~' VI
| Is % per day. -. - ~ b.
The above data, thlnE are as accIr "s IN M "
made without the books. Now what do these hgures
proye They prove that IN this city employers IN the
boot and shoe trade, receive not Only per cent on
Invested capital plas dang wages IKE their einplo!eH
INT also 40 per cent of each mans daily wages br
wages in this city. average among good ~orAuieh'
! - yer day. ,., T.. a., u,....i,v ., q, r.lue
,on oS price OF ages with these figures before us
y ~ the reduction OF the hours oI laoor
feht.entbs OF - o. IS - o. whichl: - per cent oIe
han he deily wages received by the best vorkmen IN
] ft r,Td n
rag,s employers IN this city, would real q - per cent
on each Land employed. beside the large saiaf! $50 80
above estimated. hold. Sir, that there Is NO heeessi
for a reduction OF wngcs under these circumstances
he above figures prove II lad, Sv. upon Nhdi Pril.
eipe Of ,gny usioe - any Employer eH.ed 70 from -
- 100 pr ecHf Of he prodsci.re WdHsryJ mf "e' ey
rrlgg al,r Bsria1 sedac'sd 10 per oH os sA tNpcsee
eep.ial ard daily zasss like oner nssf am NOT oVo'
and shoemaker. but am practical worSing meehanc
and realized to my employer ~ one Senn sH"o
| rent $50; Gas bill. burning III and ~ Iights; '1ai
bill; the wages OF two hands. and surplus beside IA
other words my employer realized about - per cent o'
NV productive Industry. and did not furnish me with
sinee tool dictate TO me scarcely word IN reier
cnce % the work did
/ Ihlse SIR are facts Nv employer to-day realizes
from 20 20 20 per cent % the prodnotyo industry OF
every hand employed. ud this to be the case IN other
trades beside. \ machnist told me the other us!
that he rece we'd 80 per day and that bis employers
chlrgcd g. day Tor bis services beside the pfohts
on al materials furnished similar pIonIs wore made
llom even hand IN the establishment AN Dsid ~
afiIrl III, ihht sliniAE plohie 'HPiNf
en-. In the vast majority of trades. throughout the
length and breadth oi the land. And yet, employers ]
am confident Will boldly assert that they cannot afford
~ Iay tie same wages for eight hours now pad
for ten. An ohJector will say; Rents are so high ana
taxes heavy that We cannot afford to- grant they
cannot H. IN addition 10 these thingt. they blild phd
tal houses. furnish them Ia palatial style. live upon
the expensive yands, on fruits and Vegetable
sh and fowl brought iI0m every cline dive last horses
before prlncely carriages keep aroutHe Oh ser'abts
store their cellars with tho most costly wines buy en
! u.r i've for
weeks. and deck their persons with Jewery worth
thousands Of dollars o. course hey cannot under re-,
crcHmsia.ces But they must be- taught IN. iact; Ihai
hey r,frCHci Ii II as m1cn Their uuty 10 practice
economy a. IL Is for who live from hand 10 mouth.
We Propose 10 share their luXuries with thein mas
! much rs the capital which bought them made by
our industry ana honest toll The fact which lies AT
the foundation Of this natter isfot he pris 0f LABOR
ffHtabiy dsDi0H'ed. My principles are these;
That employers sH,d 10 10 pr cent on al inrestSd
capital and daily reyes me sGas as me men my daPob
II these principles were universally adopted VIZ, Who
the real producers Of capital would be IN altogether
better circumstances than We now are Is not the
assumption that the employers can be made 10 pay
much for eight hours labor as they now pay for ten
without increasing the price OF the article produced.
fully proven II il is not proven there Il one thinf
thai Will make II practical realization, namely ths
universal adoption Of an Eight. Hour Law. COmPeti
ton will keep prices pretty much where they now
feel cOBtdcnt of ths for the iaboing CLASSES espe
ciiiY the more intelligent are coming to- renli1inl
sense that the present prices ct everything eiurd al
abundant profit nnd al that Ia saIy is. nGi mes
groffs should b, mare eghiilbiy disfrbsf,t.
No one can doubt. who viii give moments thongh
to the subject. that machinery chefi,ns every thing
aud # II should prove true that much labor cannot b
done in eight hours In ten machinery Will bo multi
Piled 10 make mp the detoli, and tie more machinery
We have the cheaper viii the products Of industry De-
/ come. Snould wages however De- reduced proportion
aly TO tho reduction of the hours Of labor II sill on'
be Tor a very short time that this reduction viii h
muintancd As people advance Ia civilization then
needs become numerous aud. TO meet them, wage
must rise. II employers resist these legitimate de
mtnds s'rite, will be inevitable uLtA they compl.s
w1h Hut it would be useless iOr employers to RESIST
ar ,ansreI damlud HIGHER Naua- Tor th