The Elbert County tribune., 1903-02-19
Mr.. OSGO0D GIVES HIS REASONS
FOR OPPOSING EIGHT HOUR LAW

Denver. Feb. 17.-Yesterday John C.
Osgood and other officials OF the Colo
RADIO Fuel and Iron Company were be
fore the House committee on mines
and mining and presented arguments
against the passage of an elght-hour
law. Mr.. Osgood. who made the OPEN
ing statement. said:
Il have been in the state for several
years. and, without boasting may safe
ly say that l have secured the invest
ment here of between $4,000 900 and
s60.000.000 of capital. and hope to
bring n large amount more. This has
been invested in railway and other en-
terprises. giving employment to more
than 1900 men l am a representa-
tive of this capital. and n self-appoint-
ed representative Of all these men. In
all my business career, have never
lost sight of the men employed. for
their interests have been my interests.
i hold that everywhere employer and
employed have interests that are iden-
teal, and 1t must be so. | think the
passage of an eight-hour law would
be against the interests of the men en-
ployed by our companies.
''The eight-hour amendment to the
constitution did not receive the en-
dorsement of a majority OF the voters
of the state. There are 1877 900 voters
in the state. and of these 72.00O voted
for the law. out of the $4,000 who voted
on the question.
1T is the most serious menace Colo
RADIO has had since the panic of 1898
The eight-hour limit is an arbitrary
one. There is no real reason why eight
hours should be selected than seven
hours, or nine hours. or five hours.
This bill. or these bills. are introduced
on the theory that some employments
are unhealthful, and that the regula-
tion is therefore a sanitary one. This
method was taken when the first law
passed was declared unconstitutional.
Il have been identified with coal
mines for the last thirty-three years.
and the first six or seven were in the
mines for the greater part of the
time. | did not find the mining of
coal to be unhealthful In my whole
experience | have known of no disor-
der or diseases that have predominant
ed among miners. / remember talk
ing with an old man who had been in
the mines for forty years. He said
that under the condition of the old
days there was disease called miners
asthma, but recent improvements in
the care of mines had caused its dis
appearance. | understand that this
law is drawn up on the theory that a
man should have eight hours for work
eight hours for sleep and eight hours
for amusement. If the Legislature is
called upon to regulate the health OF
the people of the state, It would be
just as much in its province to say
that man must stay in bed the eight
hours. and it should regulate his hours
of amusement. 1t is. to speak plainly
the grossest interference with individ-
ual liberty. l would say that none of
you gentlemen who have achieved sue
cess, and have come here because of
that. could have done so If you had
observed a law that said you must
work but eight hours a day.
The gentlemen who drew up these
bills have not attempted to find out If
the employments mentioned are un-
healthful. They have spoken of coal
mines, smelters and blast furnaces.
and have supposed the work about
them was unhealthful Who has ad-
vised the Legislature that the damage
cannot be done in eight hours as well
as in ten? The question of health is