Evening star., 1916-03-01
SAYS BUSINESS WOULD
FOLLOW u. S. EXAMPLE
Never Proposed That Eight Hours
Should Be Minimum Days Work,
as Author of Rider Thinks.


hill which seeks to lengthen the hour:
of labor of government employees with
out additional pay. outlining the oppo'
sition of organized labor to the pro-
posal
Mr.. Gompers makes clear the reasons
why organized labor has taken up the
cudeels in behalf of the clerks ano
proposes to prevent. If possible. the
usage of Mr.. Borland's rider. In MS
letter he says:
can YOU not see sir. that if the gov
.,,ment of the United States shall by
law lengthen the hours of any OF its
emnIoyes it will be regarded as the
oroner course for all business anu
industry to pursue the same policy
Mr. Gompers' letter is in reply 70
letter written to him by Mr.. boIianu ut
the subject The letter. made puone
today at Mr.. Gompers' office. is as 1oi'
lows:
President Gompers' Letter.
"My attention was called to your let
ter Of February 2S to me through the
columns Of the daily press some time
before l received 1t.
YOU express surprise that any form :
ecutive council of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor upon your amend,
,nent to the legislative, executive ana
judicial appropriation bill for 1917.
..Since you were surprised, IT is evl-
dent you did not appreciate the 1unoa-
mental significance Of your amend
ment This is further proved by your
additional statement that the provision
does not affect the rights OF LABOR gen :
orally, except so far as the rights OF
q
All other taxpayers of the nation
"Principles of humanity and human
welfare are the same whether appHeu
to one group of citizens called wage
earners or to another group OF cltlzens
called government employees. Any ac-
tion Of the government that is con-
trary to these fundamental principles
is of grave concern to all citizens pc
cause their welfare is ultimately con-
cerned in the establishment and MAIN
tsnance Of these principles
Protests Against Injustice.
sYou say further that the amendment
you offered does not AFFECT the rights
of labor generally except SO far as the
rights of labor are identical with the
rights of all other taxpayers OF the na-
tion.' l was under the impression that
YOU were aware that the organized Ia
bor movement of America as repre-
sented and expressed by the American
Federation Of Labor has. in addition TO
the general interests Of all citizens,
the particular function to speak IN the
name of and defend and promote the
rights and interests of the wage earn
srs in their movement and protest
against injustice and wrong.
The fundamental step in securing
the industrial welfare of workers is 10
limit hours of work, SO that physical
and mental strength shall not De un-
duly taxed and there shall be ample op,,
development and the satisfaction OF al
of the wants and desires that belong 10
the normal human being.
You make very serious error IN
assuming that the American FeGera .
tion of Labor. in attempting to limit
hours Of work to not more than eight,
takes the position that the daily work
day shall not be less than eight. what
we have advocated is the shorter work
day that is best adapted to the needs
and the conditions of each worker. The
actual number of hours OF work per
day must, of course, differ with the ma
ture of the work performed. Some
kinds of work are so taxing that the
work day must be limited to a very
short time Other kinds OF work in
voive such serious physical hazards
that the work period must be limited to
even one or two hours per day.
Object of Labor Movement.
THE organized labor movement
seeks to secure for all workers work
day that will be conducive to their best
development and their best protection.
Eight hours has been the slogan for
particular fights. but eight hours has
always represented reduction in
hours OF work. Many Of the organ
lied trades have secured n seven-hour
work day for their members. and some
a six-hour work day. The tendency
throughout the whole country has been
work to conform to the facts Of health
and life that have been established by
science.
Can you not see. sir. that IL the
government Of the United states shall
by law IenRthen the hours of any OF
its employees It will be regarded as the
course for all business and industry to
pursue the same policy?
"A division Of the whole day into
equal three periods, one for labor. an
other for rest and another for social
improvement. Is purely arbitrary
standard and represented the demands
of trade movements to secure to wage
earners improved conditions represent
ed in that standard But the ideals
Of each age differ as our understand
1ng and our experience give us wider
and higher concepts OF the possibilities
Of human development and better con-
ditions in industry.
Your suggestion of equalization re-
minds me very much of a cartoon by
the famous Thomas Mast. which ap.
peared In Harpers Weekly during our
civil war. which depicted a decrepi'
veteran soldier OF sixty-nine years OF
age with a rnusket in his hands. and a
babe in the cradle, one year old. with
a toy gun in his and inasmuch as the
Confederate authorities declared tina,
the ages of the men in the Confed
crate army averaged thirty-hve years
Thomas Mast so pointedly created his
cartoon. declaring that this was TIE
on a par with your position on equaiiz-
ing hours Of labor.
Not q Fixed Ideal.
"The demand for the eight hour
workday does not represent a fixed
ideal. but 1t represents one stage IN
efforts to secure q shorter workda.
and to provide for the protection ot
wage-earrers
You say that your purpose in pro
posing your amendment to II. r. 1920
was to equalize the hours Of labor ol
all government employees. II that 1,
your purpose. It can be accomplished
equally well by reducing the hours o
labor OF all other employees to tn,
hours worked In Washington: thu,
equalization can be accomplished with
out any backward step and withou
acting In violation Of principles of hu
man welfare.
you say that II opposition to your
t. .s,,ox . II