Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1884-03-22

have heretofore looked upon that paper. o. one
for reform, as Il has ever been calling loudly to
the Government for such measures. That is
we'll: bui why speak against individual reform Z
have known individuals as well as corpora
ton,. 20 put their help ON three quarter time
and pay at the same rate, and all this without
consulting their ncighbory, or the press, Sup
pose the man Of the $. =. should happen to
think that pcrhap, he ought to pay his help
more per day according to hi, theory he
would be obliged to consult his ncighbor, and
stir up their mins, To the idea, then he must
wait for them 10 decide (which might take
; month.l and of course to- the injury of the
cmployc. have increased the wages Of
n,arly every man in my employ ! consider
that haste has been made slowly lor the
advancement Of our fellow beings ! have
thought the matter over for a long time and
like this eight hours hard labor !, enough, out
of.twenty -lor: and now. after one weeks cN-
= pcrencc am fully satisfied that there is no
great loss in the amount Of labor performed.
The hour that has been given, gives ihcm
more time to read and more time Tor sleep
that means more rest for the brains IS wcli as
the body Those who look TO the elevation ol
their fellow being, ought to read the Gazette
Of last week, it highly recommend, more time
Tor rest and recreation.
We quote the letter of Mr. Burgess
because it is in the main, fair and
gentlcmanly presentation of its writer
view. and because its writer has had
the manllness to sign his CommunCa-
ton without adopting the wriggling
tactics of the usual anonymunkle or
pseudonymunkle. But let us inquire
how Mr.. Burgess disposes of what the
Saturday Press urged against his action.
The paragraph is so short that we
reproduce it, SO our readers may see
not the unimportant fact that we have
been unjustly found fault with by Mr..
Burgess, but the distinctly important
fact that there is no line in the para
graph which any honest working man
has any right to quarrel with.
Mr.. n. f. Burgess has initiated the eight
hour movement 10y making that the standard
, for his own employees. Severe criticism has
been expressed at action which threatens 10
disturb the hitherto amicable and satisfactory
relations hitherto existing between artisans and
employers here. It would have been better
for the labor market If the move might have
been made after careful consultation among all
employers In labor matters it is always best
to make haste slowly
/ The Press paragraph consists of four
sentences. Mr. Burgess quarrel is (oi
course) with the last three. When we
wrote that severe criticism had been
expressed we wrote in the mildest OF
, mild language about criticism that
spoke of Mr.. Burgess in 4 way that
, would not look nice in print but in the
justice of which those who used the
language undoubtedly believed. The
writer of the paragraph in the Press
did not believe in the justice of the
/ epithets employed and he was con
vinced of the sincerity Of Mr. Burgess
| motives The third sentence hazarded
the assertion that " 1t would have been
better if the more might have been
, tmade after careful consultation among
f all employers. We still think so. No
one questions the right of all employers
to pay all the wages they can afford to
pay. But whenever an amicable un-
derstanding can be generally arrived at
by employers and employed -particll-
| larly in a little community like this
the result is always better in the end.
There is, however great deal of force
, in the argument that If Mr. Burgess had
not moved first (perhaps) no one else
: would have moved at all. (Ne are sur
prised that the point was not made
in the letter signed by Mr.. Burgess. J
: But we still contend that other employ
ers have rights. Mr. Francis A. Walker,
, in very strong article on strikes, prin-
ted in an American paper some years
[ since, showed, by statistics, that over
twenty extensive strikes in England
, were known to have been caused by i'll
, considered advances in wages made by
, English manufacturers who happened to
[ be in need of operatives. 1t happens
$ that Just now there are more carpenters
in town that can find employment.
| Doubtless Mr.. Burgess single-handed
9 eight-hour movement can work very
5 little actual injury to other employers.
But has Mr. Burgess action been of a
; character to warrant the belief that he
I would have been any more thoughtful
: il there had been scarcity of labor and
: many unfinished carpenter contracts to
perform
t So much for employers. A word
: now, with the employed. Since the
! writer has edited the Press no line OF
! editorial opinion or comment has ap
peared in these columns that ought to
offend any intelligently honest working
man. The writer ls-and has beer
i since he studied the subject-n favor
; Of the eight-hour movement the world
: over But not all workingmen are fit
ted either to appreciate or to earn nine
= hours wages for eight hours work Nc
workingman who labors meytb for his
hire is worthy that hire. A iirst-rate
man can earn at manual labor which
: includes mechanical labor a sufficient
wage in eight hours to make him worth
to his employer the current rate fol
> nine hours labor But drone or one
: who Sights his work cannot twill not
. earn full wage in the shorter time
and ought not to receive equal pay
: Mr. Burgess says that "'rhe hour thai
; has been given, gives them the men
more time to read and more time fo
! sleep That may be true of Mr.. Bur
: CESS employees. II so, they are picked
:. men. of whom he has n RIGHT TO b.