The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-03-21
The Eight Hour System.

Ou0 OI the IdNOTltc dIS uulCutS, otN .
Samuel Gompers, president OF the
American Federation of Labor, against
the eight hour movement is. that if
the working people reduce the hours
of labor-say from nine to eight per
day-the consequences will be that
the cost of the article produced will
be enhanced to such degree that i'll
the end the working men and women
will pay for the result of that work
just such an increase over what they
formerly paid as will deprive them of
any benefit whatever from the reduc-
ton in the hours labor. / wish to call
attention to the fact that we can look
to any industry in any country, in
any state, in any city, in any town,
and we will find that where the hours
of labor of working people ara least,
there also will we find that the articles
in question are sold cheapest in pro-
portion to the wages received by the
toilers.
We see that in China, for instance,
where the working people delve and
toll from early morning until late at
night, their clolhing and ordinary
comforts OF life, or rather, the stand
ard of life is below that of the work
ing people of other countries who
work a reasonable number of hours.
In China the current rate of wages is
from 6 to 8 cents per day; in America
the wages are 50 to $3.50 per day, and
in England the wages are very near
that figure. Vet England and Amer
lea, working nine hours day, can and
do successfully compete with the Mon
golian in China. who works IA to Is
hours per day. Would our wonderful
development, our great cities, the
beautiful churches, grand mansions,
colossal warehouses, immense shops,
with their magnificent machinery,
have ever been brought TO their pres
ent state of excellence under system
where the working people toiled IL,
IA or Is hours day? The man who
works II hours day finds life COM
FORTRESS. He sleeps to work, lives to
work, and knows nothing else but work.
He who works too many hours a day
has no regard for his personal appear
ance. He meets and associates with
nobody when he goes to work who is
better conditioned than he is. He cares
for nothing but work. On the other
hand, the man who works reason
able number of hours is the very OPP
posite in his personal habits. He has
some spare time, and what is he to do
with it? He goes into his parlor. II
that parlor has no carpet, he feels that
it should have one. AS his children
grow up about him they must learn
music. He must have pictures and
other things that contribute this
comfort.
The enhanced cost OF work does not
depend upon the increased number of
hours of labor; the very opposite is
the truth. Men and women consume
the articles produced by labor. Pro-
duction follows the demand. No man
manufactures goods for which there is
no call. 1t would soon end in loss or
bankruptcy if he did. He manufac-
lures because he believes or knows
that there is demand for his prod
uct. Long hours of labor contract
the market. If the working people
toll IA or 16 hours a day their necessi-
ties fall off; their demands cannot in
crease, their wants are not expanded.
It is this phase of the question to
which / desire to invite special atten-
ton. Many argue that, if you reduce
the hours from 9 to 8. you also reduce
the product or make the labor so much
dearer. Let me state right here that
all reductions in the hours Of labor
have been followed with improvements
in machinery and cheapened methods
of production as we'll as increased de-
mand. With the improved machin-
cry necessarily following the reduction
of the hours Of labor, the productiv-
ity of the laborer is greater and swift
err. Overwork breeds ignorance If
the newspapers of to-day were COM
PEELED to depend for their circulation
upon working people, toiling from II
to Is hours day, I do not believe we
would have many newspapers, certain
ly not with the immense circulation
they now have, nor could they be sold
at their present prices. Men and
women working too many hours day,
going from their homes early in the
drudging all day and re-
turning home late at night, would not
have have the time or desire to take
up paper, book or pamphlet. An
man is too tired, too ex-
hausted to even give one thought to
the passing public events of the day.
He does not know what is going on
does not understand what is agitating
the public mind. I maintain that the
time has come, in this latter part of
the 10Th century, to discuss the affairs
of the wealth-producing methods of
our time and our country; to assert
that men and women should not be
regarded merely as machines, but also
as men and women. Too much thought
has been devoted to what men and
can produce, and too little to
giving them an opportunity to live
Seattle Times.
A Toad Takes off His Coat.
It is safe to say that but few people
have ever been fortunate enough to
catch toad in the act of changing