The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-05-05

men, OWING to the ODStinacy Of Vice.
President Hoxic, who refused rcpcatedl,
to listen to their complaints. The dis
trlct assembly was not required by ON
laws, however, to appeal tho matter tc
the executive board before ordering
strike, and this is one of the things tha
we expect to amend at our next genera
convention. We shall so amend the law!
of the order that no assembly can orde1
Il strike hereafter without first submitting
the matter to the highest authority in tho
organization, except at the risk of having
its charter revoked. There must be nC
more strikes if it is possible to aver
them, and think it is.
''ls it true that general effort will be
put forth by the order throughout the
country, on the first oS next month, to
make eight hours the standard days
wori?"
"Ihcrc is no truth whatever in such q
report While l am, as you know, in
favor of shortening the hours of labor, /
recognize the great fact that the public
IS not yet fully educated up to the re-
qulrcmcnts of inauguratng tho eight
hour system successfully. a reform like
that requires timo for discussion. We
want the manufacturers and EMPLOYERS
OF all kinds to have plenty of time to
talk the matter over and sec wherein il
would be of benefit to all concerned
the man who employs labor as well as
the man who labors"
"lt is quite generally reported that an
effort will be made on the 1st OF Nav in
behalf of the cight-hour system. Would
1T have the approval of the ordcr?"
"Wc cannot countenancc it at present,
because we believe such movement
now would prove abortivc, and we want
to prepare the country for it. Just now
the public is unpreparcd, and the result
would be to seriously cripple industry and
prevent men from making contracts. We
are not III favor of introducing any such
chaotic condition Of affairs"
"Do you expect to sec the cight-hour
movement effective at any time in the
near future?"
whenever We find that the country
IS ready for it VIC shall urge it with all
the carneStncSs at our command, but be-
fore that time employees and employed
must have ample opportunity to become
acquainted with its benefits"
"What would be thc principle benefits
OF shorter hours Of labor to the WORKING
men Of the country?'
ga more general diffusion of labor and
consequently fewer idle men in the co,m-
try. The employed have not as many
opportunities to improve their condition
When there arc great many idle mon as
they would have ii all were at work.
There arc many other advantages to be
derived from shorter hours Of labor
which 1t IS not necessary to cnumcratc at
present, since that would lead to the dis
cusSlon OF the question of labor-savine
machinery and matters of Incidental i'm
portance.
"How soon do You expect to see the
cight-hour movement successful"
'No time has been fixed for it, and it
would be difficult to fix any time Just
now. 1t may be two, three, on more
years hence, but not until the question is
fully discussed and thoroughly under
stood by the country. There will be no
general strike for the cight-hour move
mcnt i'll this country on the 1st of MAY,
as some OF the newspapers suppose"
MIR. Powdcrly appeared before Con
grcSsman Curtin's committee OF inycsti
CATION ut Washington on Tuesday