The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-02-28
Labor Reform in Massachusetts.

a committee Of the laboring men re-
Gently had hearing before the Legislature
OF Massachusetts. We clip from the CONF
monoeahh portion of its very interesting
description of this occasion $50
AS he closed and Mr.. Ira Steward rose to
speak, woman said: might | ask a
question ~ Permission being politely ac-
corded, she did so thus
~ want to ask, when all these arrange
mentS are being made for shortening the
working-hours for laborers-and the labor
ers are all men-I want to ask if poor
women, who labor for a pittance of sixty
or seventy cents day, must go on in that
way? ask you, must it be so? Is it
humane Z" And with a little sigh she
sat down. There was nothing TO say, and
every body said it for the space of two min
utes. An extra cargo of com,niscration
might have found ready market in
the Green Room in those two minutes.
Both the poor woman and all the
members of the committee were deserving
candidates therefor, if not also every man
in the room. 1t was very awkward. No
doubt she was inopportune; she had lifted
the curtain from an infinity of troubles be-
You'd the reach of any there present to rec
THY. Personally she was an exceedingly
plain woman. There was no shadow Of
sentiment about her. Yet a certain digni-
ty OF earnestness, tempered with sorrow,
touched every one. No one answered her.
No one could. -
The aggression passed, and the chairman
OF the House committee, Mr.. McDuffie,
called on MIR. Steward to proceed. And
now came the Hamlet" part of the play.
Mr.. Steward answered with great prompt
ness that reduction Of hours of labor would
not reduce the amount of wages. The
laborcrs, the producers, of the country are
now paid too little; and there is another
class of men who are paid too much,
that is the middle-men, the traders
and the merchants. They produce
nothing. The nation is none the
richer for their labor. Yet thew
take position where they control wealth.
and thereby they amass it. Extra hours
of leisure tend to the production of better
grade of work, to the introduction and en-
ployment of skilled labor instead of unskill.
ed, to development, improvement and cul-
ture in the workman. These again increase
the consumption of all manufactures. for
Ger but consumer. Increase the consump-
ton and the production will take care of
itself.
All this Mr.. Steward told off with a
manner that was half its charm--if not
more. lie is thoughtful, earnest, clear
headed man, and always stops moment to
consider before he states his thought. by
which habit alone the thought, when it
comes certainty, loses nothing. lie marks
of, without any regularity, his points on
mechanics thin blunt fingers, and is al
ways ready, never disconnected, and very
sure he is right.
But If this change be made,o asks Mr..
McDuffie, !" by the Improvement in labor
the wealth of the country must also in
crease; and does not, then, capital still
lead labor as much as now? Is the diff
Guilty really obvated ?" For a moment
the long-haired, alert head was tilted one
side in sort of bird-like meditation.
No; it is not so," ne replied quickly !;
for all this development and cultivation
of the masses tends toward cooperation !;
and when we get cooperation that is the
millennium of labor reform, and we don't
need to do anything then; everything
will do ITSELF" Mr.. Steward had settled
the matter to his own satisfaction evidently,
and no one had anything better to offer.
Mr.. Mcneil rose to explain that whereas
now no capitalist could, as formerly, gain
livelihood on the margins he could pare
from the labor of three or four men, but
must trim narrow edges from that of TWEEN
ty ora hundred, SO the time must yet come
when capital could not be found to hire. as
IS sometimes the case now with the most
superior workmen; labor must be in part
nership with capital. So comes coopera-
ton.
1t was remarked that, though it was a
public hearing, no opposition was made to
the request Of the petitioners. Mr.. Nc
Dufiie called for any remarks in opposi-
ton. None came, and Mr.. Mcneil said:
There is no opposition. We would ike
to hear some; not triiers, but some ear
nest objection raised.o "Yes, we would
pay for that" suggested Mr.. Steward.
E b. HOwLE's DRUG STORE, Market