The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-02-08
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
PRESENTS PHASES or UNUSUAL IN
TEREsT 10 LABOR.

TsREsT 10 LABOR.
Campaign Being Wased ON the Lines
Of Trades Umionistn Pure ana Sisa-
plea Teat of Ola school Ideas ANA
Methods.
\ At the end Of the first month Of the
greatest industrial struggle III the his
tory Of modern trades unlonism the
prospects seem bright for the printers
establishing the eight hour workday In
the United States and Canada. says
Luke Grant in Chicago Record Herald.
While the agitation for a reduction
in the hours Of labor has been carried
on for years not only in the printing
| craft, but In many other trades as
well, there are two phases OF tic pres
ent struggle that are Of particular in
terest TO the student of the industrial
problem. Volumes have been written
on the abstract benefits which come
to the wage Garner with shorter hours
Of labor. in those trades where the
shorter workday has been established
the real bcuefits are apparent also, but
aside from that the present strike Of
fers a practical opportunity Of study
Ing two phases Of the problem that
are Of particular interest
In the first place ii is one of the few
strikes called by a labor organization
which extends 10 the limits of its juris-
diction in two countries, and In the
second place 1t win show whether the
methods of pure and simple trades
unionism are effective or not.
Most Of the great strikes Of recent
years have been confined 10 certain To-
calities, or il they have extended be-
yond the locality where they originated
It has been because q firm or corpora
ton was doing business In another part
Of the country.
The present strike affects not a cor
pcration or locality but the entire
printing industry in the United States
and Canada. Tits that phase Of the
question that makes il one Of more
than usual interest to the close obsery-
er Of such movements.
OF recent years, at the end Of each
unsuccessful strike, the Socialists and
the industrinlists In the ranks Of the
labor unions have declared that the
pure and simple trades union methods
had outllved their usefulness. Tho So
ciasists have advocated striking at
tic ballot box" and the industrlalsts
have advocated an organization OF all
the workers in particular induEry
under one head, SO that all could strike
at the same moment. The Socialists
continue to strike at the ballot box,
and the industrialists are busily engag-
ed in trying to disrupt the old unions
and reorganize them on different lines,
but the printers are achieving practical
results by the old methods.
No strike in recent times in this
country has offered such an opportunl-
ty to study what is known as pure
and simple trades unionism as the
present struggle of the printers for an
eight hour day. The question was dis
cussed for years. the employers were
warned at least eighteen months in adj
vance. steps were taken to I'll the war
chest, coneiliatory offers were made the
employers TO avert the conflict. and the
strike was finally called on the day
set as last resort.
Since the strike began It has been
conducted along lines that even the
employers cannot criticise. The press
reports from the various points
throughout the country have invariably
contained a line stating that no vio-
ence attended the strike In every
respect II is @ test OF modern trades
inionisn.
Should the movement end in failure
I would not be conclusive proof that
he pure and simple advocates are
wrong in one respect the printers
allied to make adequate preparations
or the struggle. The assessment voted
It the st. Louis convention and after ,
ward ratified by the membership OF |
,ne-half OF 1 per cent OF the gross earn.