The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1897-12-15
rHE DRIFT TOWARD EIGHT Ho'i.s

THE DRIFT TOWARD EIGHT hoh4'S'
The long, long, weary day. the OF.
time melancholy labor day, the day
that began at dawn and did not always
end at dark, has been for many yesrs
and among all enlightened nations
slowly yielding TO abrasion and fric-
! ion at both ends, but not without re-
Z 4nee. According to the latest bal.
qnc Ss the Massachusetts, bureau OF
=. ~ y y lstistics there is at this time
,. pn, drift towards the elght-hour
Oh sne.s Jay in this country. 1t gives
81 wsse' OF the laws affecting the
s1r.r. * IN the various states.
AlfsRc9ln .P-states make eight hours a
legai days work when not otherwise
specified in the contract-Californis,
Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Mis-
souri,, New York, OHIO, Pennsylvania,
Wisconsin and Wyoming. The states
OF Colorado, Idaho, Kansas and Utah
have the eight-hour day in public em-
ployments, and eight hours constitute
legal days work in Massachusetts,.
"The tendency" says the bureau
may be said to be Enthusiastically to-
ward this last mentioned period Of
eight hours, where formerly the legal
workday extended from sunrise to sun
set"
The history Of the eight.hour move
''ent under national auspices is inter
-, Cog 10 ITSELF not less than in its
a,..,thaTl to and influence upon state
legislAtion on this subject. The ori'
ginal eight-hour law was enacted
under President Grants administra'
tion, and had his hearty approval Sc
long as he WAS in the executive office
the act was faithfully enforced with
out any reduction OF compensation. II
applied to all .he per diem employees
OF the government. But soon after
the Inauguration Of Grants successor
the navy department issued an order
which clearly violated the spirit
of the law. Itfnade two wage sched
ples-nna fnrR eiaht snd s~o'h"- a.
- y hsGsnyr. tHls latter 25 per cent
hsher than the former. II ostensibly
gave every employe the option Of al
eight or ten-hour day, but it prac
ticAlly compelled all workmen to lsbo
ten hours for the same compensation
they had received for eight hours
This compulsion grew out OF the fac
gangs OF men could not, as rule
rbrs part Of their number withou
havelg stop to work. II the enRi
Ever left his engine, business mu.
Is Sasto standstill. The blacksmith
- mot work without his helper, no
the he, ser without tiis-smith. And 81
through ali the mechanical depart
ments IL was found that a system o
mutual dependencies nullihed the op
ton and converted the eight-hour da!
into day OF ten hours or eight hours
pay. The first man in navy yar'
who undertook to accept the eight
hour schedule WIS an engine tender
and he was promptly informed that
he left the yard before the rest OF tn
-..sSp- -sfuit he need not come back
Other departments followed the navy
example to some extent and for year
the eight-hour law #as practically
dead letter.
But organized labor moved on con
gress in force, demanding an amend
ment OF the law that would put a sto
to evasion and compel obedience to th
spirit OF the original enactment. Thi
demand was at length needed, and al
!, igkt-hour law was passed. Sine
he hen congress has appropriated none,
ser pay all workmen who lsbored unde
", ie ten-hour schedule 25 per cent. ad
err honal wages. This was rightly re
tic, rded as a great victory for organizes
.heu DOT, and it has undoubtedly eKertel
A., 7ide iafluence. The national exam
amse is a strong plea for shorter labo
iattAys sin the states. Its influence 1
'm en- in the facts cited by the MAssa
9" tusetts report.