Evening star., 1896-09-21
FOR EIG HH HOU r S
Proposed National Organization to Work to
One End.
What Labor Leaders Say About the
PrOpOsitiOn-COnb1 Might
De Successful.

Some Of the most prominent members OF
the Central Labor Union of the District OF
Columbia are seriously discussing propo-
sition made to them by some of the labor
leaders in New York city to unite with the
latter in the organization into one great
body of all the crafts whose national or
ganizations have expressed a preference
for eight-hour day, and also that when
formed the new union shall take up the
question as unit, and push the subject to
a satisfactory conclusion.
President Milford F. Spohn of the Cen
trail Labor Union, and who also has great
influence among the members of the Brick
layers Union, of which he is also an Off
Ger, today, in talking with Star reporter
on the subject of the new movement said:
1.-The reduction of the hours of labor Is
regarded by the most intelligent and OBJ
servant of those in the ranks of organized
labor as the paramount question. under
lying all other questions involving the In
terests of the workers of the country. 1T
is regarded by many as the key by which
the labor question must be solved For
quite period sporadic efforts have been
made to force a reduction of the hours of
labor, with varying success.
Eight-HOur Day.
"These efforts have been local and con-
fined exclusively to the large trade centers.
Although the national organizations Of all
the crafts have in conventions declared, de-
cidedly, In favor of the eight-hour work
day, no general or nationally concerted eff
forts have ever been made, AS the feast
b1lity or such a move has always been seri-
ously questioned by the most prominent
leaders of organized labor. 1t is generally
admitted that a general effort would result
In failure. and the loss that labor would
incur as the result of general strike effort
would be more than labor. even under
favorable conditions, could sustain. 1t is
evident that general demand for the re-
duction of hours would inevitably result In
general strike, as has been the case, with
a few rare exceptions, when the demand
has been localized.
whether there is none of the spirit of
progressiveness with the workers in the
large business centers, or Whe ther there Is
a radical difference in the economic en-
Vlronments of those working at the same
craft in the larger cities and those in the
smaller cities, 1t is nevertheless a fact that
the instances are rare when the demand for
reduction of hours has been made by
the workers outside of cities with a popu-
lation exceeding a hundred thousand"
National Organization.
A Star reporter, in conversation today
with prominent member of New York
trade union with reference to the atti-
tude of thos of his craft in the metropolis
relative to any future effort to secure a
told that under the present depressed con
dition OF trade those organizations which
had secured the etght-hour day were sa is
fled to maintain ii without expending their
limited resources in the futile effort tC
force the short day upon those who even
under the most favorable trade coniit lions
never made a demand for the reduction OF
! the hours of labor.
Many Of US are convinced. he sal l.
| that nothing for the material advance
Ioh l,o ,.T1 fr.Ny, h.
| small organizations in the small cities ol
| the country. They are not in position tc
! keep those of the large cities, while the
organizations in the large cities are de
pended on to maintain them during strike
/ period. If these strikes were entered upor
| to force a shorter work day, we woulo
| be rewarded for our aid, but The strikes
are always the result of some trade diff
| ference, which If successful leaves then
| as far from the attainment of a shorter
| work day as they were twenty-five year
| ago
| Thus the membership of the organiza
| tions of the large cities, which is the larg,
| majority of the organized labor Of tn
| country, cannot be decided to the least ex
| tent in any effort they may make to secir
| better conditions by those organizations
| which, MiCawber like, are waiting and will
| ever wait for something to turn up. ST
| there is an increasing sentiment anon:
| those Of all crafts favorable to the forma
| ton of national bodies composed eXciu
| SiVely of those organizations working eIgh
| hours. Under the present conditions o
| intern ational organization the unions OF m.
| craft in New York city cannot possibl.
derive the least benefit. The organize
membership Of my craft in New York an
| Brooklyn is about 5000. Should they from
| any cause be forced into a lockout o
enter upon a general strike, which woul
require daily strike fund of $4,000 1t /
evident that they could not be maiataine
for week. The national organization G
| now constituted would be of no benefi
whatever, and in such an exigency W
would have to sustain ourselves the bes
we could
There is an affiliated membership of m
craft of about 25.oW and the aggregat
membership of the eight-hour locals
| approximately 15,GU which is confined I
the cities of Now York, brooklyn. Bostor
| Washington, ST. Louis, Cincinnati, Ch!cag
| and Denver. The remaining 1o.UD ar
| working nine hours or longer, with no pros
| pect of working less even in the remot
| future. 1t is, therefore, evident that
, | any effort to maintain the eight-hour ca,
which possibly or even probably may b
| necessary If the present depressed trade col
ditions continue. the nine-hour organization
could render no assistance If disposed an
| would not feel disposed If they could.
is further evident that the eigh:-hour Ol
ganizations are much in advance Of thos
; working longer hours. and as they wei
| the pioneers in the move for 4 shortt
, | work day they will be actively and effe'
tiyely agitating for a slx-hour work da
when the nine-hour unions following
the wake conclude to demand an eight hot
. day and realize the fact that until II
t hours of labor are reduced to such an e,
tent as to give to all an opportunity
labor the struggle to maintain ahstra
economic conditions is only the fighting
barren battles ever again.
The exhibition Of japanese vases, bronze
n curios &C.. will continue tomorrow
| = of nm
nesday at II am. and pm, and continu,
> | the two following days.-Advt.
Dangerous Habits.
j., | To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
O. One can but be amazed at the reckles