The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-08-06
The Work Of the Labor Com.
....E... mittee.


The Congressional Labor Committee
at New York have undertaken a work
that Is probably without q parallel In
this or any other country, to>wit: con.
sultation with the masses with view oil
elicitipg from them their real grievances
and Of hearing their suggestions as to
what legislation is necessary to anchor.
ate their condition. Those who read the
daily reports Of the conversations between
the committee and the labor representa-
tiyes will be as much puzzled as the COM
mittee in arriving at any practical solu'
,ion Of the difficulties which surround the
labor question. No two Of the parties
who have appeared before the committee
are able to alike formulate either the
causes or the remedies for the hard times
which all ugree are pressing with severity
upon the various branches Of industry
which they represent.
Those Of them who think they have a
clear conception Of the matter are OF the
Social or Communist School and the
whole drit. Of their theories ia the sub
version Of the present order Of things.
Mr.. Bartholomew, Of the Social Demo
Gratis, would have no accumulation OF
property IN private hands, all should
remain in the possession and under the
control OF the government for the benefit
Of The people, he would break down all
desire 10 accumulate and have workmen
TO rest content with the assurance Of con-
slant work, he would have the nation one
grand Cooperative Society. The Com
mittee questioned him closely on the prac'
tical workings Of Cooperative Societies,
yet he who assumed 10 lay down the
theory Of national system Of commu.
niEm 90 utterly s,ulti6ed himself in at
tempting to explain the workings on a
limited scale, that his socialist friends
were constrained 10 cry out, what an ass
what an ass He eat down 10 confusion
Mr.. Bennett, cigar maker, wanted
machinery SO regulated that it would not
cause an enforced idleuess among work.
iugmen. Cooperative societies were bis
beau ideal Of workingmens associations,
bat he jsdmitled that cigar makers could
not 20 into the arrangement for want OF
capital. Capital, that very instrument oil
oppression which all OF his class had
been heaping curses upon, was necessary
10 the accomplishment of'a great good
forsthe working man. The same party
thought that the reduction Of hours OF
labor to eight hours per day would in
crease wages, and yet he exhibited the
crudeness Of his ideas on the subject when
Mr.. Bayard, OF Illinois, asked him II a
reduction OF labor hours to six per day
would not further increase wages. He
sat down 10 silence, unable to answer.
All the takers have SO far shown
their utter incapacity for every
thing except denunciation, have shown
how little there Is Of intelligent
thought among them upon matters OF
paramount interest to large masses Of
their fellows, and upon which the aim OF
the Government in appointing the able
committee was to really get light and in
formation by actual contact with the
people. Everything that has been sug-
sssted Il confined TO the narrow limits Of
ismb, or Wild theories shooting about the
political Ornament like meteors in the
ky, without real substance or value in
the economy Of government Upon one
point only the various conyersationslists
agree and that is their adverse comments
upon the use Of machinery. That this
prejudice sgainst the use Of labor.saVing
machinery Ia founded upon the direst
ignorance Of the benefits which have &C.
crued therelrom to the masses Of the PEG.
pie in all civilized countries Is happily
&c. forth 10 an able article in the Chicago
1Ibpns, in which it says:
at Is worth while to consider the gen.
eral as well as the special effects Of EN-
ploying lAbor-saving machinery: Let
The most extreme case be taken OF some
production where, by the Introduction Of
machinery, the number OF persons en-
ployed has been reduced TO one.fourth
and the production quadtupled. This
would neceSsitate the discharge Of three
iourths Of the men engaged In that trade.
We eoncede that for the time being, and
until these same persons could lind en-
ployment al some othetwork, the change
would be oppressive upon them; but they
necessarily form but . minute proper.
ton Of the whole population, and the
welfare and benefit otfhe whole Is Of such
magnitude that private losses must be
endured, The increase Of production
Ia 90 great, and the cost TO con.
N1AANAn " HhSa bpahN1tt NhAh
the whole population share and
enjoy the blessing Of increased abun,
dance. Thus all classes Of population are
Of necessity consumers, and all enjoy the
abundance, comfort, and luxury Of the
increased consumption Of this worlds
goods made possible by the reduction In
The coat Of production. Thus the stone
cutters enjoy the benefits Of having shoes,
cotton goods, WOODEN cloths, hats and caps,
aannsis, carpets, furniture, glass and
earthsn-ware, cutlery, breadGtuffs, meats,
andeysEy thing else entering Into domes-
tic uses for themselves and family at
prices not averaging one-ftth Of what
thRae articles would coat 10 the absence Of
lAhot-sAyiug machinery. To stop ma.
ehineEy would raise the cost Of sawed
granite bat Il would also proportion
Stely increase the coat Of everything the
stone cutter stands 10 need Of for his own
or his iAmily's use,
Thare IN one universal law from which