Evening star., 1897-04-12
ELG HI- H o UR DAY
First Steps in the Proposed Universal Cru.
SADIE.
Advisory Board Of Federation Takes
Acknowledging to Be
Held on May 4.

The first active steps in pursuance of the
action-of the recent convention of the
American Federation of Labor to arrange
for the universal Introduction of the eight
/ hour work day were taken Saturday even
ing at a meeting of the advisory board to
the executive council of the American Fed
GRAFTON, of Labor, which was held at the
headquarters of the latter, corner of l4th
and G streets northwest
Those present were President Samuel
Gompers and Secretary Frank Morrison of
the executive council A. F. of L., and dele
| gates from the Brotherhood of Painters
| and Decorators, Cigarmakers' International
Union, Journeymen Tailors' National Tn
ion, International Typographical Union,
american Federation of Musicians, Sea-
| mems National Union. Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers, BARRIERS National Tn
ion. Bakers National Union, Granite Cut
ters National Union and Brotherhood of
Carpenters and Joiners
The authority under which the eight-hour
Work-day movement has been launched
and hereafter will be energeticaily pushed
Is to be found in a resolution adopted at
| the last convention of the American Fed
GRAFTON OF Labor, held in Cincinnati in De-
cember last that a general agitation
should be inaugurated for the adoption of
the eight-hour work day May l, 1898,
ana IN the meantime simultaneous mass
meetings should be held throughout the
country to discuss and agitate the ques-
| ton, and also that each of the national
unions of the country in affiiia ton with the
American Federation of Labor should Sc
lect one of its members located at the seat
| board
| The meeting was quite lengthy and was
| held behind closed doors. After adjourn
ment the announcement was made that the
| only information that the board had to
communicate to the public was that 1.-The
advisory board had decided TO cooperate
| with the eNpcutiye cnnuril n No f M
LIZ and with all national trade unions to
further the movement and that the request
| would be made to all workers throughout
the country to hold mass meetings in their
| respective localities on May ! next to de-
| clare their determination to enforce the
eiSht-hour work day as soon as prdc teal
| before. but certainly on May /. 1898"
| prominent member of the American
| Federation of Labor in speaking yesterday
to Star reporter about the action of the
advisory board, said:
| The agitation for the reduction of the
| hours of labor commencing at :he dawn of
| the nineteenth century was largely the in
Spring cause of the orga niZation of labor
in the trade unions, and every subsequent
| agitation Of this question has resulted in
| the establishment of new unions and
| increase in the membership and funds CT
| the old ulions
The trade unions are founded upon the
| basic principle of the eight-hour philos-
| ophy- 1t is class movement. 1t is the
! common ground upon which the industrial
ard social forces of reform meet and fra
| terniZe 1t is tie universal movement of
| Euma nifty. Whenever men and women toll
| in congregated industries and enterprises
the movement for shorter hours is the
slogan of their advancement
| The .inStn CT of TIE wage workers, as is
! manifest in the history of the movement.
shows that their instinct of protection and
| advancement were wiser than the theories
OF rcliticaI Economists. Less hours of
work had proved to be the most effective
| method of Increasing the purchasing power
| of a days work.
| THE philosophy or law of the eight-hour
movement cannot be too often repeated.
The laborerS having lost the power to sell
the products of their labors have become
wage slaves, because they are compelled
| to sell their labor time. The withhold
ing of time from the market Of labor in
| creases the value of each hour sold; dis
tributes the hours of work to those with
| out work; increases the wages or purchas-
| ing power of the days work through the
natural laws that govern the distribution
| of wealth: hours thus released from toll
| furnish the opportunity of leisure, enhance
| the value of the man educated through
| leisure; the moral forces thus quickened
| into ew activities will thus abolish those
vices and crimes consequent upon the in
equitable distribution of wealth and op-
portunity..
The incre4se in purchasing power di-
Ininishes the profits of labor. thus grad
rally and scientifically bringing the laborer
| Up to the power of free contracting party,
| and finally restore him to the opportunity
| to- sell the product of ljs labor and become
a free man.
1.-The eight-hour philosophy deals with
men in the conditiCrS that surround them
and lifts the class of wage workers out of
wage condition S, and thus inaugurates,
| through peaceful methods, the new era of
manhood and womanhood emanclpated
| from economic slavery.
The organization committee of the Cen
| trail Labor Union and Building Trades
Council held a meeting yesterday afternoon
at Electrical Workers Hall, No. 62S Louisi-
ana avenue, for the purpose of taking
| steps to form a federal labor union, the
purpose of which has alerady been fully
explained in The Star.
President Milford Spohn of the Central
Labor Unicn was called to the chair the
| chairman, Mr.. Joseph Patterson, being
| absent.
After the consideration of various mat
tiers those present voted to connect them
selves with the proposed body, and will
meet rext Sunday at the same place to
effect permanent organiZa;i lion. Messrs.
William Silver, Frank Hall and Richard
Lannis were appointed a committee to
make all necessary arrangements fer
| mass meeting in the interest of organized
| labor Tuesday evening of next week.
The regular meeting of the Printing
Pressmen's Union was held Saturday even
| ing at Costello's Hall. President Emil
Peterson occupied the chair. The only bus
| ton of routine matters was the election of
| Messrs. Joseph Birmingham and McKinnon
as delegates to the annual convention of
| the International Printing Pressmen's
Union, which meets next June at Detroit.
MISS WARDS FUNERAL.