St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-29
IN LAB0R'S REAL NJ

those present from the city up the river were:
:. L. Fritz, A. Wagner, George Mercier, M.
=; y, Brown, w. t. Clifford, Fred Breston Jesse
aef, chafsr Her0 6n 6hnsSni sitt E yd johnson; C.
Freddell. Max Conrad, Louis Kolstad, MI
Ghael Lang. L: d. Stickles. Ralph Bates, A.
nhr 6hergeSson, So David T. Harris. Dennis A. Muir
W. ID. Voudein and T. Knapp
= Those who sat at the table of honor were:
Commissioner of nm sn Powers, Secretary Jackson,
OF the associated charities; c.. Dorniden w
Cromer, Judge Schoonmaker, George Clifford
Ala; Murphy, Aid Hare Assemblyman Cope,
. land. Assemblyman Johnson, j. N. Wolter-
storm, A. Lauer.
II. w. bennett acted as master of ceremo
MES, and In few well chosen remarks well
c1ned 90 .s tne guests and also gave outline
OF the plan OF the proposed meetings to be
three months.
sPeechmaking, recitations, singing, etc.,
made up the evenings entertainment The
first on the programme was e. e. Stevens. of
minneapolis, who spoke on the "Eight-Hour
WORK Day" He said that reduction in hours
tseans tto not only greater social advantages for
tne working people, but increased and su-
perlor product for the employers. He quoted
ircm various authorities persons who claimed
20 20 nave 1u!iy investigated the subject, to prove
tnis. he dfd not think the reduction of hours
70 elght per day would result in all the ad-
Yan,ases 70 which labor is entitled, but it
would be step in that direction
Mr. Stevens was followed by John Swift of
lhe same city, who took Labor and Educa-
tion, for his topic He said in the olden times
the Kings made 1t point to keep the people
IN ignorance, that they might more easily keep
them In subsection. In support of this he re-
1erred to the history of the movement for
popular education in Great Britain, and the
opposition 1t met with at the hands of tha
ar1stocracy and landlords. But through the
influence of few lberal-mfnded gentlemen,
ike John Bright and Gladstone, the movement
succeeded, and finally resulted in more liberal
legislation for the common people Education
OF the common people in this country was the
only safeguard OF the government The labor
unions do not desire to destroy the organiza-
uon OF society, but they insist on justice The
worklngmen are as much entitled to luxuries
as are the wealthy. Workingmen should go
forward in the spirit of Christ, showing char
lty and kindness to one another.
Labor Commissioner Powers followed with
necessary Labor Education He said the
great trouble with working people is the dis
trust OF one another and anything that brings
mem together Is step toward harmony,
which is the first requisite toward securing
necessary reforms. AS long workingmen
do not know what they want themselves thew
cannot blame legislators for not making laws
IN the interest of labor. There are certain de-
fects in the child labor legislation that need to
oe oe fenealea. All children should be taken out
OF dangerous occupations. The present COM
pulsory education act is defective. If there is
no means of caring for widow who has to
subsist of the results of the labor of her
chiid, 1t would not be right to prevent that
cnlid from working and compel it to go to
schooi. Some means should be provided to
cale !or tnose so dependent so that the child
may be sens to school. This should be the
aim of legislation in the future and thus
would the children be taken out of competi-
tlon with the workingmen.
G. F. Clifford set good examnIe
10 laDor1ng men, when, after raising to his
lips glass Of water he said: ''In behalf
OF the newspapers of st. Paul 1 propose, in
pure, cold water to the trades assemblies
OF the Twin Cities, this toast: liberation.
moderation. conciliation, arbitration peace
and prosperity"
Louis Nash spoke on t'The Bset Means of
Promoting Organization He said that, so
long as the members of labor organizations
persist in buying where they can purchase
the cheapest so long will it be impossible
to secure the universal organization of labor,
because he whose workmen are unorganzed
and therefore underpaid can always sell the
cheapest. By creating demand for union
made goods manufacturers would be COM
pelied to employ union men to supply this
demand. and the result would be universal
organization and a marked Improvement in
the condition of the toilers. In support of
the argument that a decrease in the hours
of labor with corresponding reduction in
wages finally results in the restoration of
wages to the old standard per day. he cited
the case of the proofreaders in West Publish
ing company's establishment He said they
accepted a reduction in wages when their
hours were reduced, and it was but a short
time until the old scale of wages per day
was restored because it found that they
were doing more and better work.