The daily gazette., 1879-03-15

as / am"
WORKMRN ON THE PRESENT CONDI- |
TIoN oFLABoR.-One of the most inter-
est;ng papers In the Tenth Annual Re-
port of the eMassachusetts Bureau of Stat |
istics of Labor, so we'll conducted by
Mr.. ID. Wright, is the in which he col
lects what he calls "the testimony of
workingmen" in regard to the labor ques-
ton. Mr.. Wright prepared circulars
interrogating workingmen as to their
views upon the various issues connected
with this subject, and these circulars,
having been first explained in the daily
and weekly papers of the State, were
then sent to the number of more than
five thousand workingmen throughout
the State. Only two hundred and Thirty
circulars were returned answered, or 4.6
per cent Of the whole, but those who
answered must be assumed to represent
the more inl ellegent aud thinking pOr-
tiOn of their class, and this gives the
greater value to the responses, which are
both sugeestiv- and curious IN themselv. 8
1t Is noteworthy that only three answers
were sent by women, ami that fifty-three
came from boot and shoemakers, twenty
two from carpenters, thifty-thIee from
engineers and machinist, and twenty-one
from factory operatives. Ninty-six of
the respondents considered Them selves
overworked, but one hundred and ten
did not think they were. and twenty -four
did not reply. S xty-one favored reduc-
tion from ten to eight hours day, seyen-
ty five desired 10 reduction, sixty express
ed no opinion on the subject. The crude
notions which men entertain on labor
subjects generally were aptly illustrated
by the numerous answers returned to
the question "What way, If any, have
you thought of by which YOU think you
could be paid more fairly and equitably
for your labor than you are now?' On
| ly one hundred and sixty replied to this
at all, and of these twenty-six were
frank to confess that they could not
think of any way, and three chad not
! considered it," Five thought it could be
done by legslat on, but did not Indicate
of what solt.
On. suggested national cooperation,
! while three favored the abolition OF the
wages system. Increase the wages was
the panacea with some; Others wanted
reduction of the hours of labor cO-opera-
| tion, more work, revival OF business, fair
division of profits, &c. Ten persons ex-
pressed themselves as being, satisfied
now" while two wanted Congress to send
L the woI kngmen TO the public lands. A
good many favored the dispensing with,
the reduction or the taxing Of machinery,
aud one only proposed "more green
backs" Out of all the tw O hundred and
thirty workingmep answering only one
hundred and eighteen considered them
selves underpald, and of these b. ass
founder thought $1,000 a year TOO little
and filecutler was dissa isfied with ST.
900 q year. One hundred and sixty OF
those answering complied with the sta
ltistician's request to write out At length
their own ideas upon the labor question
and these answers are probably the most
valuable part Of the report, because as
MI. Wright says: "These opinions and
Suggestions are from actual worsingmen
they are not the ideas of mere theorists
Each workinsman writes at length upon
that subject In which he is most interested
which has struck him forcibly during his
own experience, which has some practi-
cal application to himself or fellow-work-
lingmen, and he writes earnestly and ofteL
, forcibly, supporting arguments with facts
These opinions and suggestions form
political economy in themselves, and ii
Z it is the workingmen's own." A grea
many of the workingmeA argue in favor
of a reduction of the hours of labor, be
cause it would equalize production ant
, lglve better chance to all to earn some
thing. Some thought that as much worl
= OH the average would be done in eigh
hours as in ten, but others opposed thi
whole idea, and seemed to feel the fallac,,
of the argument that it Is labor in itsel
which is desirable, and not simply becaus
of the value OF he thing produced by it
A carpenter writes very sensibly that
! in case of an eight-hour system, "ther
are some who would make coed use o
their spare time, and there are other
who would not. This same class wou
, want pay TOR ten hours, and would strik
! if they could not get it. /, for one, neve
= could see where the laboring class gain
any lasting good by strike. l think
man should make the best terms posi- bi
with his boss, and IL he cannot get a
much as he wants, he should try othe
places. He cannot expect to have every
thing as he did in good times. fhe get
j enough to eat and plain clothes to veal
, he should be content for the present
Better times will come soon A BOO
and shoe cutter says: TAX machinery
Bring it in common with hand labor, 81
man can have twelve months work il
n a year, instead of six or eight months
: Protect haud labor the same as we pro
tect trade from Europe, by tax or tariff.
A machinist, curiously enough, had TN
same extreme view, saying that ma
chinery and the swarms of cheap foreig
labor are fast rendering trades useless.
All who discuss 1t are in favor OF week
4 ly wage payments. A factory operativ
l. thinks 1t would be equal to rise OF te
lper cent. in wages. On the subject 9
habits of industry, these working peopl
bear the strongest sort OF testimony
the fact that men mostly make their ow
misery. ... u
- large portion of our poor people nav
poor ways; they will sit around the col
ner groceries and saloons, smoke an