The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-02-07

not work at all who would want to
share it with them. He would favor
the amendment but not the bill. He
called attention to. the petition on his
desk, signed by twelve laboring men.
Hague challenged a statement by
Booth, of Provo. that the sentiment Ct
twenty-three counties vas represented
by the petition under discussion. He
knew that the laboring men OF his
constituency favored the eight hour
law and he believed all Wo-kingmen
did favor it. He objected 10 state
ment that he understood Booth, of
Provo, to make that he represented
twenty-five counties.
Booth answered in a heated manner,
disclaiming such statement.
Adams stated that he was in :avor
of the substitute. He represented
eight counties of the territory. AS he
understood the matter, the question
was being agitated by Salt Lake
county alone. He considered the sub
stitute broad and liberal one, giving
much latitude for contract, and ne
heartily favored it.
Taylor said the petition signed by
twelve laborers meant just what II
said. He made the statement that ne
knew the petition voiced the sentiment
of the workingmen.
Booth asked who represented Wash
Taylor replied that it was not repre-
sented individually. but through the
federated trades.
Booth asked who represented Titan
county in that petition.
TAYLOR was unable to say who did,
but would furnish a list of all repre-
sentativ of the counties later.
The vote stood four for the amend
ment and six against it. Booth, Of
oil chs Spa a Z
Hart, Booth, of Provo, and
Adams voted in the affirmative and
Williams, Lund, Taylor, Hague, Seely
and Eldredge in the negative.
Resuming the argument on the bill,
TAYLOR, in reply TO Williams, read the
decision of the supreme court referred
to by Williams, and gave list of
cities where the eight hour Law had
been adopted. He also read an article
from the Christian Union in support
of the eight hour law. The American
Federation represented a large proper
ton of the laboring class and the bill
meets their wants. The life OF a
laborer in America, is the
life of a slave. The bill
as it stands has been submitted to the
laboring people it pleased them.
They considered d step in the right
direction. Mr. Williams suggested an
amendment TO the bill at a meeting of
the committee. In view of that he was
surprised at the gentleman's stand.
He did not know that his argument
would change one vote, but he had the
interests of the laboring-men at heart
and would do what he could in their
interests. He claimed that there are
corporations that are employing men
at the rate of fourteen and sixteen
hours a day.
Williams denied the statement and
Taylor said he could produce books to
prove his statement. Williams asked
what effect the bill would have in case
his statement were true
Taylor replied that he trusted that
it would have moral effect on the
corporations
Williams answered to Taylor's charge
that he had left out the meat of the
supreme court decision, and said that
he had given all that was necessary or
germane to the argument. Williams
hoped for the greatest good for the
workingmen. For his part he was not
willing, when asked for bread, to give
them a stone. Why leave the infer
/ ence that this bill would relieve them I?
( 1t is absolutely meaningless. The
laborer, when he offers his labor, will
give II for the higher wage He would
40 this were the bill to pass or not
he knew as much about the Salt Lake
street railway company as the gen
tleman did. He knew that the cars
We're run from to II. and the men
went on nine-hour shifts as a rllle If
there were longer shifts it would make
no dlfference if the bill We're passed.
Lund said he was in favor of the hill
II snould become law and be given
trial The tendency was upward It
was step in the right direction. He
dlo not consider the argument that il
s NJ Ill
gument at all. 1t would help to relieve
those Ills. Hence he was earnestly in
favor of it. -
| Booth, of Salt Lake, wanted to an
sWer a charge made the day before
that 1t was in the direction of social
ism. He believed the lack of legisla-
ton created q. tendency toward social
ISM. He was in favor of a stronger
law, but was willing to try this as it
Eldrege saw in this bill tendency
to harmonic capital and labor Ma
chinery or the introduction of it. is
causing surplus manual labor all over
the country. Any measure that will
tend TO equalize labor and reaction
would receive his support He favored
the measure as it stood He would
like to see the Tightening of labor
extend to private as well as public
works. He believed the moral effect of
the bill would be far reaching.
Booth, Of Provo, asked to be ex-
cused, as he had to leave to attend
an important meeting at Provo. Grant
ed
Seaman was pleased to note that
the discussion had not taken parti-
san turn. He had been a farmer S
son and remembered the arduous tolls
of the farmers life. When he last
visited the old home in New York he
found the la.bOrers on the farm work.
! ed but ten hours a day. The change
had been brought about by no legis-
lative enactments. He had noticed in
Utah that if a man had rod of fence
to build he would have a half dozen
men bidding for the job. The con-
tracts on public works were let and
sublet. As long as this continues the
present condition of labor being put up
at auction against itself will continue.
He could not see how this bill would
help matters If we want to help the
laboring men, let us adopt the plan
of rotation on public works. Let men
be tested for the work and have their
chance He spoke of the conditions
portrayed in Looking Backward The
arguments advanced reminded him of
those conditions.
All the good workingmen had accom-
plished for themselves had been
through organization When labor is
in demand, the workingman can Sc
cure it and at good wages. If a man
let's contract, what does he care
whether the work is done in eight days
or more after it is done? He wished
the gentlemen who took such a lively
interest in the workingman would hold
back their law until a stronger meas
ure and one of some efficacy might be
planned. 1t was a faulty measure,
but he would not put himself on rec
ord as against it unless a stronger one
were advanced.
Adams said he belonged to the great
army of workingmen and his sympa-
thies had ALWAYS been with them He