St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-01
A Workman Discusses a Chicago En-
ployer's Remarks Concerning the
Eight-Hour Matter.
The Other Side of the Industrial Educa-
ton Question Presented by Min
neapolis Brick Layer.
Short Comment on Various Matters
Interest to Indus
trial News.
Echoes From the Knights of Labor
Assembly--TheB Blue and Gray
Association.
A BLUNDER
Of a Chicago Manufacturer shown
by minneapolis Workman.

Of n Chicago Manufacturer SHOWN
by a Minneapolis workman.
The Central Labor union sent out to lead
ing manufacturers and others some ques-
tions to which they solicited replies. One
large manufacturer Mr.. T. b. Crane of
Chicago. gives what is evidently a candid,
and in some respects a thoughtful and cor
rect answer to the questions sent to his
firm-one employing 1000 men.
Mr.. Crane favorS eight hours as an i'm
provement over ten in all laboriouS work.
He thinks workingmen outside of ma
chine-running establishments. would do
as much work under the eight-hour system
as they now do working ten hours day.
But he is not willing ''to let the children
off before the men," saying he would lose
80 cents day by cutting their day of toll
down to eight hours. The machines can
not be allowed to stand still two hours
daily-no, not even for the sake of the lit
tie ones.
But l desire to call attention to singular
blunder-singular but common-made by
Mr.. Crane. He says:
But it is no matter how much a labor
Ing man gets so long as he gets as much as
other laboring men. They could
live as well in Chicago if
they all got SO cents day, as if they all
got 50 a day The cost of living and rents
are regulated by and adapted to the cost of
labor"
This is equivalent to saying there is no
such a thing as a general rise or tall in
wages-a high compliment to the hundreds
of able writers who have discussed the
question of high or low wages, as if these
terms meant something.
How can Mr.. Crane prove that 1.-The cost
of living and rents are regulated by and
ADAPTED to the cost of labor?' His asser-
ton is not that rents are affected
by the cost of labor. [ admit that,
but [ deny that rents fall as soon or as low
as labor.
Mr.. Crane says again: ''lf cottages could
be built for one-half as much as they now
cost, every man could have twice as good
house"
This, as a general rule, is untrue, in fact,
the assertion is wild. If wages came down
80 per cent and everything else should come
down with it just 30 per cent, the laborer
would be as well off as before. But that 'if'
is large one. In almost every case of the
rise or fall of wages the laboTer
loses something in the failure Of other things
to respond simultaneously or equally. Rents
Stlt dliN OlC OlI lllC any, 10
with wages The net result is loss of
from to 10 per cent. in the income of the
working classes. That loss may seem
small bnt the aggregate loss is large and
decisive in its results-in its effects on busl
ness and the condition Of the masses. One
dollar week taken from each family of
working people in the United States would
subtract half a million year from them
and give il to the few. II would also
diminish the demand for products and bank
rupt many merchants and manufacturers.
MI Crane writes well and confidently.
BIT he ignores the fact that all writers OF
reputation ale on the other side, and that
he stands alone in making assertions that
shucl; common sense and humanity.
Is he fair representative of the great
lords Of industry? If so. wisdom is at a
discount i'll the business world, and society
can hope for nothing from them. y.