Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-08
RY REV. CHARLES STELZLE.
Of the Department of Church al
Labor of the Presbyterian Church


HE Federal Council of the
Churches of Christ in America.
representing the united Protes
tant churches in this country,
viii, a membership of 100000
and a constituency of 4o.dDOO10, has unan
imously adopted. with other specific prin-
cples for which il asserts the church
must stand:
First-The gradual and easonabe re
duction of the hours of labor to the low
est practicable point, and for that degree
Of leisure for all which is a condition of
the highest human life.
Second-A release from employment one
day in seven.
Third-A living wage minimum in
every industry, and the highest wage that
each industry can afford.
The Federal Councils commission on
the church and social service accepts as
the basis of its belief and action the en-
,ire program adopted by Inc Federai
Council In its report on the church and
social service. For the concentration OF
attention upon concrete conditions, ana
because of the present keen interest In
the thre, closely related propositions
above set forth, II submits at this time
to the churches the following statement
and recommendations. and urges that
favorable action be taken upon them by
Individual churches, synods, assemblies.
conferences conventions. brotherhoods
and other representative bodies. in the
many conmunions which compose the
Federal Council.
The Pittsburg survey revealed 10 all IN
tcfcsted in Industrial conditions a state
l.. affairs in many respects surprising In
&c steel mills according to the report of
The survey ~ per cent Of the employees,
or about ii Op men in Allegheny county.
worked twelve hours a day seven days
i'll the week. at the rate Of 161. cents an
hour. Such employees. therefore, by
working twelve hours day every day in
the week were enabled to earn S1.9s per
day. any reduction in time involving a
pi-oportionate loss III wages The high
wages PAID 10 relatively small number
OF men III positions of responsibility
or per cent getting over So a day
had heretofore mlsled the public as to the
general scale OF wages in this particular
industry. An Investigation OF the living
conditions showed that the wage actually
paid 10 unskiHed laborers in the steel
mills was not living wage, that IS. not
a wage which man with an average
family could live respectfully under decent
sanitary conditions and with a reasonable
degree of comfort. The Investigations of
the survey showed furthermore, that in
precisely the regions where these low
paid workmen were housed the drink evil
was at its worst and the general morality
at it's lowest. Saloons found this the most
profitable region financially. While a
fair proportion of workmen and their
families were found resisting these infiu-
ences il plain that the drink evil
and the tendency OF the population to
immortality were connected with the pre-
vailing industrial and housing conditions.
For most men working twelve hours a
day. seven days In the week. little Is left
except lethargy or stimulants. There was
little enjoyment of life possible for them
except the enjoyment Of the senses.
What the survey revealed In Pittsburg
is true, We are advised. to a greater or
less extent-Often to the same extent-in
other Industrial centers.
The illustration is taken from one in
dustry and one center. The range of the
propositions. however. is far wider. For
while IL may be proper to omit from con-
sideration the workers engaged in the pro-
LESSONS and in agriculture, those should
be included who are engaged in domestic
and personal service, trade and transpor-