Omaha daily bee., 1890-09-14
LABOR pROBLENlS ABROAD.

Ihe congress Of trades unions re-
Gently held in Liverpool was the most
important of all the gatherings which
this body has ever held. The attend
ance was larger than ever before, and
never before was so much attention
given to the proceedin gs by the press.
This attests not only the growth OF in
terest in organized labor among those
Immediately concerned, but also the
greater concern which the general pub
lie feels in the labor movements.
1t is evident that the working
people of England are in bet
ter position than ever before to press
their demands, and also that there is a
vastly greaterpopular interest regard
ing them than at any previous time.
The most important incident of the
congress at Liverpool was the consid era
ton Of the question of statutory eight
hour labor day, and the eight-hour ad
vocates gained kind of victory. A
resolution was passed by the congress in
favor of reducing the labor day to eight
hours, but it is not expected that anys
practical action will follow for long
timeto come, AS n matter of fact
there was a large number Of absentees
when the vote on the resolution was
taken, most OF whom were opposed more
or less directly to parliam entary inter
ference with hours of labor, while of the
remainder many were disinc clined TO COM
nit the mselves by voting one way or the
other. 1t appears that the champions
of an eight-hOur day Were careful to se-
cure the fullest possible representa- ton
in the congress, and that the unions op-
posed to the compulsory curtailment of
working hours in all trades were caught
mapping, expecting to retain without
much effort the great preponderance
which they exhibited n year ago at
Dundee. In that congress the PROPOSE
ton that the hours OF labor in each
trade should be regulated by mu tual
agreement on the part of employers and
the employed commanded alarge major
ity. The narrow majority by which
the eig ht-hour resolution carried in the
Liverpool congress cannot be regarded
as an authentic expression of the
wishes of the great mass Of work
men. The TACT is to be remom-
bred that at the Duneee congress year
ago out Of twelve hundred union iu-
vited TO say whether they desired an
eight-hOur day only thirty-seven were
su fflciently Interested in the question to
make any returns at ALL and a majority
of the members of these unions were
,rni, h.. ig 90 lN, plN
served, also, that the diversity of opin
ion expressed in the Liverpool congress
on this question was quite dispropor-
tiOnate to the restt OF the ballot.
On the whole, therefore, while it
is undoubtedly true that the eight
hour movement has made progress in
England a long time is likely to elapse
before there is such general aca uies-
cence in it by tb g trades unions as will
enable them to give force to q demand
fora statutory eig ght-hour labor day.
The situation OF labor on the continent
of Europe is commanding more Of the at
tention Of statesmen than even political
affairs. There iswidespread discontent, d,
due chiefly to the prevalent low
wages resulting from the overcro wded
condition of the labor mar
kets This is especially the case in Bel
gium, in A Austro-Hungary and in Italy,
but there Ire also portions of Germany
where, Notwithstanding the efforts OF
the EN- pcror to ameliorate the condition
of labor, there is still great deal OF dis
satisfaction. Among European countries
France appears to be less troubled at
present with Labor disturbances than
any OF her, though in that cou ntry there
is not universal peace in the
ranks OF labor. In short, everywhere
the old problems still await solu
tion, and where there is not active agi-
tation or actual conflict the conditions oi
| discord and warfare are nevertheless
| present and liable to manifest them
selves at any time. The oppression o.
labor in contine ntal Europe has not beer
more severe than it Is now at any pre-
vious time in the last fifty years, and
there appears to be no promise of ar
early Improvement. Indeed, there is
reason TO apprehend that the situation
will become more serious before there il
| Il change for the better.