Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-04-27
HISTORY OF LABOR.
Mr.. Maynard Reads an Exhaustive Pa
per to the Unity Club.

1f. mAyu4fu Ke1oS IN EXHAUSTIVE Fa~
Per to the Unity Club.
Last nights meeting of the Unity
club concluded its work for the year.
labor and Labor Laws. Past. + recent
and FUTURE" was opened by X. A. May
nard. who said that he was indebted to
the state labor bureau and Commits
sloner Robinson for many valuable
hints and suggestions. I'VE do not
speak OF labor under compulsory con-
dluons, such as slavery and serfdom.
but of free labor or the labor of per-
sons having the primary right TO deter
mine whether they will or not, and to
TX the compensation and other cordi-
tons under which they Will exercise
such right" said he. "My remarks,
dealing MS they do with freedom TO
work for pecuniary consideration, a
right conceded only after ages OF
struggle. often barbarous and bloody,
must necessarily be lntroducedb by a brief
Retrospective view of the past condition
OF labor, whether bond or free. Until
compaE atiyely recent times, compulsory
personal servitude appears 10 have been
the common lot OF the greater portion
OF the human race. In ancient Egypt
o shocking picture of life in the mines
and stone quarrles is given 10y DiodOrus
Siculus. The soil, he says, mutually
black, is travcrged with VEINS OF marble
OF excessive whlteness, SURPRISING IN
brllliaucy the most shining substances.
The overseers cause the gold to be dug
by the labor OF II multitude Of people.
The kings OF Egypt condemn TO the
mines criminals and prisoners of war.
Not always the individuals themselves,
but their whole families. over the
whole work presides an engineer, who
views and selects the stone and points
il out to the laborers. The strongest of
them, provided with iron chises, cleave
the rock by force, without any attempt
at skill. In excavating the shafts be-
low the ground they follow the direc-
ton of the shining stratum without
keeping in straight line. In order to
see IN these dark windings they fasten
lamps to their foreheads. having their
bodies painted, sometimes one color
and sometimes another, according to
the nature of the rock. As they
cut the stone 1t falls in masses
and the oveTseers command them to
work with words and blows. Little
boys follow and carry away the frag-
ments. Those above 80 years of age
are employed in pounding stones of
certain dimensions with iron pestles IN
stone mortars until reduced to the size
OF lenlil. 1t is then transferred TO
women and old men, who put 1t IN
mills where it IS ground to tine pow
der. No attention is paid TO their per-
sons. They have not rag to cover
their naked bodies. So wretched is
their condition that all who witness it
deplore the excessive misery they en-
dure. Neither the weakness of age nor
women's inirmatles are regarded.
There is no intermission. All arc
driven to their work with the lash,
until, overcome with the intolerabie
weight of their affections, they die in
the midst of their toll. The above is
what can be called convict labor. Un-
der normal conditions, labor among
artIzans and mechanics no civil or
criminal disability exists Polvgamy
was authorized by law. Men Of the
lower class had but one wife, Frequently
n sister or q near relative"
Mr.. MAYNARD at this point contrasted
the free Egyptian with the convict. He
said that an old Egyptian proverb was
that "msn had back and only obeyed
when it was beaten" so completely
bad this entered into the social life
that a person who had never been
beaten before a magistrate Was re-
garded as an exceptional beng, and
the fact was worthy OF being recorded
upon his tomb.
The first strike, which is assigned to
q period 1000 years before the Christian
Era. was cited aud extracts taken from
an essay by French epytologist. The
cause of II was dissatisfaction among
the masons employed IN building the
temple OF Nut. Their grievance was
that they were lnsutficIently supplied
with food aud we're hungry. King
Pharoah relieved their distress by dis
trihuting among them a supply OF corn.
This run short and another strike oc-
cured. II was settled IN . similar
manner by Pharoah.
Mr.. Maynard mentioned the labor
conditions of Chaldea, Babylon, A.
syria, Persia, said the Jews were the
beat of of any in the ancient eastern
world. Spoke about China. Greece
aud Rome, down 10 the birth of Christ
ianity, and gave the history of labor IN
Rome from Dometian TO Commodus.
tie spoke about the EARNEST labor leeis-
latiOn n England, in the third year of
Edward III, quoted the statutes of
laborsrs," adopted 81 that time, the
esrliest Is-s prohibiting child labor
and the FIRST provisions made for send
ing children 10 school. A law enacted
during the reign OF Henry VII. prohib-
ting the combination of ishorers en-
gagged 10 the ballding trade was quoted
~ being remarkable.
Mr. Maynard continued through the
history Of labor law down 10 the closc Of
the Eighteenth century, and stated the
cord sen 81 American labor At ihs,
time. Following brief extracts were
presented from the labor laws Of all
the states IN the union and their bear
ing upon the welfare OF toe laborer
shown.
Alex Fife. I'd ward Burfoot and ".
Newton discussed tns question IN ali ia
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