The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-07-12


Of the wage earning masses-conse-
quently more burdensome upon the
men that have to furnish the brain
food for them through the columns
of the press-I would go into an argu-
ment with "Rose Pink" But suffice
it to say that, so thoroughly imbued
with the idea that there was not a
union man in the city who had not read
and re-read his working rules, and who
did not know that it was a grave Of
Tense to be called upon for working
card and found wanting, that I have
never considered it worth my while
to murder time and occupy space upon
law that is patent to every good un-
ion man. The poor and no-account un-
ion man don't want to learn, and would
not read the article were I to write
it. All of this with no malice or i'll
feeling to Rose Pink" But to more
important things.
AS the eight-hour day seems to have
gained the ascendency not only in the
minds Of the Workingmen, but our cit
izenshfp as we'll, I want to "spaciate"
upon it and see if there is some other
brothers light hidden under the bushel.
First of all, the average American
is not a fanatic, but a "Well-mea ming
sort Of a fellow" There is a constant
demand for labor's side of the ques-
ton, and it is my purpose-if I do not
fall short-to give their side from a
disinterested standpoint as often as my
temper will allow me to be disinterest-
ed.
''Thousands of people want to hear
the other side" Every morning they
read the account of these battles called
strikes; they notice the wonderful or
ganization Of these gigantic armies of
Workmen and the courage with which
their union face the monopolists whom
the kings of "Yarup,' and, might add
incidentally, our own "potentates of
power do not dare to offend; and
they wish to learn what it all means.
AS a matter Of fact, there is moth
ing secret or mysterious or foreign
about organized labor. Any schoolboy
Of common intelligence can understand
it, and the trade union is as important
a factor in the community as the ma
tlonal banks, and does as much for a.
city as all other Industries combined.
The division of wealth, or rather the
distribution Of it, is only accomplished
through the workingmen; and if you
doubt this statement, just keep an eye
on the store for a. couple of weeks
provided this strike lasts that long.
Herbert N. Casson, in his "Organized
self-Help," says: 1.-THE demands Of
organized labor have invariably been
moderate. Whatever separate
unionists may think Of the absolute
nf 1o1 ~
lists, demand anything more than an
Improvement Of the present industrial
conditions;' and so it is with the de-
mands that are before the contra ctors
of Jacksonville today.
The eight-hour day has h<en in oper-
alton in Australia for Al years. and has
now been made universal in New Zea-
land. Unless you get working power
into people you can't get it out. The
elght-hour day is slowly reaching the
capitalists pocket and the public con-
science. The capitalist is realizing that
the shorter work-day means a better
product-that jaded men and women
cannot do good work. And our recre-
atlon-loving American public is BEGIN
ming to understand what it means to
work all through the dust and heat Of
summer for nine or ten long hours q
day. The employer and his wife can
scarcely endure grand opera if it lasts
more than an hour without intermis-
sion; ball or concert becomes weari-
some even with all manner of pleas
urable surprises and novelties; YET the
wage worker is supposed to be as en-
ergetic as locomotive and as tireless
as Niagara.
The demand of the trade union for q
shorter Work-day is not a mere petition
Tor less labor and more play or more
time to spend in the barrooms" as
some of the good people think. 1t ia
solution of the social problem which
machinery has created. Machinery has
made reduction Of hours necessary
in two ways-first, by throwing thous-
ands out of employment, and second.
by placing greater strain and respon-
sibility upon the toiler. It has given
an intensity and strenuousness to in.
dustry which has never before heen
known in the history of the world.
Its tendency is to become more ana
more automatic, but to require fewer
but better skilled workers.; and it has
increased production so marvelous1v
that it would today be profitable in
many industries to inaugurate a four.
hour day, for the benefit of the work.
ers and the product Z,
The unemployed is the problem. The
shorter work-day is the solution, Be-
fore the introduction of the linotype
machines the strength Of the Typo
graphical union was 1S1,076, to saw
nothing of the thousands of printers
who were not members of a union
while today less than $4,000 men are
upon the rosters Of that union-and they
virtually control every office Of note
in the United States. These men
sought and have fallen into other
trades, or swelled the tramp list-a
favorite pastime with the old 'print,"
thus extending the necessity of a short
er work-day to trades in which the
has not cut so wide a. swath.
Many solutions for this great prob
lem have been advanced-but none 50
statesmanlike as that advocated by or
ganized labor-the shortening Of the
work-day. This acts both directly and
in6irect1v TT makes a larger 1ahor forc.