The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1890-03-22

y
tracts attention. lie is easy to
meet and glad TO iinpart informa-
ton.
In appearance Mr.. Gompcrs may
be likcned to an English edition of
Napoleon J.. and in his management
of the federation, 50 far as method
is concerned, he may certainly he
considered master workman.
"Iour organization, Mr.. Com
pcrs, said I, ''has begun the agita-
ton for a uniform cight-hour day,
so mildly, rs well as persistcntly and
forcefnlly, carefully concealing or
emitting all reference to altcrna-
lives, in ease the request is not
granted that ! am anxious to know
what you expect TO do on May lst
if the employers, rs n rule, refuse
to adopt the fewer number of hours
daily
1T means strikc--of COURSE
was the reply. "You will notice
that for the first time, and believe
IN the history of organized labor,
we arc eXhansting every means to
bring about the desired result by
other means than strike. We have
published tons of speeches, papers,
essays and tracts, showing good rca-
sons why the toiler should not be
expected or required to work more
than eight hours daily. We have
and are holding public meetings to
enlighten all who will listen, and we
are leaving nothing undonc as 10
personal conference and conference
by letter to induce employers and
contractors to grant concessions in
the direction indicated"
"Tell me- said /, chow you re-
gard the action of the Convention of
Building Contractors at st. Paul re-
Gently, which, in reply 10 your letter,
recommended payment of wages by
the hour, instead of by the day. Do
you not think that amounts to q
checkmate Will not present wages,
for instance, divided by eight in
stead Of by ten or more (paid on the
hour basis) mean less for the wage
Garner per diem"
The President of the federation
smiled, and in reply read me his let.
ter to that convention-in which he
distinctly avoided asking that body
to recommend or adopt an eight
hour day. AT most the letter could
be said to urge upon the gentlemen
to whom it was addressed the adj
visibility of not taking action anita
gonistic to the eight-hour day. After
reading it Mr.. Gompers SAID: 81
think. the builders did all that could
have been looked for. No body of
employers can be expected to make
radical changes in their methods OF
work, particularly"-here the
speaker smiled again-''before they
are asked to do so. The builders
were not formally asked to adopt
the eight-hour day. think the
wages question will settle itself,
after the question of hours of labor
is decided"
Referring to the widely extended
eight-hour strikes in 1886, | asked
whether, If strikes became a neces-
sary element OF the work of the fed
Grafton next spring, we might ex-
pcct to see anything like the dis,
turbancc which conferred at Chicago
II few years ago.
Imagine my surprise at seeing
Mr.. Gompers start from his chair
and grow red in the face in an evil
dent desire to control himself, but /
could not at the moment imagine
how or why the question had eX-
cited him.
Brushing one hand through his
hair, he said in voice much deeper
than before:
"Why, l am no Anarchist; nc
bomb thrower; violence tc individ-
uals or a disregard of property
rights"
Right here / relieved him-and
myself. My reference was to tho
Chicago eight-hour strikes of four
years ago, while the question haG
been construed to refer to the Hay.
market outbreak.
The point sought was simply
whether the country is to suffer in
dustrial disturbances this spring, i
necessary, to enforce an eight-houl
day. Nowhere has the federation
put their case in just that way, bu
the fact is now plain enough.
And it may as well be accepted
that if strikes are rcsorled to til,
movement will be vigorous one
Mr.. Gompcrs explained that the Ma
poleonc method of procedure is t
be adopted. A general strike viii
not be attempted, risking weakening
the whole line. A strike, if ordered
will be in special industry, ant
the whole force of the federation
and, for that matter, OF organize,
labor, will be called upon to assis
it. If necessary this will be follow
cd by another strike in a particular
industry, and so on.
The outlook, therefore, in cas-
employers do not see their wa,
clear to a position which may be re
J gardcd as mot antagonistic to tn