The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1890-09-02
LABOR. HOURS AND WAGES.
Views of Well-Known Man Who Employs
Large Numbers Of Workmen.

Large Numbers of workmen.
Carson Lake. in New York Press.
p. Z. Studebaker. who is one of the firm
of Studebaker Brothers, the great carriage
and wagon manufacturers of Indiana and
Chicago, Is well known as an earnest Re-
publican politician. He or one of his broth
ers has been delegate In the Republican
national convention from the South Bend
district for twenty-five or thirty years.
They are about the largest employers of
their workmen have always been of the
friendly order. When l met Mr.. Stude-
baker yesterday he had been reading Thurs
days debate in the House at WashiD gton on
the eIght-h0ur law. and he said to me:
ben Butterworth's argument on that sub
ject possessed plain common sense. can
not see where any good can come from
such legislation as they propose In
thas the m ors tsli sssmS theS 1o
about it In Washington aud elsewhere the
more it tends to unsettle labor, make work
men restless and lead them to believe that
there is something wrong in the relations
between labor and capital. 1t Is the dis
content that then arises which plays the
mischief with both labor and capital. l
believe with Butterworth that the laboring
man should be free and untrammeled. and
should be permitted to work as many hours
as he pleases. go further. and believe that
no should have the protection of his State
and government in his labor. That is to
say, in time of strike four hundred out of
five hundred men may feel aggrived and
dred desire to remain at work they should
be protected by the laws of the land in the
peaceful pursuit of their callings. and the
responsibility should not rest with their
public authorities. If this was law there
would be no need of calling in Pink
erton detectives. Employees in New York
would be entitled to protection of the State
of New York and not be protected by Chi
cago detectives. There is great amount
of humbug about the eight-hour business.
/ do not believe that the intelligent work
men of the country want any such law.
The trouble is that some laborers are mis-
led by demagognes into the belief that
they can get ten hours pay for eight hours
work. There is an eight-hour law in In
diana. Since the law went into effect we
employ our men by the hour, and they have
been working ten and twelve hours per
day. This goes to show that the majority
of men are willing To work as long as they
can get work. and do it without physical
injury. Our Legislators who favor eight
hour laws seem to overlook the fact that it
is the amount of labor and the price paid
for the same that determines the cost of all
commodities. Therefore, if the labor of the
country should be able to organize and ad-
vance their wages 80 per cent. all over the
land, it would only tend to advance every
thing they consumed in the same pro-
portion. If they effect the same thing by
reducing the hours of labor and keeping
the pay up the result is the same.n
L asked Mr.. Studebaker what he thought
of the proposition which labor men are now
agitating to pass a compulsory arbitration
law. when he said 1T looks TO me to be
lmpractioable to pass such law, because
1T is contrary In principle to all laws of
trade. AS peace man am In favor of the
principle of arbitration; but i understand
that arbitration is now common law and
that persons who get into difficulties have
the privilege of arbitrating the same.
But it should always be as it is
nova voluntary arbitration. and not
be used to secure arbitration it is
| time to 60 to law. Let me suppose in
| the matter of wages that compulsory arbi-
| tration is the law. A firm having five hun
| dred men is called upon by its employees to
| advance wages % per cent. The employers
| refuse and arbitration IS forced. by which,
| say 20 per cent. advance is ordered. This
| would compel the manufactures to advance
| the prices of his goods to that extent.
Then, of course. he must find market for
| them at the advanced price. Now, if the
buyer or consumer to whom he offers his
| goods at the forced advance refuses to take
!, them at that price. what recourse has the
| sorry arbitration endsf Unless you also
pass laws to arbitrate the price between
| the manufacturer and the consumer. which
| every one will concede to be impracticable.
| compulsory arbitration of wages is a fail
| ure.
THE proper way to look at the relation
| of capital and labor" said Mr.. Studebaker,
| thoughtfully. lis under the undying prin-
| ciple of supply and demand. / rememb Der
| when the soldiers came back from the war
| and created an overabundance of labor we
had to reduce wages. but we took on more
| men. When the panic struck the country
| we did not let a man go, although we had
| to cut wages / went through the shops
| one day about that time and met an old
| day laborer He had been cut from 81. so to
| S1.25 per day, and asked him how he was
| getting along. i am getting along first
rate was his hearty response. Why not2
| You give us plenty of work. There was
| knew the value of time"