Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1912-08-30

when piqued. or
at loss for an argument to support
their contentious, have at times
thoughtlessly charged trade unionists
as being thoroughly materialistic" in
possessing mo ideals or sentiments"
and influenced by no great "soul-mov-
ing forces"
Sentiment In Organized Labor.
Such expressions can only come
from those who are not informed, or
such as are burdened with prejudice.
In order that those who run may read
and understand, few facts are here
with unfolded. so that cynics, critics,
opponents and friends may obtain
glimpse in condensed form of what
these same trade unionists have ac-
omplished-because of a great soul
moving force burning within them.
Conserving Men and Women.
The farther the American people ad-
vance in this direction in the future
the more surely will they observe true
economic principles-that is to say,
and human energy of the toilers
means the ultimate safety and well
being Of the nation and while 1t is
only too true, and pity It's tbs true"
that the greatest form of waste from
which our people suffer at this time is
the terrific waste of human energy,
due to uneconomic methods. The aw-
full slaughter of the workers whose
bodies are manned, or whose lives are
arfl,r IN,
dustries and in transportation, is gen.
orally caused by long hours, ignorance,
Incompetence, haste or greed.
Still, while it is true that these
grave charges are daily substantiated,
yet, If 1t had not been for the con-
stant vigilance and heroic persistence
of the workers in providing remedies
for such awful possibilities. every
trade and occupation would be equally
subject to as frequent casualties as
now occur in the mills and blast fur
naces Of the iron and steel industry,
where organization of the workers
has been slow to develop, as well as
in those coal fields, where the mine
workers are still subjected to serf-
like conditions by agencies of preda-
tory wealth.
1t is, therefore, perfectly appro-
pirate to draw attention to such a
comparisons before enumerating the
legal measures of prevention and
safety already established in the sew
eral states.
The first subject covered is natur-
ally the Conservation of Time" or
'"The S-Hour Day" Without time to
recuperate, observe, study, reflect,
the workers are rendered hopelessly
unable to act either in their own be-
half or in cooperation with others for
the public good.
Shortening the Working Day.
Observe the communities where the
steel trust. the sugar trust, the cord
age trust an dthe rubber trust are
dominant, and, where greed is all pow.
erful, where the workers grind out a
miserable existence twelve hours per
day, and in many cases seven days
per week, never less than seventy-two
hours, frequently eighty-four hours
per week. In such places race suicide
runs rampant, sickness, vice, disease
drunkenness and deaths by violence
are the rule rather than the excep
tion.
Boarding house shacks. corner sa
looms and squaloT abound; homes
/. schools and libraries are conspicuous
ly rare or absent.
Human life is held cheapest il
\ Pennsylvania, where the long and the
many work days are prevalent. But
sler loses 374 out Of every hundred
ID Thousand of its people by violen
Asaths in industry; Pittston, S59, Nc
Aces Rocks and McKeesport 200
S,enandoah 279, Pottsville 276 and tn,
1rge city, Pittsburg, with its diversi
I'D population, revels in a violen
sath rate of 191 per one hundred
pusand people. according to tn,
rtality statistics of the United
ties census bureau in, 1906
Nhe average age of these deaths b!
) ,ident is thirty-three and a hal
.rs. This fearful drain Sccuri
long meu doing the work of th'
rid before they have reached thu