The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-04-28
FIRST OF MAY.
Labor Will Make 1t an Austen.
litZ or a Waterloo.
Eight Hours TO Be Demanded-Thraa Thou.
sand Men Involved-samusl Gompsrs'
Views on the Question.

The Queen Oh May, 1890, will be the ruler OF
troubled realm. Instructions Will occur wher.
ever English Is spoken and In many places where
II Is not spoken.
The American Federation of Labor, with Its
100000 MEMBERSHIP Friendly Society OF En-
gland, the Labor vereins OF Germany and Rus
sia-will all be found marching under a banner
inscribed Eight Hours"
May-daY was decided upon as the day for the
insurreciion in the United States because the
carpenters struck for reduction OF the hours OF
toll on May-day twenty years ago and succeeded,
but since that day many OF them have gone back
TO the ten-hour system.
No one knows why the same day was selected
by the laborers of England, France Germany
and Russia on which to make demand for
fewer hours of toll, but it has been selected.
In this city 5000 men will make demand for
fewer hours, and will strike If their demand is
not granted. These are the men employed In
building trades, the carpenters and joiners The
plasterers work but eight houls per day at pres
ent. but VIII help the wOrkmen who want TO do
as they are doing. The plumbers and gasftters,
who have strong union, will join with the car
penters The painters, OF whom 800 are men,
bers OF union, and fifty are Knights OF Labor,
Will also demand a reduction o I W orklng hours
To eight.
The brewery wOrkmen. who are laboring ten
hours per day, will demand that their hours be
reduced to nine and confident that the de-
nianu VIII De granted. Ii II Is not granted the
men will strike
There are about 5000 carpenters in the city,
OF whom 0ne-half are trades un0nists They
have given their employers notice that they will
work but eight hours per day after May 1st and
will not touch lumber prepared by men who work
longer On May 1st they will have picnic and
on May I'd they will appear at the buildings on
which they are employed at o'clock In the
morning. They will stop work at 5 O'Clock on
that day, and II any OF them are ordered to WORK
longer strike will result.
I'm ara alladf m rIIy Will In
ported by the American Federation, which has
collected cents per week during he last two
mouths from every one OF its $4,000 members
for this purpose. The President OF tile Fedora
tion Samuel Gompers, says:
ave do not want 10 stop the wheels OF indus
try; we want to belD them run more smoothly;
we want TO remove Instead of increase friction.
We shall proceed degree by degree. We have
singled out the eighth as the first movement.
When we have gained that point for the striking
carpenters we shall demand IL for miners and
NINE iaborers, and while fighting for IL we shall
consider the next necessary step to be taken.
There is no doubt of the success OF the
movement by the American Federation OF
Labor. as there are 100000 members. Besides
these there are more than enough TO
bring the force to 100000 men, The eight
hour day Is the sole idea now being considered
by the labor world. We want 1t because 1t will
improve the condition Of those employed and
AFFORD employment 10 thousands now Idle, and
complaining this we can consider what improve
ment will be best 10 effect next, We will secure
the eight-hour day for the workingmen Of the
world II 1t takes the rest OF our lives. The eight
hour day Is coming on as irresistibly as the tides
and as surely as the revolutions OF the earth.
The agitation is gathering momentum every day
aud every hour, and its Triumph is now beyond
any sort of peradyenture. Tie bosses will be
they have not had fair warning, because they
have"