Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-16


will see that the most prosperous nations
and those who do most IN the manufactur-
Ing and commerce of the world are those In
which the highest wages are PAID rake
the United States first, then England. and
after that Germany. All are lands of high
wages and short hours. and all are more
prosperous than their brother nations.
But what should govern in fixing wages
the cost of an article?"
Not at all. The wages necessary 10
make the article under comfortable condi-
tons should be that which fixes the price
of the article, and not the price the wages
The conversation here turned to the num-
Der of working hours, and asked Mr..
Gompers whether the workingmen would be
satisfied If the whole United States were
run on an eight-hour basis or whether
they would not demand still shorter days.
He replied:
II think the time will come when the
working day will be less than eight
hours. My idea is that the working day
will continually grow shorter, while
wages will continually go up. l want to-
morrow to be always better than today.
Labor conditions are far better now than
they were three or four decades ago, and
in the future they will be just as much
better In proportion. BY combinations of
capital, by new inventions and a better or
ganiZation Of material forces, we shall
age by age. and year by year. reduce the
amount of manual labor required to the
minimum. and at the same time advance
the reward therefor to the maximum.
That Is what we want. the least work
and the most pay. minimum of work
and a maximum of wages, giving us the
leisure to develop and cultivate our bet
ter natures"
Can the Young Workingman Riser
How about the unions as helping the
ambitious workingman. Mr.. Gompers?
Has the young man of today chance to
succeed as he had in the past?"
Il don't think he has as good a chance"
r. Put tlnf &c. nnf
the fault of the union. New inventions
| and great combinations of capital have
destroyed the opportunities of the indi-
vidual man. generation or so ago one
man, or at best two or three could make
n completed product. 1t did not require
much capital or many men to start a fac
tory. Now work is so divided by i'm
proved machinery that the single work
man Is but one of the cogs of a very
large wheel, and If he slips out another
can be very easily fitted in. half CEN
fury ago one man made whole shoe; to-
day sixty-eight men have their part in
making a shoe, and each of them does
but one thing all the day long. One man
cuts the sole, another the upper, another
finishes one part and another another,
and so on, the whole sixty-eight making
the shoe. In the past each one of these
sfxty-eight workmen could have started
shop of his own. Now they are only
pieces of machines, and as such can be
replaced by others.
1t is modern invention which has de-
stroyed individuality, and it is only by
combination in the union that the nd:-
vidual can act as a whole and protect HIM
self Under the old method one m n
amounted to something; now it is only by
combination that he is able to accompl IN
results. If the sixty-eight men stop, the
shoemakihg cannot go on 1t is the union
that makes this possible. and thus enables
each of the sixty-eight to get his rights.
Organized Labor in 1904.
"Are trades unions increasing in the
United States?''
Yes" replied Mr.. Gompers VERY
rapidly. / don't know of any time in our
history when they have grown faster than
they are growing now. The American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor is, you know. composed of
nearly all the international, national, state,
central and local unions of the country.
These unions are Independent organiza-
TONS but they work in connection with and
as part of the American Federation OF
Labor We are continually adding new
members. During the past year we have is
sued new charters for twenty international
unions, three state federations III central
labor unions and more than 600 local and
federal unions. We have now all told more
than $4,000 unions of various kinds in the
federation. and our membership is very
near 100000. We increase our members
by missionary work on the part of organ
iZers, whom we send to all sections of the
United States. and in addition vast
amount OF volunteer work Is going on on
the part of the unions and individuals"
The Great Labor Trust.
"You say you have two million working
men in your combination, Mr.. Gompers l
suppose they will average S. a day, or in
the aggregate, s6,OO0OOO a day, or more
than 5000, 600 900 year. Is not organized
labor a trust and where will you find a
trust with such power and such dividends?'
You may call 1t a trust replied Mr..
GOmpers with smile, but 1t is a trust
for the good of the many, and not for the
individual few. The combinations of capi-
tai try to eliminate every one but them
selves. They try to freeze out as many of
their own members as they can, and the big
fish eat the little ones. Our trust if you
call it SO, is open to all. We welcome every
one, and our only aim is the good of the
country and of all the members of our
organiza ton"
viii the day come when all labor in this
country will be organized?"
Il think So" replied Mr.. Gompers 1T is
coming fast"
Organized Labor VS.. Anarchy.
But will not combination such as you
have be menace to the government? You
have two millions now, embracing should
say, one-seventh of the voters of the
United States. At the present rate of in
crease your organization might soon be so
welded to dictate candidates, inaugurate
policies, and rule or ruin the country"
"OrganiZed labor will certainly increase
as an economic force" said Mr.. Gompers.
although, as at present organized. labor
is not affiliated with any political party. 1t
would be far worse for the United States,
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