Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-12-02
Hearing on the Labor Question.

The public hearing before the commission on
| the hours Of labor was resumed this morning
| at O'Clock, in the green room at the State
| House, Rev. w. =. TildeD, presiding.
| DR.. o. ii. Wellington, of Boston, was the first
speaker, and discussed the difference between
| the laborers working so many hours for a few
collars, and the same or greater number of
hours for himself, in the physical. moral and
intellectual results produced He spoke of
trade unions, protective unions, cooperative
associations, and the eight hour leagues lately
organized, and said he wished to establish the
| fact that this movement was sim ultaneous, and
10 a great extent without concert. 1t was his
opinion that the movement had not as much
strength in this State as in New York and Phil
adelpha. He stated that among farmers there
was more cases of incurable insanity than in
any other labor, and the cause of this was that
the farmer had TO keep his mind constantly on
one form of labor; that if laborng men worked
but six or eight hours a day it would tend to
dmlnlsh hereditary diseases one half. He al
luded 10 Mr Atkinsons statement made at n
previous meeting, and differed with him in
some essential points.
VIM. A. Warner, a halter, next testified. He
sald that he had worked only eight hours a day
Tor ten years, and in that time did not average
over SIP week. In 1855 there were about 100
matters In Boston; there are about 40 now, and
OF these he did not believe that there were
twenty uIcII earning n r-oak or had az
any time during the last five years averaged
more than Sl2 week for twelve consecutive
weeks. He was in favor of the eight hour
movement, and had been for the last ten years
DIR. Waldoek, of Roxbury, said so far as he
w
the statements of the last speaker as bearing on
the trade generally.
f. d. Linton said that Mr.. Warner was a
man in business for himself, and his work was
therefore at his own option; he did not belong
TO the hatters' union.
Mr.. Rufus Wyman, Esq, of Roxbury, as a
matter OF principle, was opposed to legislation
for trade; he held that it was supply and money
that ruled trade or labor, and not supply and
demand, and argued at length in favor of an
eight hour law. as tending TO promote indiyi-
0nal and general
demand for all manufactures and productions,
and add to the aggregate of National produc-
tion.
Mr.. Peter T. Homer thought that the obiec-
tlon TO putting their sons to any trade or to
educate them otherwise than for business or a
profession did not obtain among the families of
the weather. classes in this country to so great
an extent as had been the case In England,
France and Belgium it was the custom for the
young men OF the upper classes TO found them
selves in some trade or mechanical occupation.
Mr.. Ira Steward, for Hon. Edward Harris,
of Woonsocket, r. l., handed to the Commis-
sion copies sf the proceedings before the mas
ter IN the cause of equity, Samuel Harris VS..
the Woonsocket Co, ct ais. and the opening
and closing arguments in support of the ex-
ceptions to the masters report, containing
positive evidence that the law of Massachu-
setts in regard to the employment of children
was habitually violated, and, said Mr. Stew
ard, under the present system Of labor it could
not be otherwise.
1t having been decided to hold an evening
session, the Commission here adjourned until
* o'clockp. m, to conclude the hearing.
Ereninq SessiOn.-The Chairman of the Com
mission announced that some dissatisfaction
having been expressed that the interests of the
farmer had not been fairly discussed, it was
decided to give the friends Of the agricuIturist
an opportunity to be heard.
MIR. Wetherell said tha he spoke in behalf of
the cause OF the largest number of laborers: not
only the greatest number of producers, but also
much the greatest share of the capital of the
country. 1t must appear that the magnitude
OF the farmers vocation deserves much longer
nearing than had been given by the Commis-
sion. The speaker, in order TO show the vast
amount of capital and labor employed, quoted
from the recent agricultural statistics to show
the correctness of his position. All other trades
and professions, including man IN features, were
dependent upon the farmer-a class, who, he
said, did not desire anything nor asked no IA
yors, only to be left to themselves. As a class
they did not clamor for any legislation in their
behalf Ii reg uired no inducements to encour-
age the farmer TO raise large crops. He cited
the State bounty offered some years ago to
farmers TO raise large crops of wheat and to-
bacco. All the farmer wants il a market. He
replied TO an assertion made by a speaker that
the farmer was more fairly provided for than
any other class. He said il was not so in his
obsery yatlon, aad he maintained with the fullest
assurance that the comforts and conyeniences
OF the farmers home were equal, if not supe-
riOr, TO those of mechanics. The cash value of
the farms in the United States in 1850, was
S3.21l SIS, 436, and in 1860, S6,645.O45,OG
showing an increase OF sixty-seven per cent,
and in contemplation of these figures he would
say that the labor necessary to the conducting
of farm in all its particulars could not be
done within eight hours; and an eight hour
system would ruin the farmers of Massachu-
sets, especially if they were brought into COM
petition with the producers of neighboring
States. 1t would be an injury TO the working
classes to have such a law for the purpose of
gratifying a small class of operatives He next
alluded to the tendency such law if enacted
would have 10 increase prices The shorten
ing of the time diminshes the product of the
labor; and as an evidence of this he quoted
from Stewart Mills political economy. Where
small numbers of men were employed they
may keep up the price of labor if the labor is
OF that kind where there is a competition, and
at the same time will increase the cost of pro-
duction of that labor. He believed the hours
OF labor could only be regulated by the law of
supply and der az d; that men would work as
many hours as t.ey choose. The ten hour sys-
tenn has not affected the number of hours
worked on single farm in the country, and
it would not in this State. He said that making
law that Disseminated between those who
worked doors and those who worked out
doors was discrimination against the farm
ers, and that such law would be great in
justice 10 the farmer and impolitIc upon gen.
eral principles. The speaker also aIiuded to
the proposition of legislating upon wages He
denounced such an idea. Wages Were regu-
lated according to the relation of labor TO the
demand, and the price of labor is regulated bv
the product OF that labor Much has been said
by clergymen and humantarians about the
dignity flabor. There was no more dignity in
labor than in the practice of law or medicine
Ii was noble and dignified to do anything
and the mechanic are mutually dependent upon
each other, and the idea advanced by some that
the farmer must pay back part of hls profits
10 the manufacturer, who has had his full pay
for the machinery bought of him, is absurd; il
was an element bordering a socialism that
had again and again showed itself in the argu.
ments in favor of the eight hour system In
answer to question by Mr. Steward, if he
thought short hours would make men better or
worse, MI Wetherell replied that in his opinion
greater number would be injured by idleness
than would be benefited by short hours Of labor
Those men who have the least to do have the
least desire to do it, and the less a man does the
less he is inclined to do. In reply to an asser-
tion that more farmers became inmates of
insane asylums than any other class of laborers
he denied that that was true; but perhaps il
was so in the case of farmers wives
In conclusion he thought the efforts now
being made with reference to limited hours of
labor should be carried out with regard to
women, and he did not see why they were not
as important class as the sterner sex: that
farming cannot be done favorably to the inter-
ests of the capital invested on an eight hour
system, and, therefore, while believing farmers
and mechanics should have opportunities in
creased for their Improvement, he did not
believe that such n law as r,ronOsad xxauId