Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-04-30
EIGHT HOURS A DAY.
The Question of the Hour the Sub
jsCt Of
An Exhaustive Speech by Hon
Oscar Townsend
Of Cleveland, Before the Miners
and Operators
At Columbus, Opposing the AdOp-
tion Of II.
Strikes, LOCkouts and General
Labor News of Yesterday.
Sp,eial o LAs RsqisAsr.

COLUMBUS, D.. April 29.-rhe following
"a the address upon the eight hour move
nept delivered in this city yesterday betor
The National Board of Arbitration ant
Cancellation of Miners and Operators, b.
Hon. Oscar Townsend, Of Cleveland
W President and Gentlemen:
| desire TO make stew remarks upon th'
question nov b,fo-e this Board. That is
that eight hours shall constitute days
work."
Before taking up that question, beg
gour indulgence for a moment whilst l rs
Tar 10 the scope snd powers Of this B1sed
4 iolnr convention Of mipers and opera
cor. from mining regions iu Eve States,
came tOge,he. in this city Of Columbus in
February las. and one OF its acts was to
sIec. this B3ari OF Arbitration and Con
c;lisnon 10 wdieh should be referred al
interstate questions.
| am of opinion that the only meaning
applicable. 10 the phraseOloZy Of the reso-
lnrion under which this board vas named,
is that questions Of difference between OP'
orators and Miners, shall be submitted for
ia consideration. aud coaciis:ory arbitrs-
tion.
The questions to be 20 submitted, may
bs local 10 character, the local Boards shall
have tailed 10 adjas. sui thereby bring
sbou, harmony aud unity, the absence OF
Sblch might leopard u IutsE State rels-
riop,, also. subj-c,s Of difference OF more
strictly later S;a.e character, that shall
have oeen h.s. daly formulated, and the
submission agreed to By the contendinE
factions and all questions to be submitted
before any lockout oE strike.
Tie wisdom Of creating this board, mus,
d, found il tue tact, that it is composed Of
rs1,es,n.srigas .: employers aud employees
I'm tns S.a.es q Ptuasylvsnis. Ohio, West
4 g,,,ipis Indisb.. aud illinois, aud couse.
4 lugntly may be regarded ss free, 10 q large
extent, f;om local prejddices Sne lnHu'
eBces.
Our duty il appears to me, is made
clear and plain IL the two words "Aroitrs
non snd Cancellation.
70 ssoirariou aud eOaclHation can
r,ooa, " take place until ths pssties to q
1..S-.,,,., ~ have submitted the same to the
s,5;,,a,or, ;, Stead upon. Ii is my under
srapdips that thiI creams voluntary sno
U,;..;oD IN wh,,n oOtb parties to the con
troysrsy i,iu. beca. &c osiy one oil the
SAT-, Teprsssp.ei in -. = board has, to my
knowledss, any statutory ProTiAoa los
compulsory RrDltrauOn.
Arbitration should be srrangeN oy an
sgreemeut-iu wr,tiug II p1ssi5e,--'s'O'e
the submission.
If some such consrlc;ion be not applied
the board may be subjected 10 an Inunns-
+. ton OF all soris 0! qlesnons, submitted eH'
parte aud az random. Oy any person VINO
may chance TO feel sg2rl=ved; snd Vnlle
DO not wish 10 betrcuu,cai uoos this point,
sm glsd you have decided It Rs necessary
that some rule shall bs applied TO govern
4 The calling Of this noiy together, othsr"ise
questions nigh be submitted by one side
without the knowledge OF consent OF the
other. and the members Of the board Kept
on the move i5tJsi0g NJ complaints too
trivial for submission to sn interstate
Soard. The officers Of this board IN the
absence Of rules, cannot be expected 10 de'
eide is advance, that an sggrieved party
should no, % heard bT ,ba tuIl board, tor to
DO tha, would invite crIuctsn aud eensure
aud Justly SO
But With all these conditions complied
With, even then, how i5 tdiS board to pro
csed 10 the event OF tie, or disagreement
WGat power is to select sn umpltef sGa II
no disagreement, and an award is pronul
gated vAsre is il TO be rscorded2 and VINO
are 10 be boaad there6g2 ana what seeur-
ity equally 1iudiog on all for ITS fulfill
nent?
Ibelieve 10 cases OF difference, q resort
10 arbitration, equally yolSp>Sry snu
equally binding on both sides, - Oxen
wise
The question stated in the call for thls
meeting, to be considered. and no" oeiore
tars o5iyIs "Tna, eigh. koQF5 shall con-
stitAte days work
ISQ5mi,, ;ha. the question OF ssght
hours bang legal day 9 work, - . suojee'
for leyislapzs enac meut, either State OF
national, and caEgos be subject Tor srol
trauon by this board.
Noel the law shall hive declared eighl
q hours To be q legal days work. them, SAD
4 n. unN hon, viii the wAgs' TO- that KIND
Of sdsy's 4oTS De fixed. Questions cfthi:
cIAraesrr. hs~lux huhertO Oeen subjects oi
couIrs"t. ard IS aPPssrs 10 me, that seri
Gus dih.ulues nod MISUNDERSTANDING
will be promoted rather than rsRoVsd, oy
aay Irssa0ou that will be only sdVisorJ
and not enforceable, aud IS one OF the lAN
abiding c,uz- rs Of this land, AN uuslter
.aoly opposed To action that msy De con
Srust iDt0 lAyoring the new eight houl
SNtute OF Ohio, that II enforceable Eiif
ten Nours pa, would briog upon the eoun
4 a. 7hjr'Siud OF disaster, snd ths sever
esl { Ala mi,i-s Of whlch would fall upon toe
iaoOriUg man and hi4 family and With ths
81 elnvjuor | am i'll more opposed 70 Any
action by tS'S board, that could be con
srusd into al sl,SCoVsl of any attempt u
put an unlaEful moSenSrt into operation
By force
Who shall say what days labor :
sOrlb except the man that has It 70 sell
But before be can cOaVert that LABOR int
money has he not 6rst to 6nd Willnl
purchaser at that price2 Thst qussho'
cannot be controlled by statute any naHr
than the fixing of the value Of barrel o
nour or the priee for bushel of grain.
A0t eontrollsble By lsR, then any sttemp
% force must ultimately fail. Take TO
example the double proposition that tn
aours constituting days labor shall D
changed from ten to eight, and that To
cAee OF day wages s6sll be increased tWent!
nVe per cent, which is in effect that ID
pay for the lesser hours shall Femsin 10
@ne as no" prevailing for ths iorse
working day.
These proposed changes are each rad
CA, and In large manufacturing ssta
Hohshusnt where all labor is smploye
~ me day, would be equivalent 70 ou