The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-27
Builders and Contractors of Boston Present
Cogent Reasons Against the Change-Ex-
pectation that Strike Will Result.
Missouri Pacific Freight Train Thrown
from the Track and Two Men Killed.
A Passenger Train of the Same Line Stoned
Riotous Demonstration of Strikers at
Atchison, Kan.-General Labor News.
THE HOURS OF LABOR.

|
Boston Builders Point Out Evils Certain 10
Result from the Proposed Change.
BosToN, April 26.--A struggle Of the most
serious portent is about to begin in this vicinity
over the eight-hour movement. The hope of the
Central Trades and Labor Union OF ready acqui-
essence by large proportion Of employers in
the experiment proves groundless In accord
aEce with plans made year ago. the demand
for eight hours was to be enforced on May l. In
view Of the disturbed condition Of labor through
out the country, it was recently determined to
limit the denand to building trades. including
carpenters, masons, painters, decorators, etc.
The Central Trade and Labor Union recently
made public many favorable replies which were
received from employers in answer to questions
sent out This has resulted in an address, pnb-
lished to-day. signed by l25 employers in the
building trades The address states
Employers of labor, having read in the pub
lie press that the sentiment of the builders ia
vored the eight-hour movement, and mindful Of
the interests of the public as well as the needs
and well-being of their employees, desire to say
that they are not prepared to indorse the Ques-
ton of eight hours as the measure of days
work Its results are too preaching to permit
| hasty judgment, and the advance of 20 per
cent in the cost of labor in the sew
eral occupations represented by us is too
sweeping in its consequences to be adopted by
| any community without great deliberation, both
| on tie part of the employed as well as the en-
| ployers. On tire question of reduction of
| the number of hours which constitute a day,
| from the present standard of ten hours to a
| standard of either eight or nine hours, we
would express the following opinion: The prin-
| cipal argument in favor Of such change, as far
| as we can learn, appears to be based upon the
general ground of overproduction. This argu-
sv,n ,ospA hoc M IN ~
branches of labor, and cannot fairly be distorted
| to meet them. There is no overstock and can be
no overstock of the goods we produce. We
| simply work up to the demand and never beyond
| il. The supply is not and cannot be beyond the
| demand, as far as we are concerned The argu-
ment that there is an oversupply OF men does
not obtain. and has, in our mind, no weight. for
| the reason that reduction in the hours of labor
would in no wafput into employment larger
number of men it would simply. keep the same
| number OF men that 1t is now possible to employ
| at work greater number of days, and so that
argument falls to the ground. The great
and supreme objection to the reduction OF the
| hours of labor as far as it shall affect the we'll
being and good of al workmen in our lines of en-
ployment is, in our opinion, that the prosperity
of the country is not great enough at the present
| time to grant such a change. For quite num-
| ber of years the margin of profits in the general
business of the country has been small, and
upon these profits we, as builders, depend for
the opportunity to use our skill and labor. IT,
1 by taking off one or two hours per day from the
present accepted st liidard. we increase the cost
of building 10 TO 20 Der cent. in the item OF
labor, then we work against our own interests as
laborers, for we drive out Of the market work
| that would be done but for this increased cost
In this year, in our own city, already, under the
| agitation of the. question, enterprises which
would involve the expenditure Of hundreds of
| thousands of dollars, employing the very labor
| we have to offer, have been abandoned because
the increased cost of building under the condi-
! tions referred to would make returns unprofta-
| BILE. The interests OF the class we mutually
| represent have then been injured beyond conn
putation. Capital has been withdrawn from the
undertakings, and that means loss for the la
| borer every time. 1t is painfully evident that
| we will be short of work before the year is two
| thirds over, and one is to blame for this con-
| dition but those who are to suffer most and yet
| have been the very ones to urge on this
crisis. We believe that in sll the pushing,
| wherever 1t has taken place. for reduction of
hours of labor and increase of wages beyond the
level of prosperity. the fact has been lost sight
of that the increased cost of every purchasable
item will pull from the pockets of all grades of
workmen a proportionately larger amount,
which will affect the increase of pay received,
while the depression of business will create great
! want and distress among the very classes who
| hope to be benifted."
| The irst formal demand was made by the
| bricklayers' assembly, Knights Of Labor, to the
| master masons. The Master Builders Associa-
ton sent o long reply yesterday, Of which the
| following is the substance:
1--WE believe that an attempt to set a limit to
| the minimum hours would be as abortye as to
| set limit TO the maximum wages particularly
| in our calling where SO much depends upon skill
| and ability. Yet if one limit is fixed the other
should be fixed also. Labor is the most i'm
| portant item in estimating the cost of buildings.
| The stock is comparatively easy to figure, but in
| the estimate for labor, the Judgment which has
1 Sc t4o Tx
what position, then, is the contractor placed when
he is told to throw aside his experience and judg.
| ment, and figure his labor on basis OF level
| price right through for every man employed, be
he good, bad or Indifferent The attempt to set
/ fixed price In advance for an article, the value
of which can be only known by testing it. puts at
| defiance the first law which governs the
/ estimation of work as well as the first
| law of excellent workmanship and would at one
| blow disintegrate the whole structure of com
/ parative worth among workmen, discouraging
/ any attempt to excel. We believe, then, that
! the attempt to shorten the hours of labor in our
line of business is entirely uncalled for and un-
4 warrantabe at the present time; that the pros
perity of the country is not great enough tc per-
NIT it: that the agitation of the question has al
ready shown its baleful effects In the withdrawal
of an immense amount of work from the mar
ket, transforming what was year of great
promise TO the building trades into time of de-
preston. great scarcity of work, and, we fear, a
period of much distress for the very classes who
| have been most active in the agitation. We
therefore suggest that the whole question OF the
hours of labor be abandoned until more propi,
tious time for the good of all concerned, and
more especially for the good of the laborlng
class. of which we claim to be part. Our con-
clusions, then, are summed up in the following
recommendations; The hours Of labor, the rate
of wages and the time of weekly payment 10 re-
main as at present. but that on Saturday eigh!
hours shall be accepted as days labor"
There is good reason for believing that the
other building trades will take similar action. II
is equally probable that the employees will de-
cline to yield any point in their demands, ant