The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-08-22
FROM MASSACHUSETTS,
The Labor Reform Convention and the
Platform Adopted

The attendance was smaller than antici-
pated, not more than fifty delegates parti-
pating The meeting WAS called to order
by Mr.. Z. NJ. Chamberlin who spoke as
follows
Members 81 the Convention
As Chairman Of the Labor Reform State
Central Committee, it devOlves upon me
Ju now call this meeting Ia order Since
mr. last annual convention. a ten hour
Law. to take effect October /. has been
enacted by the Massachusetts Legislature
IL Is not precisely the law that was de
manded by you Al Lowell, last August
ANA might rather he called a sixty -hours-a-
week law, as II permits more than ten
hours ut labor day, provided that not
more than SIXTY hours in the aggregate is
taken from the operative by the mauufac-
turer ma any one week We ought not L.
disguise from ourselves the fact that 1t
1r-s not contain very ample provisions for
securing obedience t. Its provisions Con
sluerlns the fierce opposition made to It's
passage by the manufacturing interest, We
may Wen doubt that compliance with it,
requirements will be uniform and uniyrr-
sal We have had Law for some wears
upon the same subject upon eur etatute
book, ~ which law not the least attention
Is pald 10y manufacturers.
The English laws OF "A similar character
we're often uvaded until a system ~ IN
SpectorshIp vas established This secured
very general attention to the provisions Ot
she law
Capital y u willingly make laws IN It's
'"n interest only, and, If forced to recog-
ME the rights OF labor IN its legislative
enactments, It Will take as little notice Of
them afterwards a. is consistent with its
safety distinguished English reformer
told the operatives that. If their masters
would not obey the Law 70 try the effect
% kWttmg needles upon certain parts 81
me machinery. In a similar state Of
affairs, We will counsel the application Of
the ballot {" the political machinery, until,
AT least, wc have lost all hope Of its prov
M Of efficacy. (Applause.)
Ia England, the difficulty Of enforcing
such a LAW Was finally overcome and sc
have no reason to despair II the ultimate
success In tins country should mill owners
conclude 70 dIsobey II. As ID tie bench
clal effect % such laws upon the commu-
mtN, statesmen, statIsticlaus ana others of
England Who have inquired INTO the sub
Ject are almost entirely agreed This very
year there was passed by Parliament with
put serious opposition, Government
measure limiting the time IF labor IN fac
torres s. hfty-sN hours per week We
ought to remember, also that there is less
strain upon the powers Of the English
operative Tor other reasons than the reduc-
uNu 1t ms hours uf labor than there II
upon the American operative. There
weaver ordinarily tends only four looms,
here eight cur masters are driving the
Very ii, uut ut uur Nurk-ptupIp a. 4 com
Idrlsnu 81 vital statistics makes PLAN
The weaver Do fhls country receives TWEEN
tN seven cents rrr cur. III England thirty
tNu cents ler cut Nowhere better than
100 legislation are the elects Of the labor
agitation seen. More than two genera
fI.u- ur People, comprising. W those most
llulu'ri atcIy Interested hundreds II thou
sands 90 human beings, have felt the bene-
.Iu- effects I'D the labor movement ia the.
5r-. .iItIFr regulations If the hours ANA
suIrlIu> 10 their toll. Prrl's hill. passed
lu louz. Was The lrsL aLIsl!I.L IN h. .l'ra...
uUn. ~ men the factories Regulation, ~ ~
lSl" winch prevented the eniplny,,.nt of
.uIlCren under nine IN cotton factories
and between nine and sixteen years Of are.
allowed them tl be worked no, more than
ten hours ana half day. In 1888. an
other factory law was passed, and inspec-
tors trst appointed. BY this law. no child
under fourteen years ~ age could Dc en-
ployers III cotton and other factories more
than nine hours IN any one dav.
In 'S4. a law was uassaI r,r,I tLsttr., ~ .
employment II minors under eighteen
years Of aye, or females over that ACE. In
factories more than ten hours IN anv one
DAY, nor more than ifty-eight hours IA
any one week. Since then the welfare "
the operatives has greatly improved. and
the riches ~ the proprletors vastly in
creased. Factory buildings, far surpassIno
ours III elegance, comfort and convenience
have been erected, and that. too, by pri-
tatc enterprise, while their machinery il
W. superior ID ours that our CORPORATIONS
import 1t for all their best establishments
notwithstanding the heavy duties that
must BE- paid. For comparison. let M
read a recent description Of Sir Titus salts
factory, near Shipley, England
" The Mills. warehouses and sheds at Sal
talie occupy al area Of six and one half acres
exclusive NJ the new mill, the dye-works ana
the gas works between the Leeds and Liver
pool Canal and the River Aire. which cover
three and oue-iourth acres, a total Of nine and
tnree-fourth acres The eXteriors Of the sew
cal buildings are constructed in the Italian
style, and lu the stone OF the district. The
mill Is 80 teet N length and fifty feet in
width the ground story being sixteen feet
from floor To floor, and the upper stories four
-. fF,, h.n r., u.
which are large, are glazed with sheets III
plate glass. the upper parts being hung on
pIvots. opening 50 as t. admit air and exclude
ram. Ventilation Is provided for by hnes in
the walls and arches for the admission Of air.
pu Ninter the rooms are warmed " steam
apes The great shed, covering nearly two
acres Is furnished with tubular steam boilers
through which air Is driven by fans into a 1
series al air chambers beneath the floor ana
through gratIngs into the shed itself
BY these means. this large area Is supplied /
with warm air in winter, and, by shutting of 4
The steam from the tubular boilers, with COOL /
air in summer Long lines Of vcntilators IL /
the roofs are worked and regulated stimuli /
taneousy by . simple arrangement Of 4
wheel. rod and levers. Pipes three inches l
n diameter an connected with escn stack Of |
.losets. and laid into the chimney hues by |
inns SIMPLE exponent ali annoying e1nuNlum n
: removed Thus the sanitary conditions
,ud the comfort Of the workpeople have been
sought TO he secured by the admission of
abundant light, large cublcal content Of each
com and shed, and ny constant and very
ample means for warming and ventilation
There were 1900 people, however, IN
connection with tine new factory, and these
rad to be provided with dwellings. In
he ordinary way speculative builder
would have been set to work, and the
lsual cheap and squahd cottages butt.
lot 81 at solitaire, the ground for the
title town was carefully laid out with a
Jew to the comfort and health OF the peo-
lie. The cottages built Of stone, lined
Nth brick, with parlor living room, a
itchen, scullery, pantry, cellar, and requ-
tie bedrooms, according TO the accommo-
alton required, room for the father and