The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-05-02

York may be followed, it is thought, by
the same state of things for their breth-
rem in this city
Organized cigarmakers Ia this county
have for some time past enjoyed the
eight hour day The labor reporter Of
The NEWS met some of them at the Pow
DERBY gathering at the Tabernacle last
night and they consented to talk upon the
subject.
John Knerr, member of the Pocahon-
tas Assembly of Cigarmakers, said:--
Eight hours has kept all our men to
work who would otherwise be idle If
longer hours were the rule. The extra
leisure has improved the mental and
moral standard of the men, and | wish
that other trades might enjoy the benefits
to be derived from shorter hours of toll. !"
Henry G. Gruber, cigarmaker and
the secretary of the Jersey Association,
said:-'I don't think SO much of the mere
fact of keeping men in more steady em-
ployment, though that is a good thing. as
l. do the extra two hours which the work
ers can give to their mental improvement
end the enjoyment OF the pleasures of life
with their families. With eight hours
labor our men have improved wonder
fully in, their capacity for study, and
bring their powers more than formerly to
bear upon the thinking out of the labor
question. Let the good movement for
eight hours go on.
Secretary elect James J. Dowling, of
Typographical Union No. "a, said:-ss The
Rev. j. l.. Scudder expressed my views
upon the ideal day divided up into eighths
last Sunday in the Tabernacle. Until we
reach the state Bellamy pictures, where
the hardest and most disagreeable work
is rewarded with the least number OF
hours, eight seems to me should be the
limiting number. THE JERSEY CITY
NEWS type settlers work but eight hours a
day and they see m to be fully satisfied"
James Anderson. president OF Local
union 4S2, United brotherhood of Carpen-
ters and Joiners, said:-'sThere will be no
attempts made by the carpenters of this
country this season to secure eight hours
We have few more shops yet to win over
to nine hours, but we don't expect much
trouble in doing it, as all the shops which
amount to anything are run on the nlne-
hour plan. IL is expected that our
recently elected walking delegate, John
+. Kelly, will do much in drawing nom
union carpenters into our ranks, and be
successful in warding off any trouble
that may arise between the men and
their bosses. Indeed, he has already done
this much for us, and we expect great
things from him. Another new union Of
our trade has been chartered on the
Heights. There Is lots of work to be done
in getting the true union spirit into some
carpenters. regret very much to say
that it was Jerseymen who caused the
trouble on the Morton g. Chesley build
ings in New York by going to work for
less than the scale of that city calls for. y
Robert Campbell, an active member of
Carpenters Union No. 462, and ardent
Single Tax advocate, said Eight hours,
what of tnati would like to see labor
so sought after that the individual might
work as many or as few hours as he
pleased. But then suppose there would
have to be regulations, or some people
woula work themselves to death. No,
there will be no eight-hour strike in Hud-
son county, so far as am aware
Richard j. Allen, of Eccentric Engin-
GERS No. s. said:-sI wish the movement
for shorter hours all success. We ought
to have eight hours and even less than
that number, for as it stands now the toll
ers do not get their proportional benefits
from the use of machinery. But while I
favor shorter hours, would prefer to see
the change made gradually, rather than
there should be suddenness about 1t
which would be revolutionary its ma
ture. A man named Burt. II remember
Alright, at q convention of employers four
years ago. suggested tnat half an hour
every year might De taken oil duly labor
until eight hours was arrived at. If that
suggestion had been taken up and acted
upon by the workers at the time, we
should in all probability hava got there
by this time. The Eccentric Engineers in
this city work nine hours.
John Callahan, of the Tin and Sheet
Iron Workers Union, said: THE whole
of our trade in New York, Brooklyn and
this city now work in harmony ana agree
upon what demands shall be made In
joint convention. New York and BrooK-
lyn tinsmiths will try for eight hours in
June and will probably be successful
But here in Hudson county we shall
strive for general observance of nine
hours, with So day."
Joseph Fullem, of the Surface Railroad
Employees Association, told the reporter
that there was ten-hour bill hid away
with the other labor bills at Trenton, and
until the Legislature did something the
railroad men wonld have to continue
working twelve hours for every day in