Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-08-11

Of UnlOnlSm pause 70 CONSIDER TOT
q moment just one thing that I'm
ionism has accomplished.
1t is well known that In the ear
" days Of the present factory sys-
tenn the days work extended us
ually to fourteen or sixteen hours.
This long day existed for all
workers, the skilled and the I'M
skilled, the children as well as the
men and women.
The workers hadsnot yet learn
ed to organize and as individuals
they were utterly helpless to eft
feet a change in the hours OF their
labor or in the scale OF their
wages.
There were Of course no laws
to protect them and SO they lived
entirely at the mercy OF their EN-
ployers.
The normal conditions that ex-
isted little more than half. CEN
fury ago in England and else
where throughout the world OF the
factory system are equalled today
only in certain plague spots.
When one reads the stories OF
the misery and oppression, the
long hours and low wages OF those
days one wonders how the work
ers managed to live at all.
How much the condition OF the
workers generally has been I'M
proved it is by no means easy to
say, but we do know that the con-
dition Of the workers has vastly
improved wherever they have
learned to value unity.
In those trades where the men
have known enough to fight for
their rights and to stand together
there has arisen what some scot
fers like to cali an :" aristocracy of
labor.
AMI 1t In certain trades Lnere
are indeed aristocrats of labor it is
simply because they have had IN
telligence enough to fight togeth-
er, to pay dues to one organiza-
ton and to battle always with un-
ity and solidarity.
And what they have done all
other workers can do.
"The taristocrats" hold no pat
ent on their method of. action and
by acting in the same manner all
other toilers can win all the "ar-
istocrats have won.
Now it is difficult to ascertain
just how much union workers have
benefited by higher wages.
In that matter there is always
the question as to the increased
cost Of living which make difficult
any comparison Of wages here and
abroad or Of wages now with
those of forty years ago.
The best one can do is to COM
pare wages and hours today N
one trade that is organized with
the wages and hours in another
trade that is unorganlzed.
This has been well done by the
Department Of Labor at Washing.
ton and the figures gathered BY
that department show beyond dis
Ipute the enormous benefits thai
have come to labor as a result o.
organization.
| Consider for one moment thu
following facts:
We all know that the workers
in the iron and steel trade arr
poorly organized and we find tha1
the hours of labor in this trade
are from sixty to seventy-two PEI
week.
| The hot blast men in all part'
Of the country work about eighty
four hours per week.
On the other hand we all know
that the stone and granite cut
ters are well organized.
When we look up the figures 9
their hours we find that they worl
| about forty-eight hours per week
The bricklayers, the carpenters
i the hod carriers, the painters, tn
paper hangers and the plumber
! are highly organized trades AM
/ when we inquire into the hour
/ worked by these men we find tia
l they rarely average more thai
| fifty hours per week.
j These workers than are the airs
tocrats Of labor simply becaus
they are well united in their trade
| are loyal to their organization
pay their dues and fight commo'
| battle.
II uo,11d he difficult to find al