Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-02

assemblies touching upon social and po-
litical economy in all its phases. Primarily,
though, the stand is taken that the i'm
provement of the conditions affecting the
living, occupation, education and environ
ments Of the lowest strata of society leads.
in the natural course of things, to i'm
proved conditions for all classes. That is
to say. let the progeny of the ignorant and
1eprayed and of the overworked }aborer
have every avenue for education and an
other forms of development to good citizen
ship thrown open to them, the community
and nation are at once better protected
and certainly more prosperous in conse-
quence thereof.
A Serious Industrial Question.
Ii this modern way of ransacking for
knowledge 1t would be fruitless to longer
Ignore the stupendous growth of poverty,
the source from which spring all evil acts
and crime of man against man. Formerly
it was the ignorance of the condition OF
the toilers that made the consideration of
the Industrial question a minor after. But
row. with official figures staring us in the
face, showing that in New York and Mas
sachusetts in the aggregate Industries the
average is in the neighborhood OF 40 per
cent of wage earnerS who are replaced by
improved machinery, and that in other
manufacturing states and industrial cen
tiers the situation is proportionately bad, 1t
is evident that serious industrial question
arises as to what shall be done to find en-
ployment for these American citizens Who,
by no fault of their own, are denied an in
alienable right to work for sustaining
themselves and their dependents.
The solution held out by the Knights of
Labor, foremost and first, is that the hours
of labor must be reduced in proportion at
least as labor-saving machinery replaces
hand labor.
This, the industrial forces maintain, is
the real entering wedge to secure that I'M
written law, THE right of every man to
| labor SO that comfortable subsistence Is
provided"
1t is the conviction, reached by practical
application of the theory. that through
higher wages, less hours OF toll ana more
hours for leisure and improvement better
| type of manhood and womanhood Is Sc
| cured, and better general animation and
activity in commercial life maintained. In
| regard 10 the former. evidently good citt-
zens can only be made so when wages are
high enough to allow adequately for the
| necessaries and comforts to sustain a
| proper and healthful living, and leisure
sufficient to devote general advancement
] and culture.
! A Shorter Work Day.
| Furthermore the benefits of shorter
| work day arc very pror ounced, inasmuch
| that it's tendency Is to lift the now over
| worked and uncultivated classes to a
| higher intellectual and moral standard, a
factor Of the greatest Importance In solv-
| ing the economic problem: of the day. And,
|
] have a tendency to retard or propel the
wheels of trade. fundamentally, the least
| impcdiment and greatest advancement Is
| always attained through the employment
| of ali who desire to be employed With the
| hours of toll proportionately lessened all
| can be employed, and thus naturally
| larger consumption eEsues, and with
| greater consumption comes the demand
| again for greater production. resulting in
| the ever increasing demand for persons to
produce in order to meet the increasing
! demand to consume. However, the fact is
| never lost sight of by those of the order
that for the purpose Of orking practically
attention is always directed to the import
ance of touching, in the usual discussions
! on all current social and political topics at
fecting the interest Of the people and the
nation. Possibly nothing will so well dem,
| onstrate for what and why the K. of L.
| exist than giving real specimens Of the
| work accomplished within recent years.
Mechapics' Lien Law.
Prior to 1884 the mechanics of the Dis
trict were subjected to great loss of wages
through the dishonesty of irresponsible
contractors, as the lien law then on the
statute books afforded little or no relief
The representative labor bodies decided, Ii
possible, to remedy this state of affairs
and through the efforts Of the District AS
semby's legisls tive committee the presen
efficient mechanics lien law was passed.
Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The fourth plank in the declaration O.
principles Of the Knights Of Labor reads
1.-THE establishment of bureaus of labo
statistics, that we may arrive at a cor
rect knowledge of the educational, mora
and financial condition of the laborini
masses and the establishment Of free stat
labor bureaus"
The first bureau of LABOR statistics wa
established in Massachusetts in 1869, fol
lowed closely by other states. until we hav
bureaus of labor statistics In thirty thre
states and the national department Of labo
located here, making thirty-four in all. TIL
national department Of labor was first es
tablished as the bureau Of labor statistic
in 1854 and changed to department Fl
1885, The establishment Of this institution
was the result Of the efforts Of Organizes
| oPu No oh