Workmen's advocate., 1886-06-06
To He H0rkmen's AdrOcdtp:

through your paper on this eigh-hour movement which is causing some discus sion in the country at present. In a Philadelphia morning paper short par agraph reads thus: "The cloth cutters haze been conceded one hour less per working day, but lost one weeks wages, implying, take it, they paid too dearly for 1t. The present movement for re- duction in the working hours is not only desirable on the score of workmen having more leisure time to improve their minds and enjoy life in keeping with the times, but has almost if not quite become a ne cessity. As with the introduction of machinery to which we don't object) during the past fifteen or twenty years many tradesmen find themselves sup planted by said machinery to the extent of 90 per cent That is, without the machinery in use it would require twice as many men to execute the same amount of work. Consequently where can any plausible objection be raised to workmen desiring reduction in working hours which would employ one man extra to every four now employed, there being always numbers of tirst-class mechanics able and willing to work, compelled, if not to go idle, at least to compete with their fellows for such work as is being done; and such competition, as matter of course, brings and keeps wages down to the very level of actual subsistence. We never as a rule expect either conces- sion in working hours or advance in wages to come spontaneously from the employers It is not lifetime since workmen had to toll from l2 to l4 hours, and in some cases from sunrise to sunset in order to earn livelihood. They, in their day and generation agitated and in many instances struck work for reduc- tions in their working hours, gained con sessions, and what was the consequence? We'll, they are better fed, better clad and enjoy more comforts than they ever did before; nor did employers suffer; they themselves fared better also, and the present reduction follows as the night the day whether presently or in the very near future, and quite probably the next generation will better off than we are on even six hours per days labor. So that any advantages we may enjoy either in the way of working hours or wages are ours only through others having sacrificed something to obtain them not only for themselves but those who might fol- low. The boycott on the part of the work man is condemned generally by the press, but would like to ask through your pa per what it is but boycott of the very
 worst form for employ for instance several of the foremost Cabinet firms of this city-to combine themselves together l I I
 join them (promising to pay shop-rents | for smaller firms as an inducement to 1 join with them in their boycott in com l polling workmen to work whatever hours 1 they shall determine, and should their project be successful (which happily it is not5, prevent these men from coming to other terms with other firms. Now if these few firms are so independent and in their own estimation rule and govern the the entire cabinet trade of this city, why not stand upon their own individual dignity and allow other firms to come to whatever terms they may deem expedi- ent or desirable. When employers, who are supposed by the press generally to be made of better clay than the crowd of employed, resort to such high-handed and compulsory treatment of those who at other times they have been honest enough to acknowledge as part and par eel of the imperial faoric of their business houses. Is it much wonder men some times become exasperated, say and dc things they are heartily sorry for after wards, besides damaging their position in the eyes of the public. The sacrifice on the part of the employers is compara- lively tritling as far as reduction in hours go which is the main issue. Whereas the employed are satisfied to lose one fifth of thelr wages in order that some of their unemployed fellows be enabled to earn an honest crust, which argument
 backs up the opinion often expressed
 that the average workmen who succeed as employers or bosses do not represent the highest standard of excellence, and