The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-10
Nixon Says the Employers Are
 Also Workers
SHOULD HAVE SAME AIM
Many Interesting Questions Raised at the Session of the Civic Federa-
 tion-Grover Cleveland
 Given Warm Welcome.

New York, December 9.-The second days meeting of the National Civic Fed eration began today with large attend snce. Ex-President Grover Cleveland was one of the early arrivals. He and Senator Hanna spent some time in conversation, after which the former met a number Of others On entering the meeting hall he was greeted with applause. Immediately after his entrance Chairman Hanna called the meeting to order.
 Several of Mr. Mosley's party of Eng fish labor leaders were in attendance. The subject for discussion was "Restric- tion of Output" and the first speaker was John R. Commons.
 The chairman then introduced Frederick Halsey, editor of the American Machin- ist
 MT. Halsey's topic was '"The Premium Method of Payment" He said:
 "The system of premium payment is in a sense intended to split the differences between day work and piece work. By that I mean that 1t has at the bottom a rate of payment per day just like day work, but above that is placed an addi- tional premium, dependent upon the amount of output the net result being that the employees pay increases with the output, but not so rapidly as the out put. In that respect 1t differs from piece work alcne.
 With piece work the pay is in propor- tion to the output. With premium pay- rent it increases with the output but not so rapidly. The result is the employer gets part of the gain and the workman gets a portion of 1t The employer re- ceives his portion in a reduction of the cost of the goods. Therefore, in sense, the system is cooperative"
 MT. Halsey was asked a number of questions by Archbishop Ireland, Samuel Gcmpers Alfred Mosley and others.
 MT. Gcmpars said, in answer to tho question that MT. Rainsford had ad- dI eased to MT. 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 an infnitesimal part of a trade.
 Only Known a Small Part.
 The reason why some of the large manufacturing concerns of this country send to Germany and to other European countries to obtain men for their shops and factories IS because they can tner6 obtain men who understand an entire trade, while in this country the men know only a small part of a trade. MT. Gompers said he would be opposed to trade schools, but would be heartily in favor of manual training schools.
 Henry White, genera1 secretary of the United Garment Workers of America. spoke on the problem of machinery.
 At the afternoon session, Professor Gunten, editor of Gunten's Magazine, spoke on ''The Philosophy of the Shorter Hour Movement"
 A. F. Weber, statistician of the New York bureau of labor, discussed the eight-hour movement. The shorter day, he believed. was desirable, because, as a result of 1t, the workman becomes more effective intelligent and inventive.
 MT. Nixon, president of the shipbuild- ing company, said he objected to the dis tinction made at the meeting between the employer and workers.
 He wished it known that the employers also were workers. In America, he said, the employer works with the employe,