Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-08-08
The LABOR QUESTION.
Further Suggestions for the
Improvement of Things.
Hewitt Proposes List of Questions for
the Country, Asking Employers to
Compare the Past and Present.

New York. August 6.-This be-
ing the last day of the Congressional
labor Investigation committee, the
attendance was unusually large. Geo.
E. McNeall, president of the Inter
national Workingmen's Union, re-
siding in West Somerville, Massa-
chusetts, was the first witness. The
whole difficulty, In his opinion, is
the wages system of labor or, in
other words, that the wages system
and the steam engine system are
contemporaneous, and that the pro-
ductive power has exceeded the
power of consumption. He favored
the eight hour law throughout the
country.
Peck of Danbury, Conn.,, followed.
He thought that instead of lending
hundreds of millions of dollars to
banks, the Gov ernment should lend
some few hundred millions, free of
interest, to the workingmen. lie
read long petition to congress, ask
ing the Government to lend any
man S., 900 to build house with, the
amount to be paid back by install
ments.
Mr.. Gellick was for abollshing the
United States Senate, restricting the
power of Congress and the President
issuing S58 per capita, eurtailing the
home labor to six hours, and to al
low no outside labor bureau to en-
ploy laborers.
Mr.. Kemp believed the cause of
depression was the war over issue of
currency, extravaganza caused by.
the short period of a high protective
tariff, all of which ought to be RENEE
died.
Hewitt read the following ques-
tions, which the committee submit
to the public.
The congress committee earnestly request
the cooperation of the public in all sections
of the country in obtaining information to aid
in the practical solution of the important cues.
ton submitted to it. It especially invites
suggestions from representative men in all de,
partments of business. 1t proposes the fol-
lowing questions to employers of labor through
out the country.
First-What were the selling prices of your
products in 1860, and in each subsequent year
down to 1878, inclusive?
Seeond--What were the wages paid by you
in each of these years for labor employed
Third-Where the persons furnishing in
formation are willing TO do so, the committee
invites them to state the percentage of profit
made by them in each of these years upon the
capital employed in their business.
Fourth-What were the wholesale and res
tail prices of the leading articles of family
consumption during each of these years?
Fifth--What is the difference (if ANY, be-
tween rents of tenements occupied by opera
tives in the years 1860 and 1878 in your vi,
entity?
Sixth--What was the comparative amount
of products of your business in quality and
value in the years 1860 and 1878?
Seventh-State the comparative steadiness
of employment of operatives between the
years 1860 and 1878, inclusive.
The committee invites suggestions from en-
ployers and employed as to the extent and
causes of the present depression OF business
and as to any special federal legislation which
in their opinion would tend to relieve the
same.
The committee will hold the next
session in the New York postofiice
August Goth.