Evening star., 1907-09-01
National Recognition
of Labor Day.
Gospel of Humanity to Be
Understood by All.


, labor has steadily advanced In the Inlleo
| States and there is not another country III
| the world where the laborer Is better feo'
| better clothed aud better paid than ne is ia
| America.
| Even critics Of unionIsm must admit that
| much of this progress is due to the Work
! of organized labor. The unions have iousa
| for more than quarter OF a century tor
| better pay. for shorter hours, for better
| treatment OF workers and for more sanitary
| conditions in workshop and In homes. They
| have occasionally been wrong, they have at
| times been misled by unworthy leaders.
| but in the main they have performed hon.
| est, sincere work for the uplifting OF the
less fortunate classes Of mankind, and In
every state in the Union can point to some
| achievement along these lines which Is due
| to their initiative.
| But they cannot and do not claim all
| the good things which Columbia has poured
| into the lap OF labor. The freedom of our
| institutions and the genius of the American
| people are responsible for goodly portion
| of fortunes favors The sense of fair play
| alone stands the worker in good stead
and the phianthropic spirit, the considera-
| ton for others which are national traits
| have been powerful factors in acceleratins
| the great reform which has marked the
| last half century.
| As lasting content is as rare as the jewel
| OF consistency, it is not surprising that
many workers throughout the land are
STILL dissatisfied with their condition. But
discomfort is but another name for progress
and the struggles of the dscontented still
exert the most powerful pressure on the
lever of advancement. Labor would be dif-
| ferent from any other form of humanity
| If 1t were not so. and therefore It is no ex-
hibition of ingratitude for past fortune, no
expression of nen-appreciatlon to present
blessings. to demand more benefits II they
can be obtained
And so II is that organized labor Is still
fighting In the various states and in the
councils of the nation for further conces-
sions to the working man and woman
The greatest fight of all is the struggle for
the elght-hour day. and slowly but surely
the goal is coming into sight. Most of the
states have eight-hour laws for public
works. and in the mining country, where
the labor underground and in mills and
smelters is both arduous and hazardous,
the principle has been extended to the en-
ployes of private concerns. Ground is be-
ing gained every year, and the labor lead
ers feel confident that the adoption OF the
eight-hour system all over the country is
but a question OF time.
|
Since labor as a distinct force began TO
assert itself twenty-five years ago there
have been. according to statistics compiled
by the federal bureau of labor, strikes In
1s1, ,4O7 establishments and lockouts in
1s.547 places Of employment. The total
| of wi recorded
having gone on strike during the twenty
| five years ending July 1, 1906, was O. 72s.O4S.
| and the number of persons locked out was
| 71623l 1t will thus be seen that 7,144,2I
| wage -earners have been affected by indus
| trial struggles during the quarter of
| century just past
More than 80 per cent of those thrown
| out of employment by strikes were men,
| Lockouts affected employees in which more
! than 81 per cent were men. The average
| duration of strikes per establishment was
| 254 days and of lockouts $40 days. In
| these statistics the strike or lockout did
| not always result in the closing of the
| establishment involved. although 81 per
| cent of all establishments embroiled were
| closed an average of twenty days. In
| lockouts 6S per cent of all establishments
| involved were closed an average of 40.4
days.
Strikes have been, according to the gov
/ ernment statistics successful more fire.
4, quently than they have been failures.
| Strikes succeeded In winning all demands
| in 47.9 per cent of the establishments sue
ceeded partly in 15.2 per cent, and in only
| 36.S per cent Of the establishments did
| they fail entirely to win any demands. On
| the other hand when the employers took
| the initiative and locked out the workers.
| the lockouts resulted wholly in favor Of
the employers in 57.2 per cent OF the estab-
| lishments. were partly successful in 1O.7
| per cent of the cases and failed absolutely
| in 32.1 per cent.
| Strikes ordered by labor organizations
| were much more generally successful than
| in instances where employees were not or
| ganized. In strikes ordered by organiza-
| ttons the workers succeeded in 49.5 per
| cent of the establishments, were partly
| successful in 1913 per cent of the cases, and
! failed altogether in 34.6 per cent. Where
| there was no organization strikes were
| successful in 1873 per cent partly successful
| in 9.8 per cent. and failed wholly in 563