The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-08-03
The Socialists Views Related to the
Congressional Committee.
PRIVATE PARTIES PROFITS.
Present Distribution OF the Results OF
Machinery Curse.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS SUGGESTED

ysslcrday attracted a miscellaneous assembly COM
posed OF some thoughtful old gentlemen, some hungry
looking idlcrs anc large party oil social aDor fe"rh
ers and Communists Justas schwab, Mr. Jonas. OF
the Yoiss Zefsun0 Hugh McGregcr and otner ieaaers
OF the reform labor parry were present to watch mo
proceedings
The chairman OF tho delegation Of me sociaiistc
labor party, NJ Robert Il. Barhoionee, was hrs'
heard. Like the succeeding Witnesses ne was oxen
interrupted by hrs Outstanding comrades VINO as
scented from his answers and wao would inseDeci
in an undarlone sash CALCULATIONS as 'oh' ihaVs
nonsense" ''Let answer that" or "ouiu
prompt the repy ia whisper nc A'A'e'
Ia nswcrto Mr. Hewlit's questions that inc de.e-
CATION represented the New York main section OF
The sociastie labor party composed OF from fourteen
10 fifteen hundred men. "rhese are the members IN
good stapdtngu he said; sthose that don't come up
10 the scratch We drop'
Mr.. Isasc Bennett who sat by him, declared In an
undcrtone that the real total membership was o,ooo
RErREsEsrNG ENTIRE PEOPLE
Mr.. Bartnolomee-Our committee has not come
here TO represent any trades Unions. because we
have recognized that radical change IN the govern
nent is necessary TO change tie distribution oil me
results oil labor. Therefore We represent not any
trades unions only but the whole people
Mr. Bartholomee now submitted mass OF hgures
colae1 from tho last census and from the statistics
OF tho Massach usotts LABOR Bureau. showing the
enormous dsproportion between the earnings OF EN-
ployers and their laborers. In 1870 while The pro
ducer earned s5i per head the non'producer
earned $42s per head Meanwhile wages had been
SIN iur,nsr reduced While he. as piano regulator,
had able 3G per week in 1869 he nov could
sarn only $50 week. He denied that the purchasing
power OF money had Increased IN anything hSe the
proportion Of The loss OF wages
O Have you examined tho wholesale prices OF pro-
ska
buy half dozen barrels OF -four; have not the cap
ital TO invest seven pounds OF lour Is the utmost
tan purchase at a time.
q. II the who esae prices have been reduced ana
Me retail prices have NOT is IL the middle classes that
ibsorD Inc prcltsl a. We cannot go IN aud examine
he books grocers ind out wnat they paid 10
me wholesale dealers, and then examin, the books
81 the wholesale dealer TO sec what be paid That Is
what want the government bureau TO d nd out; we
have not Inc power at,a., y.
INVESTIGATE PEoFTs.f
q You mean to say that the government should IN
vesiiaaie the proals OF private pariesy a. That's
what e demand We want officer TO DO elected by
the peope, ana politician hanger on. 10 mako
the investigation. George Men ell, who was IN charge
Of the bureau uled ms duties fairly,
aud so the capitalist class had INN discharged.
Mr. Bartholomco urged that The investigation OF
this Ger should embrace tho sanitary condition o
factories, tho wages Of iaborers. the profits oil en-
ployers the percentage paid TO stockholders and The
education OF factory employees. We know that thou
sands OF children are crippled, no said, Ia factories
and never have IA chance 10 go 10 school. Not Iona
ago man was beaten IN Fail River, Mass, becau 80
he dared to noriy the authorities that men were com
PEELED to 70 to the factories before the regular hour
oil WORK. Mr.. bartholomew quoted some hsures bear
Ing the poll tax receipts IN Massach usets showing
that While eighty per cent OF tho population ved Ia
poverty six Ter cent enjoyed riches rho real pro
aucers do receive what they ought 10. SAID he
Tho enlirc arrangements of production, consumption
and Distribution Is unnatural.
u Have you investigated tue causes OF the gro
dilerenc, tbs compensation OF employers aid
iaborersy A. fos, sir; ana We have honest eonvic
lions about one OF the great causes ~ over pro-
aucuon by machinery, wneh mas thrown gr.a
many out ol employmehti 10 DO sure, some poopit
hnd work IA making these machines, but they are
mol one-tenth OF those thrown out OF work.
