The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-08-03
ST. s! = : Ter J!
EMPLOYER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT
SHORTER DAY Is RIGHT.
After the Nine Hoar Day the, same
Pay Would, Follow In Course OF
Time, ~ the Men Need the same
Money to Live ON % Before-waxe
System 10 Wrong and . Change
Must Come. -

official who shut out all his employees on
the opening day Of the struggle gave
his case plainly away, in an, interview
regarding the situation. when .acknow-
lodging that shorter hours were bound
to come, and there should be no objee-
ton to them, and when the wages
would have to be advanced provided
they remained at the same rate per
hour as at present, because the men
couldn't live on less then they are now
receiving. Here are the words as
found in the report. Of the interview:
But after the nine hour. day the
same pay would naturally follow. In
course Of time, as the men would have
to; have about the same money to live
on as when working ten hours" 80.
Exactly. This is the logic Of the sit
uation. And, being so, isn't it some
what inconsistent to object to the de-
mand for ten hours pay for nine
hours work." as the thought is phras-
ed? If the men will have to have about
the same money to live on while work.
ing nine hours a day as they did when
working ten, where Is the logic in deny
live in order to be able to work?
How much simpler the matter would
appear If the question were divided?
First, let the hours of labor be settled.
Is or is not nine hours for a. days work
sufficient? 1t is generally so conceded.
and we are told by those who have
made a study of the subject that even
four hours labor if all would work who
can, are sufficient to give to the world
all the necessaries and luxuries of life.
Now that part of the problem settled,
the next question is simply as to the re-
ward in dollars and cents that the days
labor is entitled to. And without at: all
going into the depths of the question it
ought to be self-evident that he yho
performs the days labor is at least en-
titled to a decent and comfortable ltv-
ing, and his share of the dollars and
cents involved ought to be sufficient to
guarantee him as much.
So when we speak Of ten hours pay
for nine hours work we only befuddle
the question. There il no such incon-
gruity in the demand, for there is no
such thing in existence as. au absolute
ten hours pay" The ten hours pay
Of one man may be one thing, the ten
hours pay of another vastly different.
And with the same man it may be one
amount today and another tomorrow.
But the immediate question involved
is the difficulty of the employers in ad-
justing prices so as to be able to meet
what they regard as increased cost, Of
product. This may be a reality in some
cases, but not in all. Even were it 30,
it Is a matter for the employers to see
to and not for the men to take into con-
sideration. It Is entirely out Of the lat
ter's jurisdiction. However, even with
in the employers own immediate con
fines, can't the matter ba adjusted to
some extent? Won't the sararies Of
some Of the officials bear a little modi-
dcation? If 81 or 50 a day is consid-
cred sufficient recompense for the man
who works with head and hands to pro-
duce the product that brings dollars
and cents to all concerned, why must
the man who works with head alone be
considered as deserving from two to
twenty times as much? Or, In other
words, Of $1,000, $4,000, $4,000, or $780,
900 year is only sufficient for decent
and comfortable living for one man,
how are the others to get along on the
comparatively insignificant amount
drst referred to?
Surely the wage question, and salary
question are all wrong from beginning
to end. And the industrial system at
the bottom of it must be all wrong too.
It is the basic cause Of nearly all the
sin and suffering in the civilized world,
II the word "civilized" can be properly
used in this connection. It begets the
pauper and the millionaire, the thief,
the drunkard and prostitute. It has
millions Of people forever on the rag
ged edge Of suspense for the morrow
that the few may roll and rule in lux
ury If not in riot and dissipation. It
has the great majority Of humanity
ever in trouble for the want Of enough,
while the few are in trouble because. of
having too much. There can be no
lasting peace and happiness in the
world until something better takes it's
place as the basic structure Of civiliza-
| tion.-Hartford Examiner.