The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-12-21

&tlnAes sitting in the
pichstaE and hearing himself de-
1punced by Social Democratic
Ieader.
The Rockefeller OF Germany, the
nan who owns mines, steel works,
street railway systems, banks and
newspapers, also finds times to be a
member Of the German Legislative
BODY.
Iheard him vigorously scored by
Dr.. Rudolph Breitscheid, one OF the
1 intellectuals in the Social Demo-
cratic party, the biggest party nu-
perically in Germany.
It was a never-to-be-forgotten
scene, not only because Of the per-
sonality of the men involved, but
because they represent clashing in
terests in what il looked upon as
one of the most important and bit
terly contested problems of pres
ent-day Germany.
Breitscheid started out by excOri-
ating the German Peoples party as
SHINES party.
Il Il warn you," said Breitscheid.
| pointing a long menacing finger at
i shines, that the working men and
II women OF Germany will not allow
u you and your kind to tear down the
n eight-hour law or to destroy the
4 eight hour principle
81 All the time Breitscheid is speak
Ing. SHINES shows that the dynamic
{ ex stence he has been leading in pill
ling up vast ricles has begun to tell
on hill. his dead white face never
shows trace OF color; his hands
4 are never still.
81 SHINES did not reply to Brett
scheid. He simply listened.
One of the first things the work.
y ing classes won in Germany, when
III the republic was established, was
n the enactment into organic law OF
the eight-hour statute.
Managers of great industrial
plants have always sneered it was
merely an excuse to work more
than eight hours and get double
Ipay for overtime.
IT, Day ~ Is NcCCSS6Iys
Not long ago at a meeting of Ger
! Imam industrialists SHINES made a
q speech in which he said if the Ger
man mark was ever to be stabilized
Il Germany was to pay the repara-
g. tons demanded by the allies and
4 thus get rid of the armies Of occu-
patton. il she was ever to set her
own house in order, she would
have to produce more goods and tc
70 this her people would have tc
york longer hours.
He said no one would dream OF
= disturbing the letter of the German
sght-hour law, but German work
men would simply have to make uI
4 their minds that for the next 10 OF
Is years they would have to work
It least 10 hours a day. And he
r. didn't stress very strongly anything
about getting extra pay for extra
hours.
This speech was at once taken NJ
~ Is challenge by the labor forces
oil over the country. There are
: Derhaps IL million men and women
Who belong to labor unions. And
IA De most of them are affiliated eth
a with the Social Democratic, the
Centre, the Democratic or the Com
nunist party, which together have
big majority in the reichstag.
. The Social Democratic party as a
tkty formally declared itself
against any tampering with the
skht-hour law or the eight-hour
: finciple.
Offers New Proposal
But the SHINES proposition isn't
Z I'D yet SHINES is bulldog for
D~tinacity.
6 n the meantime other big EN-
Meyers of labor have been feeling
1T their workmen with two new
opositions:
Nnt-They would continue to
nv their men for the regular eight
oef day. But for the extra two
nsrs they would pay them in
PCS. For instance, worker In
Mgar refinery would be paid
esftime in sugar; worker in a
mill in flour.
Second-Payment in products is
nusly impossible in many in.
atries. For instance, an employe
rolling mill wouldn't want te
paid with a steel bar. In such
- employers would pay the met
y overtime in marks.
~ IenOrr0w: Another phase
4 Germany's industrial trou.