The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-08-08
JOHN BURNS LETTER.
The English Labor Leader Says That
Short Hours Bring Temperance.

The English Labor Leader says That
Short Hours Bring temperance.
Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor, one day
last month addressed the National Tenn
perance Congress in New York City on
the ATTITUDE of the Working-men on
the Liquor Traffic" In his speech he
claimed that the movement for shorter
hours of labor was Temperance move
ment. Leander Thompson contradict
ed the statement and claimed that the
Chancellor of the English EXchequer,
Mr.. Goschen, had said that the reduc-
ton of the hours of labor in England
had only tended to increase the drink
ing habits of the workmen. Mr.. Comp
ers Immediately wrote To Mr.. Goschen
and John Burns. He asked the former
if he had been correctly quoted, and the
latter if the statement was true. Their
replies have just been received. Mr..
Goschen denies having used any such
expression.
John Burns made moro extended re-
ply, as follows:
ONO. 10S LAVENDER HILL. BATTERSEA, LON
DON. June 2S 1S90-Dear Sir: The Chancellor
of the Exchequor did not say that the increase
in wages and reduction Of hours Of labor of the
dock laborcrs of London had merely tended to
increase their drunkenness and largely contrib
uted to an increase in the Treasury from the
liquor trafric. His statement that the increase
of 100000 was due to the fact that the people
had been toastng the prosperity of trade in the
country. He had no reference to any class, but
did say that there had been d great increase
in the duty from rum.
I attended 4 meeting last night Of 5000 dock
laborers, and asked those who ought to know
what was the effect of higher wages and better
conditions, and the universal opinion was that
the workers Of London who have received bet
ter wages are more sober than ever they were.
AS an abstainer myself am delighted at the
conduct OF the lockers, and more than pleased
at the dimnution, not only Of drinking, but Of
betting among them due in no small measure
to the fact that their leaders, Messrs. Mann,
Tillett and Others are Temperance men.
The greatest enemies have in London are
the betting men aud publicans Their enmity
is testimony to this fact, that as We ask for
reduction Of hours for more leisure and educa-
ton we urge the men to spend their higher
wages in home comforts. In twenty years the
amount spent on liquor per head of population
has decreased 20 per cent, while the aggregate
has increased through growth of population.
In England as elsewhere the short hours
movement has always tended to SODrlety ano
increased the intelligence Of the workers. In
my trade twelve or fourteen years ago
secretaries of unions were brbed to transfer
the meeting place from the pig and Whistle"
to the Brown Bear" so that the publican
might have the profit from drink consumed.
So great has been the change that the propri-
tor OF the Brown Bear" will almost give you
ECO to take the meeting away as the drink
consumed does not pay him to have the meet
ing there.
At boat races, bean feasts, holiday gather
ings, etc., the change in the drinking habits is
most marked. Side by side with the demand
for shorter hours is also the demand for free
libraries parks and open spaces gymnasia,
cricket and oot-ball grounds. Leisure to-day
does not mean drinking, but the opportunities
for thought, education and true thrift, which is
impossible to men whose long hours make them
animals and content with "a brutal existence.
The rich man who drinks does so because
he has nothing better to do. This means that
the poor man who provides him with the
means for drinking has to work longer hours
than he should, and, as consequence, often
heals the monotony of his toll by bouts of
drinking the cause of which the eight hour
advocates are going to remove by equalizing
the labor of both. Thus the lazy man will
have something to take an interest in while
the previously overworked slave will have
leisure, without which manhood and its best
characteristics are impossible. Yours truly,
JOHN BURNS.