The Labor enquirer., 1885-03-28
An Able Paper on the Necessi-
ssty for Reducing the Hours
of Labor, ID hs 3
Recently Read Before Assembly
1924 Knights Of Labor, byasd
MIR. ID. w. Perry.
A Great Subject tHen Handled Peril
@nent Questions IS to Our Future
Under the Present System.
DENVER, Colo, March %, 1885.

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\ 1t has been stated by brothers in our
hearing that three and one-half hours
of work would supply all our wants, and
also procure reasonable amount of the
luxuries of life, provided, all would
work. H..
This statement being fact, I should
think that workingmen would not only
demand three hours for a days labor,
but the full amount produced by them.
Let it be three and half or three
hours per day Then we would nave no
over-production (for those that are now
hungry, because others have what they
earned, and what by right belongs to
them would have plenty and to spare.
One hundred years ago everything
produced by mechanical or farm labor
was produced by the hand of man unas-
sisted save by the rudest possible tools;
such as the plow, shovel and hoe, the
plane, auger and axe; the hand. card,
| bpiuAluS WASCi aIo iOoLh'
With these rude tools the farmer pro-
duced sufficient food to supply the wants
of the people, and the mechanic pro-
dused the other neeessaries of life, and
each and all had a comfortable subsist-
ence for themselves and families.
The very rich and terrible poor were
unknown; there were not thousands of
men out of work in our cities; there
were no ''tramps."
But now see the change. Gas and
electricity have been invented. The
reaper and thresher, and improved i'm
plements of every kind, increasing pro-
duction oyer hundred-fold without de-
creasing the hours of labor to any ex-
tent
By this means wealth has been in
creased to great extent, but who has
it? say the monopolist has it; and 1
also say, stay his hand, cut down the
hours of labor and give labor all its own.
1 will state only one instance Of how
monopoly gathers the labor of others to
ITSELF The Standard, Oil company stock
has increased in few years from $780,
900 to $lOO,OO0,000, besides th enormous
dividends paid to its stockh olders year
by year. This has been )ne of the
means of impoverishfng the poor and
making richer the wealthy.
Who knows how many children have
had to 90 without an education? How
many men have had to work hard and
long hours until health was gone, and
they have been compelled to give up
even their lives to satisfy the greed of
few men, that they might be wealthy
Why does not the state of PENNSYLVANIA
seize these oil wells, as they have made
hundred times more, than the work
cost, and run them fer the interest of
the whole people.
This is onl y one company, but it is
not an exception to the general rule;
they are all run or the interest of the
few, no matter what becomes of the
many. l say. shame on such state or
country, that is not run or governed for
| the interest of all, and not for the inter-
est of few
Milionaires W no grind US down and
make us work long hours, and who only
give us enough to support ourselves for
the tine being, and keep to themselves
the lions share. Brothers, where will
this thing end Where will our children
Be? What hardships will they have to
endure Shall we stand up for our
rights, and demand short hours, and
give employment to the many who are
now seeking work, and whom the capi-
taIists are now using against US, showing
them in as soon as men quit because
they cannot get higher wages, or because
they will not work for less wages than
what they now receive. For this reason
we ought to work less hours. Yes, we
must reduce the hours until all are en-
| plOYou, duu lu0u uOulduu oil "O PlO7
duce while we are working, allowing
none to live from the product Of our toll,
. and by so doing we will force all, both
rich and poor. to enter the honorable
field of toll. We will force all to produce
what they consume. Then there will be
no want and misery staring tbs laborer
in the face while his neighbor. is living
in luxury. ~ ''.: T4l
In 1845 twelve-hour law was passed
in Scotland, but one baker would got
allow it to its men, and was boycotted
and soon brought to terms, and was COM
PEELED to askito belet in as a union
bakery. This is the first boycotting that
l have any knowledge of. . Brothers, it
will be with us like it was with the
Scotc chmen, for when we demand eight
hours for days work we will have men
to refuse it, and say ten hours is little
enough. We may expect and will have
foes to conqaer and many difficulties to
overcome, + We will have the united ef-
forts of capital to overcome, but what is
d capital without the brain and muscle of
labor? I, 1t is a useless thing; but with
49,. Concluded on fourth paSe.l ,,.:
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