Waterbury Democrat., 1902-12-10
The Amount of Output and the
 Hours of Labor.
OPPOSITION TO PIECE WORK


 Attends Premium Plans Also Op-
 posed by Those in Attendance at the
 Civic Federation Convention
 New York, Dec 1O.-Interesting speeches on the relations of capital and labor were heard yesterday when the convention of the industrial de partment of the National Civic Feder- ation reassembled for the second days session. ExPresident Cleveland was present and sat in the audience with Archbishop Ireland and Oscar 5. Straus. John R. Commons, the first speaker. discussed Restrictions of Output" He said the question must be clearly distinguished from that of high wages, and the means, such as apprenticeship or membership in q union by which high Awages were SC cured. A union may demand that only skilled men shall be employed on machine. This is rot restriction of output, though it may be discrimna- tion against the unskilled man, who might have secured an advance from common labor to machine labor.
 There are also number of ques- tions which employers and employees should agree upon ill advance and bind themselves to abide by. If un- ions restrict output can they not frankly admit it? Cannot the two thus come together eliminating the false reasons and remedy the true reasons? It is an encouraging sign that through the trade agreement sys- tenn employers and workmen them selves are taking up the question in scientific way. The present confer ence is an outgrowth of this system. Cannot this conference raise the ques ton to high level of discussion and lay down sound principles that will lead to it's solution?'
 Frederick Halsey. editor of the American AIachinist, spoke on t"rhe Premium Method of Payment.'s He said: .'The system of premium pay ment is i'll a sense intended to split the difference between day work and piece work. By that. I mean. that it has at bottom rate of payment per day just like day work, but above that is plac- ed an additional premium dependent upon the amount of output, the net re suit being that the employees pay in creases with the output but not so rapidly as the output. In that respect it differs from piece work alone With piece work the pay is in proportion to the output. With premium payment it increases with the output, but not so rapidly. The result is the employers gets part of the gain and the workman gets part of it. the employer receiv- ing his part in reduction of the cost of his goods. Therefore. in sense, the system is co-operatiye.'
 Toward the close of MT HaIsey's speech he was asked q number of questions by Archbishop Ireland. Sam uel Gompers, Alfred AIoseIy and oth- CTS James O'ConneM, president of the International Association of Ma chinists. followed Mir Halsey and op- posed the piece work and premium plans.
 Mir Gompers said in answer to question Rev Dr Rainsford had ad- dressed to MT Halsey, that the ques- tion in America is no longer the limi- tation of the number of apprentices who learn a trade. but the limitation of the number who learn an infinitesi- mal part of a trade The reason why some of the large manufacturing con cerns of this country send to Germany and ether European countries to ob-
 
 is because they can there obtain men who understand an entire trade, while in this country the men know only small part of trade Mir Gompers said he would be opposed to trade schools, but would be heartily in fa- vor of manual training schools. Hen ry White, general secretary of the United Garment Workers of America, spoke on the Problem of Machinery
 The afternoon session began with the audience hall filled and many per- sons standing. Professor George Gunton. editor of Gunton's Margarine, spoke on 'sThe Philosophy of the Short CT Hour MOvement.' He said: ''The capitalists function is to go on pro ducing. 1t is the business of the la borer to see that the laborer receives better pay, that he receives opportun- fty to improve his condition and bet ter his capacity as a market furnisher, and the shorter hour problem is the one that offers the first opportunity to the labOrer to better his condition. Leisure is the first requisite to give the laborer chance to think. All should cooperate to gradually reduce the hours of labor until the eight-hour day has been secured.''
 Senator Hanna called as the next speaker A. F. Weber. statistician of the New York bureau of labor His sub ject was "The Eight Hour Movement 7 Of late years. he said. the idea has ad- vanced, and in many industries the eight-hour day is the standard. The shorter day. he said. is desirable. be- cause as a result of it the workman becomes more effective. more intelIi- gent and inventive. As a third result of the shorter work day he named a pure family life lived by the workmen
 Lewis Nixon. president of the Amer ican Shipbuilding Go. said he objected to the distinction made during the meeting between employer and work frs. He wished it known that the em- ployers were also workers Tn Ameri- ta- he said the employer works with |tbe emp1oye instead of over him. {When the men come to the employer and say to him that thev want more pay there is occasion for each side to consider the situation of fbe other They should get together. "I don't be-