St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-09
EUSTIS' Il FORBID"
He Will Not Consent to an
Eight Hour Day on City
Work.
His Reason Is That II Would
Cost the City Too
Much.
BraZie EmitS Another Pitiful
Vail From Beneath the
BuShel.
Reception to Judge Loehpen
Being Planned--Jordan
Lecture.

reception TO Judge LocnPen
Being Planned--Jordan
Lecture.
Mayor Eustis yesterday afternoon
vetoed the Rand eignt-hOur ordinance.
He prepared a lengthy communication
for the council, in which he stated his
reasons for not giving the ordinance his
approval by afixing his signature. 1t
vas unfair to the taxpayers of the city,
he said. to establish such a system,
especially at the present time. from the
fact that the $3.50 worth of public
improvements ordered for 1898 had been
based on a ten-hOur day. If the system
of obliging the workingmen to work
but eight hours could be made universal
and adopted by ali cities and all employ
erS alike. he would be pleased to
have Minneapolis do the same
thing. St. Paul had the eight
hour system, but paid her laborerS
but S1.4O a day, and there was a great
cry in that city for a return of the ten
hour system and more pay. The mayor
was also afraid that by adopting the
Rand ordinance the city would be flood
ed with labOrerS from all parts OF the
country, who would rush in to seeur
jobs that rightfully belonged TO citizens
of the city. Only a small percentage of
the laboring men Of the city would be
benefited by establishing the eight-hour
system for city labOrers. The great
majority would feel somewhat dis
gruntled because they were not treated
after the same liberal manner.
The city engineer gave it as
his estimate that the city would
be out just SOS, 7S4 in extra cost by pub
lie improvements alone, by adopting
the eight-hour system, for it would cost
fully 20 per cent more than the original
figures called for. The following table
showing the increased cost, from City
Engineer Capellen. is embodied in the
mayors communication to show that he
is not alone in his argument against re-
ducing the number of hours of labor:
New sewer construction. Sl4, 500
Old sewer Struct 2,750
Laying water mains. I,o3f
Bridges and bridge repairing.......... 2.0O0
Ward street Work 34,z0O
Paving =,4JO
Total....... ...............s53,7 49,
The mayor does not agree with the
city engineer, however, for he thinks
he places the extra cost too low. The
mayor thinks that the cost will be in
creased % per cent, which would bring
up the increase to S79, $50.
Trades and Labor People.
The reasons embodied in the commu-
nicatiOn to the council, passed for the
arguments of the mayor TO the commit
tee from the trades and labor assembly
which called upon him, with the hope
of securing his approval of the ordi-
nance. The committee failed, however,
for the mayor had given the matter his
thorough attention and could not be
made to change his opinion. The COM
mittee consisted Of Messrs. Ii. B. Mar
tin, C.. Stettgast, J. }. DynOn, E. E.
Martin stated to the mayor that
he considered that eight hours was
long enough for any man to labor, but,
aside from that, the adoption of the
Rand ordinance would furnish employ
ment tor fully 20 per cent more men.
1t would also tend TO take off the sur
plus of idle men. thus doing away with
at least one reason for low wages. The
city, being the largest and wealthieSt
employer, should set the example, and
private corporations would SOOn fol-
low. If there were a difference in taxes,
the laboring men being taxpayers
would be willing to stand it. If the
city adopted the system, and thus gave
a great many more people employment
than at present. the labOrerS would feel
that they could demand higher wages
from both the city and private corpora
tons. Thus would the law prove a
betterment to all concerned.
Mr.. Morey said that the law would
aid the wOrkingman in bringing about
the cherished decentralization of the
hours of labor. lie failed to see why
the men employed in the city Offices
should work fewer hours and receive
more pay than the poor labOrers who
worked in the ditch. The ~pay-S1.75 a
day-was by no means too much to pay
the men, for it would not buy many
GOlllOl . Il AAIG0 tiO l4iCNAlCk Va INV
printers thirty years ago, who were
obliged to work in badly ventilated
rooms and Over nine hours a day. They
were looked upon as a diSSOlute set of
men. Now the printers labored but six
and eight hours a day, and they were
better for it. They had more time to
educate themselves and to better their
morals, and certainly if the system was
good for one craft It would operate 10
the same advantage for every other.
Mr.. DynOn was i'll fauOr Of giving en-
ployment only to those persons who
were citizens of the city, but the mayor
reminded him that the Rand ordinance
did not specify that such should he the
case. The ordinance left a loOphole for
every laborer in the country to come to
the city and get work, and they surely
would come, for the number of hours
and the pay would attract them. Mr.Sett-
CAST maintained that it was more tor the
principle involved than for the good 70
the individual labOrer that he favored
| the ordinance. However, there was nc
doubt in his mind that ten hours was
too long a day for a laborer to work in
the streets.
The Mayors Views.
Mayor EuStis remarked that he was
thoroughly in sympathy with the labor
ing man, and he would do anything in
his power to advance their cause. Blu
there was, he said, a difference of judg
ment as to what was best for the labor
ing man. AS for the abstract principle
he would prefer taking personal obser-
Walton and experience. His experience
was that a man could enjoy the sam
comforts if he worked ten hours as hi
would if he worked but eight. In 1888
and 1888 the city adopted the eight-hou,
system. and the wages were but S1.50
day. The next two years saw ten hours
as the system and the wages wer,
increased to les a day. Now til,
wages were S1.75 a day, having steadily
advanced. He was sure the laborins
men would prefer the advanced wages
to the short day. In his opinion the mel
who worked ten hours a day on tn
streets never eXerted themselves NOR
than was necessary. He took a gait an,
performed a certain amount of wOrl
and would do the same at eight hours