The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1918-10-19

On Monday there was handed down
the ruling of Umpire Clark upon the
petition of the Wheeling Mold &,
Foundry Co. for a rehearing of its
case. That award, made by Justice
Clark on Sept. 16. established the
actual eight-hour day, and laid down
the industrial law that henceforth the
workers must have equal voice with
the management, in industries such as
iron molding, in determining whether
the men should work more than eight
hours in any particular day.
The employers realized that this
was vital blow at their absolute
control of industry. Walter Drew, at
torney for the National Erectors'
Association, was employed by the
company to appeal from the award.
His petition was denied.
Justice Clark said that ION a full
and careful review of arguments then
made and the questions presented by
the petition to re-hear, the opinion
and the award heretofore made are
in every respect confirmed.
Steel Co. Grants Eight-Hour Day.
"soon after this opinion and de-
cision Of the Board had been rendered,
and possibly in consequence of it, the
great United State Steel Corporation,
with 100000 employees, adopted the
eight-hOur rule and other companies
are doing the same. BY reason of it's
position as a great financial and pro-
gressive institution, the action of the
United States Steel Corporation marks
distinct advance toward the uni
versal adoption of the eight-hour day,
especially if there shall go with it the
provision of the award in this case
that there shall be no evasion of the
eight-hour day upon the declaration
Of the employer alone of emergency,
but the emergency shall be declared
by a majority of the joint board ap-
pointed by the employers and EN-.
p1oyes as stated in the award in this
case.
Long since, Mr.. Henry Ford, an
other progressive and successful en-
ployer of large bodies of men, adopted
voluntarily the eight-hour day, which
is the end toward which industry is
inevitably and irresistably moving, by
reason Of it being justice to the en-
plOyes and no less to the real interests
of the employers and managers of our
great industries"
Labor Officials Cannot Agree.
To the suggestion by Justice Clark
that his decision may have been the
cause of the sudden granting of the
eight-hour day by the United States
Steel Corporation. labor officials can
not seriously agree. The steel trust
magnates, like the German war lrods,
found democracy rushing at them, in
the shape Of a nationwide organizing
campaign, and they yelled kan
erad!" The Gary Tribune, published
a page of heavy type to IAN In
dustrial Belgium'-Gary and the
other steel towns being the Belgium
and President Fitzpatrick of the Chi
cago Federation of Labor and his as
sistant organizers being the Huns.
Fitzpatrick, Foster, Nockels and the
whole Chicago Federation crowd arr
sweeping through the steel trust
plants, signing up the steel workers
by the thousands, and it was only
when faced by the prospect of an Or
ganiZed army of workers that Judge
Gary and his electromagnetic granted
a nominal Workday of eight hours.
And they did not agree that the work.
ers should have any voice in regulat-
ing the amount of overtime, either.
Organizing the workers in the Pitts
burgh district is not moving so fast
The A. F. of L. representatives in that
field have not caught the Fitzpatrick
spirit Of crusading.
Longshoremen Kick.
Among this weeks kickers, the
Longshorenen hold first place. Their
grievance is the new certificate of
identification" which the general su-
perintendent of the U. S. Army Trans
port Service, at the port of New York,
has put up to them to sign. About
5000 to 5000 longshoremen are said
to be affected. 1t puts them under
martial law.
The document reads:
'I,-hereby apply for certifi-
cate of Identification as an employee
of the United States serving with the
United States Army Transport Serv-
ice. Position, I was b IL at
OH. I was Cor was not) natural
lied as citizen of the United States
before the-court of-on-as
of--as shown by the certificate of
naturalization.
Il certify that the above statements
are correct. I hereby agree that dur
ing the continuance of this employ
ment I am amendable to Military
Law, and I do hereby surrender my
right to trial by Civil Courts and place
myself completely within the jurisdic-
ton Of the Military Courts affecting
such employment and service. I do
solemnly swear that I will observe the
regulations of the United States Army
Transport Service and will obey the
lawful orders of my sup~riors and to
my utmost endeavors to carry such
orders into effect with promptitude
and ZEAL"
Description and photograph of the
applicant are noted below his sigma
ture.
The international officers of the
Longshoremen are disposed to ask
why this scheme Of court-martial dis
cipline of their membership, is neces-
sary today. when without any such
precautions the Transport Service has
delivered over 100000 men in
France.