The advocate., 1892-03-09
SHORTEN THE HOURS OF LABOR.

Geo. u WGF0y ESQ.
DEAR S1R:-I have just read your inter
esting article Of February 10th, in The To
PEKA ADVOCATE, in regard to the National
Union Company, etc. / consider you q
very able and shrewd reasOner, but It sp-
pears TO me you are little "off'' in the fact
that you do not seem to make distinction
between producer" and distributor"
or middleman. To keep industries diversi-
fed or to quote yourself keeping AZ many
men employed in other occupations, at good
wages, as can consume his (farmer's) sur
plus products" is good common sense. If
you have three retail business men where
two could do the work who pays the extra
cost? Will supporting an army OF useless
middlemen help the farmer or the produ-
Ger? Hope you will eluCidate this point in
some future letter to The ADVOCATE. / can
understand how, If there are too many far
mers, 70 put some of them into other lines
Of production will be blessing, but cannot
sec why three middlemen whore two can
perform the work, whether they be bankers
or retail grOcers, or two business blocks
where one is amply sufficient, are benefit
10 the farmers, producers, or consumers, or
any one, excepting the middlemen inter
csted. am with much FeepeCt,
Yours cordially,
CLARENCE w. Brown.
Mr.. Brown has set before me task the
proper performance Of which would re-
qulre more ability than possess and
more time than Is at my command, and
probably more space than THE ADvo-
CATE would care to spare me. Mr..
Browns inquiry Is perfectly legitimate
and undoubtedly Is prompted by honest
convictions and desire for information.
The implied argument contained in this
inquiry seems to be plausible upon It's
face, but 1t Is, In fact, but the expression
Of commonly held belief which Is fal"
lacy.
Before answering Mr.. Browns Ques-
ton, or endeavorlng to eluCidste the
point he is anxious about, / wish to re-
mark that we are living In an age fraught
with extremely grave problems and per-
picked and vexed with very peculiar
conditions. The immense strides we
have made in laborsaving inventions and
the wonderful development Of improved
methods of production, have caused US
to become able TO produce very much |
more merchantable commodity and man
ufacture very much more merchandise |
than we are able to consume. This
causes an over supply OF labor and In
stsad Of two employers seeking ID hire
one laborer, two laborers are seeking to
hire themselves TO one employer. This,
in It's turn, by decreasing the consump-
tion capacity or purchasing ability Of our
fifty million consumers, curtalls the far
mer's market for his produce, thus low
ering prices and rendering the farmer
unable to purchase merchandise, except
in very limited quantities. The great
problem now before the civilized world,
Il not to get a greater production from
is labor, but to put more labor into our
production. The question Is, how shAll
we provide work for willing workers In
order as fruit Of their labor they may
be fed, housed and clothed. The only
true solution Is tho shortening Of the
days labor, to tho end that greater
number Of men may haze the opportunity
to do days work. The farmers, Of all
men in the world, should be the most en-
thusiastic In their advocacy Of the eight,
nornn On nir hnnn dnv for lnhnrarn In Nha