Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-04-08
"RBFoRM" ADVISES HIS FRIENDS
Would Try to ''Makepeace'' With a
 'Biggerstaff."

VvUnA AAy lo mdAepedcV WlLn U ''Biggerstaff.'
 Waterbury, April 5. 19O3
 To Our Two Friends:
 MT Biggerstatt, your friend, MT l Makepeace, is undoubtedly confirmed trades unionist, while you are to all appearances neither unionist nor re- Iormeri but you seem to have some real or imaginary idea of what hap pened about the seventies. What you say may be true, but think you have draWn little on your imagination. But granting what you say is true, having left estbromeek in '66. I will I endeayor to state a few things that transpired about that time Tn your statement you refer to Chanses glass works in Spon lane, but you neglect to state one important fact, that is if you knew it. That was that the Chanses did all in their power to ob- struct those measures of reform after the passage of the factory act making nine hours a days work for minors and females, by employing that por- ton of the help five hours a day and keeping them in school the other half, on their own premises, in suita bfe buildings erected for the purpose. and defraying all expenses. You may draw on your imagination for the object the Chanses had in view, and it may lead you to some reasonable conclusion as to what brought out these things you say existed about the seventies But must confne my remarks as to what happened between the sixties and sew enties. Tn '66 I was employed In Westbromeek by the Swan Foundry and Machine Go. Tn that year. about April or May, the employees. about 600 hands, petitioned the comnany through committee appointed by the men of the different departments for n half holiday on Saturday. After several fn- terytews the concession was granted to the satisfactien of the parties con- cerned to all outward appearances The satisfaction was not real how ever. for all of that committee were discharged. It Is needless to say what brought one of that committee to Wa terbury. It is plain to see it was the action of the men that some trades were driven from the black country; it was through the action of the employ CT that some of the men were driven away also. Having the greatest re- spect for our two friends, the one ad- Vocat1ng trades union and all its vir- tues, and the of' IT the Lord knows what, some credit must be given trades unions for the good they have done, at fhe same time not losing sight of some things that have been br,ught aboat by the unwise action of these Be i es The strained relations that exist be- tween capital and labor have been brought about Ey the attitudes taat have been taken by the employer and employed forming themselves into sep arate camps, not. as it appears, to oylng about a better feeling between these elements or to find solution of this most important question and re- move the cloud that seems to have gathered around the hostile camps of capital and labor. which it may he pos slble to find by taking a middle course, IT 1ntelligently and honestly sought after. When found I think 1t will more than surprise our two friends that it had not daWned on their fertile brains that by setting the value uDon capital instead of labor. as at present, long step would be taken in direc- ton to bring about little better feal- ing and give greater security to life and property.
 Respectfully, REFORM.