Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-05-07
MUST face The FACTS
Soldiers To Fight and Others to
Work.
The FATE OF ALL In The BALANCE

/
This is No Time for Useless Waste
Tho Eight Hour Day Should Be
Suspended During the Period OF the
War-Those at Home Must Fill
Gaps Left by Those Gone to the
Front.
Manufacturers Record.
At least 100000 to 100000 able
bodied men who have been producers.
should be called from business activi-
ties into the army, for We should Gre
ate as rapidly as possible an army OF
at least 100000 soldiers for fighting
in France, and at least 100000 to
| 5000, 900 more should be trained in
this country to take the place OF those
who are now going over. thus with
drawing from business activities OF
the farm and the factory and the
store 100000 to 100000 OF men.
We must also turn into munition-
making and like activities millions
who must produce the things that are
II
brought about an enormous labor
shortage in the country. There will be
great famine in farm labor, In fac
tory labor and in all other kinds OF
work.
Unless the young and the old who
are not called into camp as soldiers
and the laboring men not drafted for
army service enormously increase
their productive work, we shall have
labor shortage which will mean
Heightened war.
The responsibility Of increasing the
labor potcntiality of the country rests
upon every man and woman in 1t. We
must cut out q great amount Of labor
now done by men. and put them into
productive labor. II would be crimi-
nal to permit 100000 men to continue
to produce and handle the liquor trade
of the country. II would be criminal
10 continue on the golf courses of the
country the thousands Of men and
boys who are used as caddies. The
golfer must learn to carry his own
sticks or not to play. 1t would be
criminal to permit able bodied men.
white or black, to do a great deal OF
the interior work such as they now
do as hotel walters, and in other ca
pacities which can be done by women.
Moreover, we must all learn to con-
serve labor as we'll as food, and we
have no right to expect Of hotels the
prompt service Of bell boys and wait
ers, to which we have been accus-
toned in the past. We must learn to
depend upon ourselves to a larger
extent than heretofore.
| Men must be released from en-
ployment In many directions In order
that they may be turned into pro-
ductiye actiyit!ss 9p the farp and u u
tho field and In the office work which
must be performed.
| The man who insists upon the eight
hour day merely because through the
power OF union organization he has
been able to force the eight hour day
on the country Is not doing his duty
to the soldier who IL risking his life.
The laboring men Of the country
owe 1t to the soldiers and to civiliza-
tion TO increase their hours Of labor
instead OF trying to decrease them.
The eight-hour day for labor at the
present time is an outrage upon every
soldier who Is rtsking his life and
who is working from twelve to fifteen
hours a day under the most trying
conditions, exposed to all the hard
ships OF the camp and trenches in Or
der to save the labor and the labor
er's family from the ruthless barbar-
ism of Germany. We cannot see how
an honest minded laborer can posi-
bly, get the consent Of his conscience
in the sight OF God and mankind to
be willing to work only eight hours
day in this terrific hour of sacrifice
| The farmer and his employees gener-'
orally work from sunrise to sunset
and, travelling in the south recently
we have seen men ploughing up to
7.30 and s o'clock at night, though
they had started their work at 6
are working long hours. and doing
their utmost to increase the output OF
foodstuffs in order that the mechanic
and the clerk and all others may be
lsaved from starvation. but the me-
chanics. gladly getting the benefit Of
the long hours Of farm labor. are, to
large extent. refusing to work more
than eight hours a day. and when
they work longer than that they are
demanding pay over and above the
regular rate per hour. These men
have not yet learned the seriousness
Of the situation. This war has not
yet burned itself deep into their souls.
Their leaders are using this war stu
alton for the purpose Of trying to
fasten on the world shorter labor
ing day without regard to the cost In
lives that this condition now must
work.
| We believe that President Wilson
himself has q duty to perform by
publicly appealing, IL necessary, over
and over again, to the laboring men
OF the country to lengthen their hours
OF work, and to recognize that while
they are being saved from the dangers
of the battlefield they are proving
recreant to their responsibilities by
reducing their hours OF labor and
constantly striking over some trifins
question. The present situation Is a
reflection upon the integrity and hon
esty Of heart Of the laboring people
of this country. We believe they
have been unwisely led by self-seek
ing agitators and officials who feel that
their only hope Of retaining their do
mination over labor Is to constantly
fight to create on the part Of laborers
a demand for shorter hours Of labor.
There may be justification for n
| fight such as this under some con-