The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-04-29

wAEnLIN0, ", va, APNlL go 1856
,hv ElgnI lluur bIoNtmsOt'

The first Of May IL looked forward 70
with many appreheusions by many people
on account Of its experiment OF eight
hours work for ten hours pay" that Is TO
lie i%naururated. This is particularly 7 u
in Chicago, wherethe movement seems TO
have focused for the present, and mere
certain trades, such W enter into building
ara threatened with at least Temporary
paralysis.
What is the explanation OF this remark
able movement? There are many expIS-
tions youchsaled, nearly all Of which have
their respective shares Of truth and eX'
auveration. Here is one by the well
Known theatrical manager, McViGker, that
has a good deal of both truth and origin
atty in it. He says:
The ureat corporations have themselves
In thank for the present condition OF
thinvs. When they Watered their stocks
they never stopped 10 consider that labor
miybt some day demand that labor be
watered. That Is tho lsbor demand OF TO-
dsy nure and simple. The workingmen
ara simply following the example OF the
CorpoTations and Lry ing to water the COM
modify which they have 10 sell. have
M (eara hui that strikes and %boyCotLiDg
will regulate themselves in due course oil
time,
Perhaps the movement for "oight hours
wnrk and tan hourg nay" has not been
more satisfactorily accounted for than in
this brief comment by McVicker. 1t GER
taaIy is a watering" process, just as he
SAYS, II we assume that the existing
nav for ten hours work is on q plane with
general values throughout the country.
But II this Is not generally the Case-if
labor remuneration to-day is below the
plane Of average values throughout the
co1ntry-then this movement, 80 lar as
It obtains, will simply level up Iabortoth that
average.
Until The experiment is tested We shall
not know how this is. Without this ex.
pertinent no one can say that this move
ment has come TO stay, 1t is an expert
msnt indeed in the s]trictest sense Of the
werd. Nothing legitimate in its character
can be bought or Bold on such a basis
go percent Of water and therefore ii
this really proves 10 be q demand for
"%somethlng for nothing" it will come to
nauVht, and It ia not worth while at pres
emit to distress ourselves because Of the
actual test that Is 10 be applied on the LIST
OF May.
Just "a panics, dull times, active COM
petition, and othsr memorable agencies
get in their work in the lougrun on water
ed stocks OF all kinds, 30 the general
average OF values, whatever 1t may be,
will get in Its work soone or later on
this experiment, and reveal to the coun-
try what Is the true plane of remunera'
ton for the kind and variety Of labor that
may be involved in the experiment.
We are speaking oithe proposition, "ten
hours pay for eight hours work." This
has nothing to do with the naked ques-
ton Of whether 1t is better to limit a
days work to eight hours. That is some
thing entirely different. AS long as eight
hours as q days work is not by law made
compulsory on both employers and EN-
ployed, which Is not at all likely, 1t is
probable that the basis Of remuneration
will shift from the day to the hour, and
that the rule will become to stipulate by
the hour or the piece. A great deal Of
work throughout the land is already on
this basis.
There lisa large amount Of labor that
cannot from It's nature DO restricted to
eight hours, and also a great many labor
ers who, on the hour basis Of pay, will
prefer to work more than eight hours.
The agricultural work Of the country can
not be restricted to eight hours; nor can
the transportation work Of the land.
Therefore we say that 1t seems likely in
the long run that the present eight hour
movement will reyolve itself into a gen.
eral practice throughout the country Of
paying either by the hour or the piece.
This result will 90 far to settle the dihl-
Guilty both in regard TO the question Of
hours and remuneration, and where the
hours are not excessive and Compulsory,
and the remuneration is on an equitable
scale, there will be q better understands
ing and q better feeling between employ.
erB and employees than on the more arbi.
trary basis Of payment by the day.
A nooM1N1RON