Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1914-09-04
COUNTY OFFICIAL PAPER.
NEGOTIATION VS.. COERCION.

Suppose somebody walked up to you and told
and no more and threatened to fine you 5000 or
more if you worked longer, what would you say
to him?
We will not attempt to print the answer-it
might be too blunt-but that, in nutshell, is the
meat of the pending eight-hou bill If it passes,
no workingman in this state can work more than
eight hours in any one day, matter if he has
a chance to make some good extra money!" as
the saying goes. If he does he is liable to fine
so big it would 'break'' him. There will be no
freedom whatever under that bill if it passes-a
workingman is limited to eight hours and eight
hours only per day to earn enough to support him
self and his family. He cannot work any longer
no matter how much he wants to or how badly he
needs the money. He is tied hand and foot and
cannot help himself
One Of our contemporaries of Socialistic ma
ture criticized The Washington Standard not so
very long ago for opposing this bill, declaring
among other things that we were trying to pro-
tect the interests And yet the farmers of the
country are coming to realize that somebody hood
winked them on that proposition and the laboring
men, after having had chance to think, are be-
ginning to realize that they will hurt more than
they will help themselves through such measure
They are beginning to see what is sure to follow
big reduction in their wages because they do
less work and corresponding increase in the
prices Of what they have to buy, because it costs
more to produce it.
There is difference between obtaining such
proposed economic changes through negotiations
between the men and their employers, and through
legislation. The printing business is almost uni
versaly operated on an eight-hour basis or less
and 50 the bill will not affect The Standard, but
coercion-it came through negotiation. As the
Kittitas Spokesman puts it
Without the aid of these self-appointed re-
gulators, without invoking the power of the state
many trades and industries are now conducted
on an eight-hour basis. This has only been posi-
Bile because economic conditions in these particu-
lar industries were favorable to the adoption of
the shorter workday. When these economic con-
ditions apply with equal force in all vocations,
then the eight-hour day will be put in effect.
Until that time all laws designed to regulate the
hours of labor regardless of conditions will prove
futile
The American Federation Of Labor has gone
on record as squarely opposed to such legislation.
In this policy The Washington Standard agrees
with it heartily. It will disrupt the industries of
the state, but worse than that, it will make the
lot Of the laboring man still harder and will de-
moralize the farming business. In addition,
under present conditions a universal eight-hour
law could not be enforced in this state,' as the
Klttitas Spokesman comments, "and therein lies
its danger 1t would be evaded secretly or open
~, with the result that in short time the law
would become dead letter, to be invoked through
within or malice
ANY person who appreciates his liberty who
CLAIMS the right to work whenever he wants to-
Tor whom he wants to and as long as he wants to-
VIII vote against that BILL for he will be shorn of
these rights if the bill becomes law.