Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-09-12

paid, we'll rested, independent worker usually does more in his eight or nine hours than he used to do in his twelve or fourteen.
 After the inauguration of the limited hour day the contra ctors invented what is known as ''rusher.''
 The "rusher'' is a young workman in his prime, and marveloasly quick in his work compared with the ordi- nary good, capable workmen.
 On the job of bricklaying, carpenter ing or other work it was customary for the shrewd contractor to hire one or more ''rushers.'' Nominally the 'rusher'' was paid regular union wages. But secretly the contractor paid him double wages, or even more than double wages. The 'rusher worked at high pressure hour after hour, day after day. The others could not have possibly kept up with him had he worked his fastest. But, his instructions were to keep just a little ahead, that the others might struggle and do their best to keep even in their task, in order not to lose their work for apparent idleness. Thus the 'rusher," man of unusual skill, getting double wages, went along we'll with his forces, while the others were working themselves to death in order to keep up and not lose their jobs. The limitation of the days output is based originally on the desire to squelch this strusher'' idea, or to put the quietus on the very young and able workman. anxions to curry ia Is: +, ol5iT1 a pace too hot for the men working by his ~side.
 Our friend, the clergyman, and many others, say that it is dishonest to limit the days output. But is 1t dishonest |? What is the difference between Thinning the days output and limiting a years output ?
 Tn the middle of the summer the clergyman says, fs'I have worked enough, I ought to go to Europe" and he goes.
 The bricklayer does not criticize the clergyman for limiting his years out put to forty sermons. He does not say to him, 'eYou are able to preach f1fty-two sermons in a year. If you preach only forty you are. dishonest and rob your parishioners." What business is it of the clergy mans if the bricklayers among them selves decide that 1t is better for them in the long run To lay only a given number of brick per day
 The trouble with some clergymen. and many others, is that they forget one important thing that the working men now have something to say. When it comes to question of setting brick it is no longer the squire or the local clergyman who de eide what shall be done. The brick l layer decides what shall be done. | And when it comes to carpenter work the carpenter decides what shall constitute days work.
 Tn olden times the c1ergymen, the I lawyers, the rich and lucky class in 1 general. decided for themselves what they should do. and then they decided | for their so-ca1led interiors what those l interiors should do.
 l Our prosperous class are having 8 very painful time, indeed, getting into their minds the fact that such thing as the rights of the majority really exists. And they find it very hard, in deed. to believe that the doctrine of human equality is ito be taken serious | ly in matters of business.
 l Labor unions are performing an i'm portant educational function when they l drive into the heads of these would be superiors the fact that this nation is becoming actually a repub- I lie in which the working man shall de eide for themselves questions affect ing themselves. and in which they shall no longer be guided by the whims or financial interests of would be ''su- periors."