CURSE.
O. Has machinery benefited mankind or notY A.
lite great blessing IN ITSELF but AZ now managed II
the greatest because the Capitalist 1bsorbs
nearly all the profits IL Is not machinery that ~
wrong-it Is The distribution OF tho results OF ma
chinery.
u Inc owner OF the machinery gets too muchf A.
Yes. oar. aud the producer gels neat 20 hosng. The
cabinet maker buys lumber Tor $40, he pays the
worKman 40 ana tnen sells the caDinet Tor 500, 20
that lao gets s35 profit aud the workman only 50;
you think thai Is rightf
prJntsr A. Mort OF them do
Y Then they all get rcbr A. Yes, sir tho large
MI Kce--You are n piano regulator; did no,
many OF the wealthy piano manufacturers, Ike
s,einway. Weber, Decker, start as loremen ana
IRON the hu ADiest begnningsr Yes, air, bus
they did II by their own industry or energy,
but py the energy and industry OF others
Y IL u not an advantage TO The iabonng classes 10
know that humbiost oftoa have Chance 10 reach
that postionr a. deny that tho chance exists any
more. We 90 not want tue chance, anyway We
wan, better '.ae o, soele,y ~n.,s Sren as es
tnied 10 the they have. Ibey have IT because
they deprived their mon OF part Of ihei earnings.
They only pad their men part oi what thcy earned
and the rest thsy pat into their pockets.
co-oPEnArivK socfEriEs.
Mr. Hewitt asked tho witness 10 state how busi-
meas should be carried according 10 his plan. aud
no replied "By cooperative societios, supervised
by government officers ana governed ny heads elected
by themselves"
Y should luo co cooperative societies Of dncroat 40
ei..ies soil at the same pricer iss, SIR 49,
Y suppose tho soce,y Ia fhiadeipila makes hotter
piano., fetching higher prccsy a. Wen, We ciain
that All men can make good work.
Who - to regulate THO prices y. Ihc aiharehs
cooperative societies between themselves
u would you have uniform price adOptedY A.
Why not2 tho OF coal Is nov liked BY the coal
monopoiists.
q suppose the cooperative society OF Philadelphia
should Of funds and tho wanted TO aver
A. When the hours are once reduced 10 ciaht there
will be enough employment Tor all tue men, and other
cooperative societies would extvnd them help.
(Here comradc, VINO dissentoi irvni tns view,
murmurod ''No such thlng.'D
a. suppose one had small family Of iva or three
ana another bad family OF ten, would you pay them
cquaiyf A. would pay men according 10 Their
useiA
a But the poor man with ten children coudn'
lly. on the same pay when the other could with
three; who would help him out' A Tho cooperative
society. tI.augbterl
rAMfLIEA
Mr. Thompson-ihcn you would olcr premium on
large famIliesY u.augnter1
Mr.. Bartnolomee--Ios, sur AS u ~ nov, laOorcr
hasn't got cbsncc RAISE large family Ior 10 gem
crafty ~ sick before he " born.
u Suppose "A earned moro than he needed
what would he do with tho surpluaf Would ne NO.
nccumulato ~ A. No, lie wouldn't nave = aoh,ie w
accumulate IN that state OF society wnon no Knew
,hnt accumulation aud individual properly are olct
done away with.
q. What would no do with ~ A. lie would buy
many Things WHEN useful anu necessary hnd
winch man cannot buy wsdsya
Mr. Rce-But suppose man had salary o.
$1,000 yeGr----
Mr. INTERCHANGEABLE should have no such salary
Mr. Rlce--And be only sIent tAOUO Of u, "hh
vould he do with the remaining SO.OJOf
Mr. Bartho lOnee--He'd turn them over 10 the cO'
s,erative goctcty uaughtcr1