Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-06-19
LABOR OPPOSES
ECHT-HOUR LAW
Samuel Gompers, Recogniz.
ed Head of Labor Unions
Opposes Such Laws
BOTH IDLE AND ELUSIVE
Compers Recognizes That
Labor Would Bear Brunt
OF Ensuing Losses.


American Federation Of Labor, told
the United States government CON-
mission on industrial relations, at its
recent hearing in New York, that he
was opposed to minimum wage and
maximum workday legislation for
men. He said that the federation
favors legislation limiting the work.
day for women and children, but men
workers, he declared, can better Sc
cure the same end by their own initia-
tive. He looks with suspicion, he
said, upon the extension of the powers
of the government over the worker.
This means that Mr.. Gompers is
against such legislation as the uni
versal eight-hour law proposed by
initiative measure No. 13 in the state
Of Washington. He regards it as So
cialistic. His views were expressed
in a spirited tilt with the socialist
leader, Morris Hilquitt, at one of the
hearings of the federal Investigating
commission. Mr.. Hilquitt was cross
questioning Mr.. Gompers, who had
stated that the federation stands for
free speech and assemblage, equal
suffrage, the initiative, refer dun
and recall, proportional representation
in government, direct election of the
President and vice president, amend
ment of the constitution by easier
methods than now prevail, and ex-
tension of the public and vocational
system of education.
Mr.. Hilquitt drew the inference
from this statement that Mr.. Gompers'
organization stands for "all the de-
mands of the socialist party with the
exception Of the maximum workday
and the minimum wage"
NO." was the retort, "the socialist
party has purloined the long-estab.
lished platform of the American Fed
Grafton" The federation, said Mr..
Gompers, would favor any practical
plan" for solving the industrial prob
lem, but it 'is less interested in the
promulgating Of idle and elusive pro-
grams for eliminating every human ill
than in actual work for the laboring
class"
Obviously Mr. Gompers recognizes
the existence Of an economic fact
which advocates Of a universal eight
hour law can not or will not see
that If labor slows sharply down by
force of law in the United States, in
dustry must slow down. II industry
slows down, production must decline.
The nation would then have less to
sell abroad and less for it's people to
consume at home. Capital engaged in
production would have to quit in large
part; labor would thrown out of en-
ployment; competition would spring
up for the limited number of jobs,
organized labor would be set back,
and wage earners both organized and
unorganized, would suffer-
In weighing this question wise men
will keep that economic fact in view.
The maximum of prosperity must be
sought, first in wealth of natural re-
source; coupled with the fullest meas
ure Of intelligent and efficient indus.
try that is compatible with the con.
servation of the health, strength and
we'll being of the nations workers.
Second, that lack of either must i'm.
pair or reduce nations output. Com
munities planted on sterile soil or in
impoverished industrial surroundings
can not have the maximum of pros
perity, however hard they work. Com
munities rich in natural resources
can not have prosperity unless they
work for 1t.
We see this exemplified in individ.
ual cases. Two men have adjoining
farms, the soil and opportunities ex.
actly alike One has industry in high
degree; the other has some measure
of industry, but not enough. One
does not finch in emergency from
working 10, ~ or even 16 hours; the
other thinks that eight hours should
be his maximum rule. One will sue
ceed, the other fail.
The principle is just as true in ap
plication to the industries Of state