Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-06-17

children might be properly limited rig
idly as to hours Of employment.
nut the question Of wages is neces.
snrily associated with that OF workinp
hours. n ten hours Of a mans work.
Ing time IL only worth 10 his employer
given amount. why should the wage.
payer be compelled 10 give the wage
Garner the same sum Tor elght hours
work. n lnborlnR people combine 20
limit working time, can they reason
ably expect to escape It's inevitable
conscquences7 II they will not labor
longer than eight hours. they win have
TO take the fair compensation FOR the
work Of that timc.
We recognize the fact that there r.
constant struggle between labor and
capital. and that very often the latter
Is soulless and grospinF grinding down
the former and Indifferent TO anything
but pocunlnry profit Labor is there
fore In the defensive and protective at
titude. and ~ lmpellcd to resist OPP
preston and to make demands FOR JUS
tlcc and laborcrs' rights. But Il IL
too frequently the case that combined
labor IL as unreasonable and exacting
~ combined capital Is greedy and
dominecrlnr. Reason and fairness
should influence both employers and
employees. Tor their interests are really
mutual and each should seek the 9TH
cr'E good.
To demand ton hours pay FOR eight
hours work h on ~ face unreasonable.
n tho price Of labor IL 20 be- guaFcd by
the hour. The actual value Of a work.
Ing mans time IL subject 20 be com
sidorcd Of itself. and must be a mat
ter of agreement between him and the
purchaser But II IL beyond rational
dispute that II an hours labor is worth
half a dollar eight hours work Is not
worth i've dollars but only four. To
try TO force employees to give ten hours
pay for eight hours work Ia manifeatly
unfair and absurd.
n working people are determined TO
invoke the power NJ the law 10 make n
cast iron rule as TO working hours.
they must be ready 10 bear the certain
results Of their efforts. one thing they
should understand. In the light Of rea-
son and Of experience; wages cannot be
fixed by law, That must ever be n mat
ter OF agreement between employers
and the employed. They should, fur
Their sense the fact that II practical
rule will work both ways Also that
while anyone may decide he viii no,
work more than certain period, he
cannot compel payment Tor more than
that time Is worth. ns determined By
the payer "a well ne by the pnycc.
II IL "a serious thing to suspend the
employment OF thousands Of men. clos
Ing down works. shutting on means Of
living. reducing profits to employers
and impoverlshing the families Of
strikers. The results are very seldom
favorable 10 the cause of the workers.
Tor what capital loses has to be made
up. some time. from labor. and It man.
ages to get It's portion sooner or later
at the expense OF the tollerH.
The moral OF It all H. that while
combination In aid Of wngo-earncrs 10
right In principle and may be made
good In practice. the rights OF employ
crs should always be kept In view, law
lessncss and violence are always wrong
Justice and equity should have their
sway. and common sense. with the In
ovltable effects Of any course that
seems advisable. should control IN alt
popular movements to gain advantages
for the iaborlng classes.