The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-10-27
Will NOT BOTHER
ABOUT 6-H0URDAY
UNTIL WAR IS Won
Gompers Says Labor Is Now 0c-
cupied with Meeting War
Conditions,

NEW YORK, Oct. GA e-hour
workday!
1t sounds attractive-and it is pre-
dicted for England after the war.
What about the 6-hour day in AM
erica after the war?
The other day there came over the
cable this flash:
Lord Leverhulme, head of the
largest soap manufacturing concern in
England, has declared he favors a g.
hour day after the war"
If England has 6-hour day what
about America?
Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor, made
these remarks:
I'VE are not concerning ourselves
greatly about problems after the war.
We are concentrating every effort on
winning. Labor realizes when peace
is restored >there will be many new
problems to face. Just as war condi-
tions were a violent reversal Of what
we had known, SO peace conditions
will be another violent reversal.
I'VE shall not shut our eyes to after
the war problems; we do not intend
to let them come upon US unawares,
but our concern now is to win this
war and make certain a lasting peace
in which to work out the new prob
lens.
II can no more tell you whether
we shall have 6-hour workday after
the war than I can tell you if We
shall have a 5-hour workday
But I can tell you the labor move
ment continually strives more and
more for the workers and less and
less for those who do not work.
Labor Strengthened.
Iabor's position has been strength
ened UNNECESSARILY since America
went to war. This is because Ameri-
can. labor showed it's determination to
make every wise sacrifice to win the
war. Labor showed itself truly
American. I do not imagine labor's
position will be weakened after the
! war.
The 6-hOur wOrkday is not an is
sue now. Lord Leverhulme. probably
is not predicting it for England with
out some idea of what the working
! people of England are going to want
| and of what they will be entitled to.
I'm America we are trying to extend
the principle that eight hours work
shall constitute day. This principle
has been greatly extended during the
| war.
AT the outset there was an effort
in England to lengthen the workday.
This policy soon proved wrong. Am
op.ico lob IN
and the mistake was not made here.
But in America at this juncture
! the 6-hour workday is not up for de-
bate. It is merely subject on which
persons may speculate. And there are
before us now so many live, throbbing
issues we must meet and settle-that
pleasant speculation is too much Of a
luxury for us to indulge in.
Must Win War.
First of all we must unite all of
our resources, all of our talents, all
| of our labors, to win the war. Democ-
racy is at stake. If democracy goes
down we will not have the privilege
| of debating about the length of our
workday. Autocratic fiat will fix
that for us.
I'VE must save and extend to the
whole world the spirit Of our institu-
tons so we may settle Economically
| whatever issues may arise. We must
make the world the natural abiding
place for democracy. We must re-
move the sinister Teutonic, militarist
and autocratic menace to democracy.
I'VE shall not permit any of our
democracy to be lost in winning the
war. - ~'..-.'s- ,..
decades ago men worked 10, IL,
IA hours day. We have convinced
the world that such workdays are not
in the best interests of society. Now,
in the midst of the greatest war his
tory has known, no one clamors for
more than an .s-hour day. What peace
will bring may be left to peace" = =.