St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-05-23
AN EIGHT HOUR ARGUMENT.
Intelligent Discussion of the Labor
Problem by a WNrkinusnan

Intelligent Discussion of the Labor
Problem by a WOrkingman.
AS the labor trouble Is the all absorbing
topic of the day, 1, In my humble way, should
like to add something to the literature on that
subject. 1t is to the best interest of the
human race that everybody work who is able.
mere are only three classes that must be ex-
empt from this ru;e the young, the sick and
Inc Old. The more workers we have the
lighter the task for each individual to produce
the necessities of life, food, clothing and
shelter. 1t is fact, that by steady work the
whole year, with the aid of our improved
labor saving machinery, mankind can pro-
duce In SIX hours per day the necessities and
ordinary comforts of life. and by doing away
with liquor and tobacco two expensive and
destructive habits, we can perhaps reduce the
working day to five hours Statistics will
show that the civilized nations have produced
more wealth during the last forty years than
IN all the time previous to that date; so there
forts of life, the only trouble is
in the distribution; this is the
problem we have to grapple with. Now, if we
can produce enough wealth to supply our
wants by working even six hours, where is
the necessity of our mechanics and laborers
working ten hours per day?
THIRTY YEARS AGO
h.
then labor-savlng machinery have been i'm
proved from one-fourth to double their pro-
duct1ye power; but we find that the working
hours per day have not been reduced CORES
pondingly, in fact, not any. The consequence
OF this is, that great many of the wage
workers are out of remunerative employment
and instead OF their inventions tightening
their burdens and giving them more of the
comforts OF life it has done nothing of the
kind for them, but they are rather in a worse
condition than thirty years ago. The res ult
OF keeping the ten-hour per day rule with the
constantly improving machinery is, that q
great many of the wage workers are out
of remunerative employment. Factories
have to be closed for certain time to dispose
OF the over-prOduced manufactured articles.
The operatives at the end of the lockout, are
reduced to poverty and starvation, and are
Obliged to go to work at whatever price the
employer is mind to give them. 1t is the
direct cause of making the poor poorer and
the rich richer, relatively. This is why dscon-
tentment and red-handed socialism is>spread-
Ing rapidly in our Eastern states and large
Western cities. At the present. living wages
cannot be maintained on account of the large
number of men
OUT OF EMPLOYMENT
who will accept any wages to keep the wolf
OF starvation from their door. Strikes against
a reduction of wages cannot be successfully
carried out, because the starving unemployed
are too anxious to take the place of the
striker at the reduced rates. Reduce the
working hours from ten to eight, and
the enforced idle will have employment; lock-
outs will not be necessary; living wages
can be maintained, as no hungry enforced
Idle stand between the reasonable
demands of the employee and the employer,
depressions in business will not be so fire.
quent and severe. The wage worker will
have time to beautify his home, help his wife
nf hor. LIZ
physical, mental and social condition, and
will be better worker and citizen. Here
hear the chronic conservative fault finder say
that he will spend more time in the grog
shops, to which can be replied that man
cannot be convicted before he is tried. Those
who are disposed to spend their earnings in
the saloon have now, with ten hours day,
lime enough to do SO; that class will DO so as
ong as the people tolerate that nuisance |
even if sixteen hours constituted a days
work; besides, they spend SO many idle hours !
Turing the year when they have no work. |
The only difference is that with eight hours |
per day you divide the work and idle hours |
more evenly among all willing hands, and the |
spare time will be a recreation for each day. |
instead Of
ENFORCED IDLENEsS
for month or more at time, which is GER
5ainly demoralizing and no recreation what
ever. A great many people object to the
olgHI-nOur Gay because as professionals,
farmers and business men they will not profit
by it. Now, I contend they will, in fact
will, except perhaps the idle bond
holder, whose accumulated wealth will rela-
lively be worth less in comparison with pro-
ductive labor. The professions will not be
because great many young
men would turn their attention to the
trades, and SO the professions
would have greater cOmpensations for their
services; the same rule holds good with the
business men and the farmer. We will be
asked the question, what will you do when,
say in twenty years hence, the wage Garner
class has increased out of proportion to the
professional, business and farming commu-
nity?" There is no danger of that, as this
works reciprocally, as in the same proportion
as the last-named classes become pros
porous, they will recruit in number
until healthy balance is obtained.
If in time our labor saving machinery shall
be so much improved by perhaps the applica-
ton of electricity as a motive power, that
there will be again an overproduction of man
articles, and consequently lockouts,
then reduce the working hours again. If, by
perfecting our labor saving machinery, we
can produce all the necessities and comforts
of life in six or even less hours per day, by all
means let us do So Make life worth living
and not curse to the majority of mankind.
A. 81. NUMBERING.
Minneapolis, May %.