Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-17
AMONG THE TotLERs


out the country. have been considerably
exercised of late over the fact that their
| crafts have been selected by the American
Federation Of Labor. with which both are
ahhated, to make the long talked-of de-
mand for an eight-hour day from and after
May 1.
An eight-hour day is the ideal period of
labor with thousands Of laboring people,
and 1t has been feared that in their desire
to secure the object of their demand the car
penters and horseshoers would strike II
| 1t was refused
while the American Federation of Labor
VIII, as Is their announced intention, morally
support the movement Of the two organiza-
uons named to secure a uniform eigi1t-hour
gay, tney VIII not countenance strike on
OF the organizations selected nv the r
or L. to receive its aid and announcement
IN the matter, the carpenters and 1oipers
rs PROBABLY the largest and most important
animated with the parent body At present
the carpenters are enjoying the shorter work
Gay IN about sixty cities in different parts
of the country. 1 -
It, The nine,hour day prevails in a much
larger number Of cities and II Is the nur-
pose OF the carpenters to establish a INIT
FORM eaght-hour day in all sections. From
TINS II VIII be seen that the carpenters have
apparently a less difficult task before them
than have the other unions The carnenters
nave peen hammering away for a reduction
IN the hours of labor for some years and
d 4ave at.ained either an eight or a nine-hour
uaS III nearly every large city in America
The horseshoers have made some nrngrsss
~ this direction. but not so much as the
carpenters. Both Of these crafts would he
Sonrs y, s id by curtailment of the
i hours oi iapor, as both have suffered much
loss OF employment by the introduction of
MODERN devices-the carpenter by resson Of
NE me great improvements made in mill ma
chlnery, and the horseshoer by rea son Of
the general substitution of eIectricitv tor
'oise power on street railways
Action of the A. f. of L..
"A communication has been recetve5 r., THE
city from President Gompers of the z ~
L., 1nclosing declaration adonted by n.
executive council on the subject of the eight
hour DAY. 1t disposes of the supposdt;on on
tei tdiheo by many that general strike
"oulo De inaugurated May to force recog-
hitioh OF the shorter day. The declaration
reads: AT this hour. when myriads of work
men are seeking employment, and in their
u ts numbers OF them are captivated by
me tIie SEDUCTIVE theories and glittering prom
lses Vi securing state help. we, the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, reaff1rm the neres-
slty OF concentrating all the forces of the
pIaclcal labor movement by the voluntary
ha ,u sSii s EFFORTS of the trades unions,
pacheo by sympathetic public opinion.
The general and constant introductiop
or machinery. the minute subdivisions of
ldpor. the 1rregularity of employment, the
continually recurring periods of industri /
stagnation and financial panics the hone
less wall OF the unemployed all demand
equahzation of the opportunities that will
come from the general adoption Of the
eight-hour day. All other 'isms' and eco
nomic theories within our ranks should he
suoordinated to the great task of giving
work to the unemployed and of bettering
the wages and conditions Of all who toll.
There is no movement of more value to
hat
hghten the burdens of those who are over
worked and underpaid, and which will give
employment to those who Wander our by
ways and highways, searching IN vain for
better chance to live The reaIization of
the eisht-hour day to them means better
1000 and raiment happier homes better
c.tiZens nobler manhood and a higher
civilization.
AS we approach this question we realize
1uily the magnitude of the interested and
selhsh forces arrayed against u.s. the indlf-
ference or the working people themselves
their oId-time prejudices and the MANY dis
sensions which divide them More than Ali
we recognize the need for a more thorough
ana complete organization of every craft
anu occupation On trade union lines before
We can undertake a general or sirnultape-
Gus stand for the eight-nour day This Sc
we're industrial crisis from which we are
now emerging. however, should he a helm
Iui lesson to lead the industrial classes in
10 such compact organization, which when
once attained will bring still greater
achievements to the working people.
r. we heartily approve the shorter work
DAY asked FOR by the Journeymcn Horse
shoers' National Union. and tender it and
the United Brotherhood of Carpenters our
active cooperation and united assis, ance
IN their present efforts to reduce the hours
OF ton. We congratulate them that they
are in position to undertake this move
ment without our financial aid
TO insure continued and successful eff
Iorts by the working people in this dlrec-
ton, the president and secretary of the
American Federation Of Labor are herahv
directed to issue an address to the wage
Wofkers or the country. urging them to
Join the trade union movement with the
view OF securing all possible advantages re-
sult1ng from organization and especially to
put into operation the eight-hour day as
soon as business will justify such action
without injury to the public
mat the aforesaid officers notify the
executive heads OF all unions affiliated with
the American Federation of Labor of such
action and seek their cooperation and as
slstance. and request them to correspond
with employers to the end of securing an
expression Of opinion on the voluntary con-
cesson of the eight-hour work day and
that all unions whose members now work
more than eight hours per day be request
ed to select committees to wait upon en-
ployers with the same object in view
Further, that the press pulpit public
speakers and reformers generally be urged
to make the need for the eight-hour work
udJ THEME OF concerted and persistent
discussion.
I'VE hail the decision of the Bricklayers
and Stone Masons' International Union to
adopt the eight-hour work day in their
trades as hopeful sign of the Irresistible
movement for the establishment of the
eisht-hour work day
The Brotherhood of Carpenters,
The United Brotherhood of Carpenters
and Jeiners of America, above referred to,
was founded in Chicago In August, 1881
At first 1t had only twelve local unions and
2042 members. Now, in ten years. 1t has
grown to number over SIS local unions in
over 724 cities, and S4.37G enrolled mem
bers. 1t pays wife funeral benefit of from
$50 to $50; members funeral benefit, 800 to
500, and disability benefit, 500 to $500 In
tfese general benefits S72.6l3 has been ex-
pended the last year. and 500, 54S the last
ten years, while S571, $50 more was spent for
sick benefits by the local unions 1t has
raised the wages in 531 cities and placed
$5,5oO.OO0 more wages annually in the pock-
cts OF the carpenters in those cities II re-
duced the hours of labor to eight hours a
day In fortysix cities, and nine hours A
day In 1893 cities, not to speak Of 432 cities
which have established the eight or nine
hour system on Saturdays BY this means
IL, loO more men have gained employment