The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1893-06-12

of capital who help ,she work. ng mar
and look after his intel 'ests, such as the
boards of trade, etc., but there an otnei
assemblies OF capital like the gil gantit
trusts which are springing up owe tine
country, which are illegal and dat ger
GUS TO the interests of the people, pc
Gauge they can eupply demand or t. 'ey
can cease to, and by doing 60 raise u ne
cost Of the articles produced 10 an en-
orbitant figure, and by the sam procest
cut down or raise the laborers wages.
II IL is a reproach to an emplo yer not
TO raiee wages, how much more VI re-
proach to laborer is it, not to join an
organization which will not only raise
his own wages, but those OF his fellow
members. would say to free labor man,
don't hang around your brothers meek
and hold him down but Join a union.
Don't Join union for selfish motives,
for the object oil q union is not selfish.
II lie TO help one another. The most de-
pendent aborers are the workingmeia
who depend ON the within of the employ
er for their living but man with all
the members OF his union at his back il
independent in every way.
The great question ia low can our
struggle be conducted? Singiy 1t would
be impossible. Only in union Is there
strength. Union educates the members,
and strong uniors very seldom have to-
90 on q strike. sent for the conetitu-
ton Of the Amalgamated Society of En-
gineers, one OF the strongest organiza-
tione in England and in the world, and /
did not find one word about strikes in
ite pages. Its grievances were settled \
by arbitration, and they, conf ined were \
strong enough to COMPEL arbitration. \
| am in hope that the day is not far \
distant when the labor organizations OF \
the whole world will be joined for mu- I
tual protection.
To increase wages and reduce the
hours of labor is the greatest question.
In our endeavor in this direction we
have always been confronted with the
statement that there ia a certain sum OF
money in community to be expended
for use in wages. Consequently, II the
number OF perSotls seeking work 10
large, the sum paid will be small, and /
the searcer the lnborer the larger the
wages will be. This ID false, and some /
Of the greatest economists Of the pres-
emit time have reached the conclusion !
that the real rule ia that the standard OF |
living is the economic law Of wages.
Mr.. McNeal illustrates that by saying
that man living in hovel earns hovel
wages, one in tenement, tenement
wages, and one in good house, good |
wages in other words, those who work
the shortest number OF hours earn the
highest wages.
Taking the question of the eight-hour
day and leaving out the agricultural
laborers, the following fgurers will show
the advantage its adoption would be to
the workingman. The eight-fou eys-
tenn would affect IL ,000,000 worltingmen,
these formerly working 10 hours day,
would leave two hours over eel h day.
The two hours left by 100000 men
would amount to % 900 900 hou rs taken
from the market. These % ,0O0, 900
hours would give work to $3.50, 090 men,
and they would turn out just so much
more production from our indust ries.
When it is taken into consid Grafton
that our country increases at the rate OF
1,250,000 each year, of that riumber
100000 are seeking employment t, only
about AGO, 900 OF these succeed and the
remaining 10000 year are added to the
ranks of the unemployed, trampH, etc.
Under the eight hour system there
would be work not only for 2,760,000
men but for 100000.
Remembering the fact that OF the 10,-
UOU,UUU, uUU Oh peOpIo mere, inc WORKING
people consume about so per cent or
5000, 100000, the additional nu mber of
those employed would be one ssnd one
quarter billion more and that increase
could not fail to stimulate industries on
every hand.
Before now labor has always been
looked upon as great factor of produo-
ton but never in the light Of consump-
ton.
1t is not the employer who pays the
wages of the workingmsn, it it the per-
son who buys the production and pays
for it. Consequently the larger the pro-
duction the larger proportionately
should be the wages.
Captain O'Brien referred to the stand
the Los Angeles Council OF Labor had
taken regarding the enforcement Of the
Geary law and also touched on the
recent mining troubles in the Cour
d'Alene district.
A large and appreciative audience
listened to his address with undivided
attention, and many expressions OF APP
prevail were heard at it's close,
Tonight special meeting of the Coun-
Gil will be held to transact some i'm
portsnt business.