The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1914-10-10
how THE EICHT-H0UR
DAY WOULD BENEFIT THE
PEOPLE OF WASHINGTON
NJ EDWIN }. nnow>. n. -. =.
yis first Ave. trioa Heck.


In accordance with my promise
AZ last Saturday and my challenge
20 the Employers Association ~
Warrington. I shall now take up the
~txht.hour day. Initiative Measure
No ~. known as the Eight-ti Hour
Rill. and | quote tho proposed law
can act prohibiting employers
from requiring or permitting EN-
ployes 20 work moro than eight
hours IN any day of twenty four
hours. except In agricultural labor
and cases OF emergency. providing
for EXTRA compensation for over
time: and fixing a penalty for the
Violation thereof.
@BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE
or THE STATE OF WASHING
TON.
-Sectlon ! IL shall be unlawful
for any person. persons. corporation.
company or joint stock association
20 cause. require or permit any mai.
or female employe In hts. her or its
employ, TO work more than eight
hours during any day of twenty -four
hoGra nor more than forty eight
hoars during any week of seven days
except that In agricultural labor an
Additional two hours per day may be
allowed for work which II unavcid-
ably ana necessarily incidental TO
farm management
Of extraordinary emergency. such as
danger 20 life or property. or where
such elght-hour limit would una void .
ably and necessarily prevent other
workers In the same mine. mill. fac
tory or other Industrial unit from
working the fun -tght-hour day. the
4our< for work may be further rx-
tended. but In such eases the rate Of
cav for time employed In excess Of
efxht hours OF each calendar day
shall b. one and one-haif rate OF pay
allowed Tor the same amount % time
turfnx eight hours service.
section !. II for any reason any
On the provisions Of this act he sd-
Judged unconstitutional and invalid.
X shall not affect the validity OF the
Set - . whole or any other part
thereof
-secsion .. Any employer. over
seer. superintendent or other agent
Of any such employer. who shall sio-
late any OF the provisions OF this act.
shall. upon conviction thereof. be
fined for each off~nse In a sum not
J less than ten dollars nor more than
one hundred dollars for each day
during which such violation con-
tinues~
ORIGIN on THE nit
The measure really originated at
the last session Of our state iexisla-
fure when tho enemies of labor In
sroduced Joker Eixhs-Hour Biil
This was done primarily 10 break up
the combination formed between or
GAnised labor and the farmers. who
were meeting with fair success In
TIE way OF forcing through iewisla-
ton. but as II was never the fnten-
ton Of the introducers % the bill TO
have u passed. u WAS hastily ordered
cut OF COMMITTEES and killed before
. - - e@~
too great This In reality II WHARF,
the present measure got It's birth.
Only one farmers organization N
his state has gone on record as op-
posing this measure. as n did also the
seven sisters but TO offset that.
the Pierce County Pomona Grange
went on record favoring ~.
AuTuoR or THE BILL
W. n. Kingery. Socialist represen-
tative from Mason county. with she
consent and approval Of the Socialist
Party Of the State OF Washington.
filed the bill under the provision Of
the Initiative and Referendum Law
OF tbs State. IL was approved BY
the state Federation Of Labor In
convention ct Raymond In January.
approved by Central Council Of sc.
attic and Vicinity In February, and
. committee OF five appointed. which
committee subsequently, organized
the Universal Eixht-Hour Day
League. who. eoutunctively with the
Socialist Party. are now doing active
work IN support Of II. n has since
been approved By every labor organ
fzation In the state. and. Incident
ally I might add. similar measures,
under like conditions. are TO be
voted on In November IN the three
Pacific coast states--Cafifornfa.O ore
gOn and WasbIngfon--the least fras-
tic and most concise OF which IL
the Washington measure.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
In the consideration Of this meas
uge I will endeavor at all times TO
make exact statements This IL
Labor BIZ and must expect ". SUP
port from labor and the producers
Of wealth. In arguments to follow
] will try 70 show ~ will prove OF
real benefit to employer and en-
ploye. and the real purpose (which
contend Il will accompHshl
To make my first arEumr 1t f-om
this point Of view I shat quote q" ~
Y. <. Thirteenth Census. Volume u.s..
page 1885 IL is here stated that
the total males engage o.. .. upa-
ftonal trades In the state OK VI ash
fnston are s5s.3T5. total females.
ss.f2s. eliminating for the sake %
argument 1851 land this figure is
sItt@tlsFI WHO are now fNuBADf w
not more than eight hours. II would
leave $4,000 wage sarners working
ten hours "a few work nine hours
and enough twelve 10 make the av-
erage tenn. IL the provisions Of this
law are enacted and enforced ~
would require 10000 more workers
90 meet the present requirements Of
than have ever been out OF employ
ment at any time In the state II
any arrangement could be made
whereby the wage could be main
tanned. II would add 10 the payroll
II the state the sum OF i5s25e. 10000
--s24. 923 10000 more than the great
est Industry OF the state numberD
furnishes, and IL furnishes s3.3 per
cent OF all manufactures.
Now. Mr.. Business Man. you who
esll Clothing. Boots and Shoes. Furn-
iture. Bread and Butter. we Dentists.
you Doctors. you Lawyers, you own
srs OF Houses who rent 20 workers.
you Railroad Magnates. you owners
Of Amusement Enterprises, all OF
you who do business with the work
ers--this law makes IL possible for
you to get a part OF this s5s.250.0O
! shall close this article by quot
ing a letter from a business man
II try TO conduct my business from,
business mans stsndpoint--no
sentiment, no charity. I know that
my opportunity 10 do business. like
wise the prosperity OF a community
or a state. depends largely, II not
entirely, on the workers being EN-
ployed as continuously as possible
and at the best wages permissible. ]
am satisfied that the best method
nearest at band r. a reduction OF the
hours OF labor. to the end that the
whole people may profit and enjoy
the whole peoples increasing Intelii-
Rsnce and scientific methods Of pro-
ductiou and distribution Believing
this, 7 should not be consistent did
! decline % do my part toward this
general Improvement. I shall vote
for Initiative Measure No. 49,"
On next Saturday ! shall take up
other phases Of the law. such as the
Domestic. the Nurse. etc. and also
make reply 20 opponents ~ there are
such EDWIN >. BHOWN,