The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-03-13
EIGHT HOURS FOR WORK.
PRESENT STATUS OF THE AGITA.
TI0N AT CHICAGO.
An Effort 10 BE Made 90 Put the Sys.
TEN in Operation May 1st-
Labor Notes.

CHICAGO, III, March l2-The Daily
NelGs this morning publishes an ex-
ceedingly interesting and complete
resume Of the present status Of the
eight-hour agitation in this city. JO-
seph Gruenhut, a Socialist and the rec
ognized leader of the eight hour move
ment in Chicago, is quoted as follows:
The trade and labor unions, the
Knights of Labor assemblies, the So
cialistic and the international groups
are agitating tremendously for eight
hours as a full legal days work.
Wages are left out OF the considera-
ton, and will be settled by each of
the several trades. Labor has no in
trinsic value, and the rates of wages
are simply the result of a grab game.
Stone-cutters, bricklayers, cigar-pack-
ers, engravers and plumbers average
during the busy seasons 81 per day.
There are a dozen trades which aver
age from 50 to SO 80 a day, but these
rates are upheld by the monopoly
power of their respective unions,
which take the question Of wages out
OF the category of free competition
and fix them by force. The vast ma
jority Of regular trades and occupa-
lions are not organized at all, and the
individual workers run wild compe-
tition for getting work, and are
thereby reduced to what is known
as cheap labor. The late and
the present strikes prove a tendency
TO level upward the wages, and it is
likely that in the very near future a
minimum rate OF wages OF - day
will be fixed for all who are usually
called unskilled workmen. Organized
labor insists upon getting the benefit
of the general introduction OF natural
forces, labor saving machinery, the
minute subdivision of labor and the
enormous facilities of distribution
while employers and capitalists at.
tempt TO contiscate all these social
benefits for their own exclusive use
reducing the wage-worker to the bare
necessities of life. Hence the revolt
of labor in thu shape Of strikes and
general disarrangement of business
Intercourse, with the anarchistiC
threat of physical force, dynamite and
assassination of the oppressors Of
labor. The Daily NeloS details the
programme as one for q combined eff
tort on the LIST of May to make eight
hours days work, and the genera
pay is TO be scaled down in proper
ton as hours are reduced. To provide
work for all is stated as the ultimate
object in view. According TO the
News there are 225 900 working people
in Chicago who would be affected
by the general adoption of the eight
hour per day law. OF these about
$4,000 are enumerated as more or les
organized, and it is announced there
is determination on the part OF al
! iieass! AL the organized labor in chicago
to enforce the eight-hour day. There
has been but little controversy on the
matter between employers and EN-
ployes. The simple method of inau
gurating the change will be eigh
hours work on the first day OF May
The feeling on the question is shown
| in an elaborate series of interview
with the largest employers of labor il
Chicago and with prominent leaders o
the working classes. All the latte
are confident the plan is feasible anC
that they will succeed. The employ
ers express the most diverse views
Quite number favor the movement
The bulk are seemingly indifferent
and few declare il will ruin business