New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-18
THE FTGTTB0UR MOVEMENT.

THE EIGH7-HOUR MOVEMENT,
The American Federation Of Labor announces
for Washington's Birthday the first OF a series
of mass meetings to be held throughout the
county, to eliminate May 1, 1880, in gen.
eral demand for an eight-hour working day.
The Federation has set apart the day named,
the 4tb of July, Labor Day and Washington's
Birthday next year, for the holding Of meet
ings at which this question shall be brought to
the attention of the country. The movement
Is interesting for various reasons, and may have
important results. 1t has been undertaken
after long discussion by the Federation, which
ID now by far the largest, most powerful, ana
at the same time most conservative OF the great
labor organizations of the country, Its pres
emit membership Is estimated at 10000 or
more. II is directed with sasacity and mod
Grafton not often seen in such associations.
The natural boundaries of the trades have been
respected, no large salaries are paid to officers,
and all expenses are kept at minimum. Such .
movement in the hands Of this organization Is
much more important than its similar attempt
in 1885, when it was a comparatively feeble
society. and when the effort encountered the
direct imposition Of Mr.. Powderly. the auto
cratic head of the then moro powerful Knights
Of Labor.
It is worthy of note, also, that the leaders Of
the movement carefully avoid every appear
ance of sensation or menace, No sudden strike
Is proposed to paraly1e the industries Of the
country. On the contrary, at the time the date
was Axed by the 81. Louis Convention 1t was
nearly year and half distant During this
period they hope by discussion and agitation to
convince tho country Of tho justice Of their
claim, and, il possible. 30 bring about the
change by deliberate and voluntary agreement
between employers and worldngmen. This
method of approaching the subject is COM
tnendable from evory point Of view. The VIC.
lent assertion of such policy would inevitably
arouse opposition and create dangerous excite
ment The present method win do good not
only by causing a general discussion Of the en-
tire labor question, which should be especially
useful to worlingmen, but by making It less
likely that the movement will be seized upon,
as It was three years ago, by Anarchists and
revolutioniHs.
1t is probable, however. that the chief good
to result will be the better understanding be-
tween employers and worlIingmen, that cannot
fail to result from a temperate discussion OF
such a question. reduction Of the number
Of hours from ten to eight would not work the
benefit for labonng men hoped for, and there
Is every reason to believe that the present con-
ditions Of trade do not permit Of so large a
reduction. II is twenty years within few
months since General Banlss introduced in Con-
gress a bill for an eisht-hour day, which be-
came law the same year. Yet the law sank
by It's own weight, and none Of the frequent
efforts for an eighthour day since made has
been largely successful. The eighthour rule
will doubtless come eventually, though It must
be remembered that the process Of shrinkage
in the length Of the working day, which has
gone very far in the last fifty years, must end
somewhere. The argument in which the move
ment seems TO find its chief support is that II
the length Of the working day is cut down
one-ffth the number Of those who can be en-
ployed will be increased one-hfth. Probably
not many Of those who are influenced by such
assertions stop to reflect that the reduction in
the amount Of labor a worldngman would dc
would be inevitably followed, at least for 9
considerable period, by a reduction in the
amount Of money he would receive. Not ever
the authority Of the National Government Ovel
its own employees has been able to arrest the
operation Of this natural law.
There are those, and they arc not all capital
ists who contend that an eight-hour system
cannot be established in the present condition
of trade and especially Of labor organization
in this country. Such was the view taken some
months ago by the Master Workman Of th'
Paper Hangers Assembly of Chicago, who ridi
culed an Eght-Hour bill passed by one hous'
Of the Illinois Legislature and showed tina
the cigarmakers, so far from being benefited
by the adoption Of that rule, found that mon
cigarmakers were out Of employment than be
fore. 1t is unquestonaby true that the sue
cessive reductions in the length Of the working
day have been won after long periods Of agita
ton, and that in time the balance Of wage
and work has seemed to reassert Itself. Blu
this affords no good ground for demands tina
are in their nature extravaganza or which
calm consideration Of the situation shows Il
be ill-timed.