St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-11
The LABOR PROBLEM,
1t Is Considered by a Special
Committee Of City
Solons.
Rand Eioht-Hour Resolution
Discussed From Every
Standpoint.
Papers Read On Two Subjects
Now Agitating the Leg
islatupe.
How Politics Affects In5up-
anee Rates--Fipes and
Casualties:

The annual labor resolution came up
for discussion last night in the commit
tee room of the city hall. At the last
meeting of the council the Rand reSolu
ton, asking that eight hours a day be
fixed as the standard day for all labor
ers in the employ Of the city, was re
ferred to a special committee, consist
ing of one alderman from each ward.
TINS committee met last night, the aid
ermen present being Rand, Lackey,
Gray, Snyder, McA llister, NOrdeen and
Peterson. Rand's resolution, aside
from asking for the eight-hOur day,
stipulated that the minimum wages
paid to city lab0rers should be S1.75 pr
day, and that they should be given their
pay every two weeks. instead OF once
month, as at present.
Aid. Rand took the initiative when
the meeting was called to order Ivy
moving that the resolution be adopted
aud that the council be recommended
to pass an ordinance bringing about the
desired result. He made speech to
back up his request. When DR.. Ames
held the reins of government the city
adopted the eight-hOur system. and
Aid. Rand was sure the records would
show that the work was done a great
deal cheaper then than at the present
time. The United States government
had adopted the system, also all cities
of any standing as far west as Chicago.
Minneapolis should place herself on an
equality with these cities by aiding the
cause OF humanity.
Aid. Lackey believed that cutting
down the number of hours of labor
would result in a surplns, and thus aid
the working man by giving the unem-
Dloyed an opportunity to earn daily
bread. 1t would he gain to the indi-
vidual aud, so far as he could see, could
not operate to the loss of the city. The
money would be more evenly diStrihu-
ted. Aid. Peterson. whose reputation
for silence has long been established,
astonished his colleagues by actually
speaking for the space of five minutes.
He failed to see where the gain would
be, either to the city or to the individ
ual. BY making an eight-hour day, two
the workmen would DO their hardest
labor in the extreme heat Of day.
Aid. McAliSter had investigated the
labor problem, and was prepared to adj
duce statistics showing that the eStab-
Eshment of the eight-hGur day would
have perniciOuS effect, rather than
bene fetal one. The men employed at
common labor in the saw mills and the
brick yards worked ten hours a day. and
their wages ranged from sl.65 to
Sl.15 per day. Their work was a great
deal harder than the work OF the men
Oh the streets employed by the city.
Aid. McAIlister did not hesitate
to declare that, in his opinion. over one
tenth Ut the time was lost by the city
laborers in sheer idleneSS. Tie very
fact that not a single labor organization
was represented at the meeting of the
committee went to show that the men
who would be benefited by the eight
hour system would be transients and
aliens. If the resolution should pass,
the of the city would be de-
frauded out of two hours work a day
and the taxpayers out OF correspond
ing amount OF money. lie was for the
tax payer, tor it was bis interest that
should be protected.
Rand aud McAllISter had little per-
sonal squabble about getting votes i'll
the Tenth ward.
After this passage at arms Aid. Gray
had his say. lie said that from his way
of thinking the elght-hGur day would do
more harm to the lab0ring men Of the
city than good, from the fact that it
would cause an influx Of pauper labor
10 the city and encourage indiscriminata
immigration. The lousy Italians who
came to New York and worked for 80
cents a day would make a bee line for
Minneapolis. and the city would be in
the same fix it was when the eight-hour
system was in vogue several years ago.
There would be steady stream OF
pauper labor from the depOts, all after
the easy jobs.
Aid. Snyder was of the same opinion,
and he moved 10 amend the resolution
by striking out that portion which fixed
the minimum wages at SLID a day.
Naturally Aid. Rand made a vigorous
protest against this, f0r,as he remarked,
it would be treating his resolution after
the manner of man who had his heart
cut out. He was sure Sl.75 was little
enough for days toll. Several attempts
were then made to change the number
of hours from eight, as declared by the
resolution, to ten, but nothing of
definite nature was accomplished, the
committee deciding to adjourn for one
week.