The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-10
MR.. CLEVELAND PRESENT
ATTENDED YESTERDAYS SESSION
OF THE CIVIC FEDERATION.
Addresses by Frederick HaIsey, Jas
O'Connell, Lewis Nixon, Prof. Gun
ton and Others.

NEW YORK, Dec. 9.-The second days
meeting of the industrial department of the
National Civic Federation began to-day
with a large attendance. Ex-President
Grover Cleveland was one of the early arri-
walls. He and Senator Hanna spent some
time in conversation, after which the for
mer met number of others. On entering
the meeting hall he was greeted with APP
plause. Immediately after his entrance
Chairman Hanna called the meeting to or
der. Several of Mr.. Mosely's party Of En-
glish labor leaders were in attendance.
The subject for discussion was "Restric-
ton of Output" and the first speaker was
John r. Commons. The chairman then in
troduced Frederick Halsey editor of the
American Machinist whose topic was THE
Premium Method of Payment" He said:
1.-THE system of premium payment is in
sense intended to split the difference be-
tween day work and piece work. By that
/ mean that ii has at bottom a rate Of pay
ment per day just like day work. but above
that is placed an additional premium de-
pendent upon the amount of output, the
net result being that the employees pay
increases with the output, but not so rapid
ly the output. In that respect 1t differs
from piece work alone. With piece work
the pay is in proportion to the output.
With premium payment 1t increases with
the output, but not so rapidly. The result
is the employer gets part of the gain and
the workman gets portion OF ii, the en-
ployer receiving his portion in a reduction
of the cost of his goods. Therefore in
sense the system is cooperative.
Toward the close of Mr.. Halsey's speech
he was asked a number of questions by
Archbishop Ireland, Samuel Gonrpers, AL
fred Mosely and others.
James O'Connell, president of the Inter
national Association of Machinists, fol-
lowed Mr.. Halsey and opposed the piece
work and premium propositions.
Mr.. Gompers said in answer to the ques-
ton that Mr.. Raynsford had addressed TO
Mr.. Halsey that the question in America
is no longer the limitation OF the number
of apprentices who learn a trade, but the
limitation of the number who learn in
fnitesimal part of a trade. The reason
why some of the large manufacturing con-
Germs of this country send to Germany and
to other European countries to obtain men
for their shops and factories is because
they can there obtain men who understand
an entire trade, while in this country the
men only know a small part of trade.
Mr.. Gompers said he would be opposed to
| trade schools, but would be heartily in ia
| vor of manual training schools.
Following the discussion aroused by Mr..
OConnell, Henry White, general secretary
| of the United Garment Workers of Amer
| lea, spoke on 1.-THE Problem of Machinery
| and Prof. George Gunton, editor of Gun
| toms Magazine, on the philosophy of the
| Shorter Hour Movement" A. F. Weber,
| statistician of the New York Bureau of
Labor, discussed the eight-hour movement.
Lewis Nixon, president of the Shipbuiding
| Company, said he objected to the distinc-
| ton made at the meeting between the en-
| ployer and workers He wished it known
| that the employers also were workers.
| Mr. Mosely protested against a sugges-
| ton made by Mr.. Nixon that drink was
| necessary to the workers of England.
| Mr. Nixon replied that he had been in
England and the laborers there had told
| him they had to drink to do their work
| and he took their word for ii.
| Theodore E. Harburg, vice president of
| the American Economic Association, said
| the actual experience of localities in which
/ the shorter hour day had been tried shows
| that the morals of the locality had i'm
| proved.
| George H. Barbour, of Detroit, of the
| National Association of Manufacturers dis
| cussed the shorter workday question from
| the standpoint of the manufacturer