The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-04-21
EIGHT TOURS a pAY.

That eight hours labor day is enough to
supply the ordinary wants Of mau upon
reasonable scale of wages may almost be re-
garded as a self-evident proposition. The
division of the profits of labor between
labor and capital should be made on a per-
centage which would enable the labOrer 10
live on eight hours work. But there is
sometimes a difficulty attending a just dis
trbution. / is not in the nature of most
men to give up what they possess, and at
present capital is getting more than a just
share and labor less.
The manufacturers of Massachusetts are
somewhat alarmed al movement to reduce
the hours of labor to nine. wages to remain
unchanged. Tie Massachusetts mill-own-
ers say that they now find it difficult to
compete with the cheaper labor of the
South. In the cotton trade especially South
ern competition Is close. New mills are
being established almost al1ngsile the cot
ton fields, and the people OF the South are
inclined to favor home product. The cotton
mill owner saves both in respect to LABOR
and 10 transportation. The iron industry in
Massachusetts has for some time been in
distress. The State has to purchase raw
material from the West, transport it to the
local mills, and deliver the product longer
distances than the mills of the Central and
Western States. The consequence is that
with their greater facilities in the way of
established works and abundant capital
! they have to be content with small profits
10 keep their mills at work. La the face of
these conditions comes the demand for a
reduction Of the hours Of labor from ten to
nine. Tie cation manufacturers object TO the
present time as inOppOrtune. Under the new
tariff they have in some respects changed
their modes of manufacture SO as to
| produce the more expensive kind Of goods
which have largely been imported. In this
| new field the Southern mills are not as yet
competitors. By producing goods on which
the labor cost was greater in proportion
! than raw material and on which a higher
grade of labor is employed, they marked out
a new branch of the industry which they
could hold against home competition. From a
national point OF view it does net make much
difference whether there are fewer mills in
Massachusetts, and more in Georgia or fewer
| in Georgia and more in Massachusetts. But
while the Georgia mills have crowded the
Massachusetts mills out of the manufacture
of the cOarser grades of cotton cloth, the
competition is now rather between the mills
of Massachusetts and those of Europe. The
class of cotton goods which the MsssaChu-
| sets mills mostly produce is not made in
the South at all, but in Europe.
In the iron industry the competition is with
the mills Of the West.
There is one thing the friends of labor
should always keep in mind. When wages
are to be raised, the place to apply the
pressure is at the lowest point. To apply it
to the highest point is to drive employers in
that locality out OF business. The Massa-
chusetts employer who finds it impossible to
compete against the cheaper raw material
Of the West and South will save himself by
going into business where the conditions are
more favorable. Bat if his employees follow
! him They will be subject TO the conditions Of
| the newer locality. A Massachusetts Oper-
alive in Georgia would be exposed to COM
| petition with the Georgia laborers.