The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-01-19
TENSION OF. NERVES +
CAUSED BY MACHINES
Pertinent Article by a Trade
Union Philosopher on
Fastness of Times.
Necessity For Eight Hour Day
In Printing Trades is
Ably Discussed. (!
(1y 1AIDY MooRE.)

Auly UlSCuSSeQ. (:
(9y 1AlDY MooRE.)
This is an era Of great things. All
America is an gigantic scale. The
world bows before Hercules Indus
tries that were infants 10 years ago
have reached proportions that are
amazing in their scope. Machinery
that was classified among the wonders
decade ago is hsaped on the scrap
pile. We have become great nervous
organism. We fly through the streets.
There is a demon tmpelling US; we
cannot pause a. moment we cannot
rest. We down our meals running.
There is myriad Of changing bells in
our ears; there is rumble Of millions
OF heavy wheels haunting us; there
IS the clatter of thousands Of horses
shod feet on stone pavements Every
one and everything is plungtng on
ward. We are encompassed with has
ten1ng multitudes. What does it all
mean?
ihere is a goal we are striving for.
Where is it? It is somewhere. We
Know not where. We must rush to
reach 1t; no barrier can halt us; we
can only go forward; let those who fall
creep to the ditch or be trampled for
their weakness; there is no room on
the road for the sluggard or the weary.
1t is something, this goal for which
we strive. It quenches it's thirst with
the blood OF our workmen; it fires it's
furnaces with the carcasse of our
dead; 1T feasts on the ignorance of
our children; it laughs at the bier Of
our widowed; it squeezes, it mains. it
brushes the bones of its servants. It
Is merciless, pitiless, yet its reward is
fitting. 1t is the consciousness of our
greatness; our own adulation Of our
own. 1t Is success-and death. j.
What style Of literature would you
call that? It may be put in the same
class with "Gadzooke!" and "Egad!"
and. again, 1t might be classified with
that preponderating volume OF unpub--
lishedS Morkss labeled Tomunnyrot.,
& e. & 8 Is S
4 s 81 ,ss., ,'
Epkppo iseIt 4 sfss
The eight hour az lat mas been
vsonsby the pllaica1 Union SIS
one OF those great movements born sc
great events In q great industry. Ma
ch1nery In the printing trade has not
only intensified the labor of the work.
ers directly engaged in its operation.
1t has done more. Its very operation,
Its flying wheels, its whirr it's marvel
GUS precision, its methodical rapidity.
has caused nervous tension in the
men who are employed in every branch
OF printing. The makeups, the stone
hands. the proofreaders. men who
handle the produce of the machine, are
all affected by this tension. They all
work faster; they all work harder.
They all produce more. They are all
young men.
The old printer has been supplanted.
His mind did not grasp the situation
with sufficient rapidity; his eye was
not acute enough; he was a laggard in
his movements. The machine crowded
MIN with work He was a drawback
IN the scheme of production. He caus-
ed halt in the rush for the goal The
old man had to get out: he had to
creep to the ditch; he had to clear the
pathway for the Hercules in his rear.
He was out of harmony with the song
Of the belt and the pulley This on
ward rush, this increasing tension of
the nerves, could only be partly nit
1gated by reducing the hours of labor.
ana so came the great eight-hour
movement.
The nine-hour movement was a re-
form, the eight-hour revolution.
While the one had its origin in the
other-its birth, we may say-there
were guiding hands necessary, there
was commanding ability required to
accomplish 1t. There was a field for
resourcefulness: there was determina-
ton to be exercised; there was con-
fidence to be reposed in some one. It
was stupendous undertaking, which
required genius to organize and con-
troll.
Lynch has proved himself to be the
man Tor the place. With the other
members Of the national eight hour
committee, he has handled the fight
with tact and determination. He has
directed the forces in the field with
marked capacity, and has accomplish
ed that which he was ordered to do.
There were times when an evasion Of
the issue meant absolute defeat; there
were times when false step might
have precipiated us to ruin; there were
times when waverlng courage would
have compelled surrender. But he
was always alert. His-faculty for or
ganization and his steadfast adherence
to set policy has made the victory
complete.
There are men on the strike roll. It
Is true. There are, too, officers which
have temporarily strayed away. But
the country has been secured and 1t
has been cleaned of nrinters and AZ.