Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-07-31
Tuesday. July 81, 1928.
1--WE wear away our best powers in
the eeaseiess struggles to get, instead
of to give and grow.
LABOR, NORTH AND SOUTH

LABOR, NORTH AND SOUTH
Discussing the presidential chances
of Oscar Underwood Of Alabama, a
writer refers to the attitude shown in
this country over a long period Of
years against selecting candidates for
the presidency from the South. One
sentence is suggestive Of other mat
tiers than the presidency: 1T is Ala
bama today which is subjecting to
fine and Imprisonment a labor agent
who gets negro to take job in the
North.
Indirectly, but no less surely, this
serves as a reminder why the labor
agitator prefers exploiting the North
in labor's behalf to making such at
tempts in the South. One need not
doubt that his own comfort and well
being. rather than the crying need Of
better labor legislation in the South
is the determining factor with this
class of promoters. He is not moved
by the lack of child labor legislation
in those southern states, by the long
hours in the southern labor market,
he does not betake himself to Dixie
to crusade on behalf Of the children
and against the 60-hour week, not
while there is easier picking" in
states where he can pursue his call
ing amid the plaudits Of the crowd
and with perfect safety to his neck
at least such a conclusion appears to
be warranted in view Of all the con-
ditions.
OF course not all those now actively
urging the adoption Of 4S hours a
week are open to suspicious on that
score, though one may be permitted
to surmise their zeal would be notice
ably lessened were they requested to
undertake converting the South to
their ideas. However, this does not
tion to keep our own skirts clean. II
the present law be essentially wrong,
if it is undermining the health of our
women, menacing the next genera
ton, and all that, our duty is mani
fest. But is this true?
Our own observations may be left
to answer that question, we are not
under obligation to take anyones
word on that We have no doubt as
to the answer most will get from
viewing the situation impartially. To
do this one should admit no preju-
dice because Of a personal desire to
shorten the work day to eight hours.
Most Of us would prefer it that way
if we could be sure we were not
shortening the number of work days
while shortening the hours. Most Of
us need all the work days and the
wage from them. We would hesitate
about encouraging them to go South
along with the employers and the
wages.
This an idle dream? By no means;
1t is what is actually happening, for
one reason and another, and the As
hour law would lend impetus to the
movement already admitted by all in
formed respecting the situation.
The difficulty of maintaining labor
conditions in one part Of a country,
where facilities for intercourse ere
as plentiful as In America is a seri-
Gus one. Is aggravating 1t, intensity
ing 1t likely to prove advantageous to
labor conditions as a whole in this
country?
One, who is given an advantage,
forms the habit of relying upon 1t and
is not easily convinced that he should
give 1t up. His unwillingness is in
tensifled by the fruits which he finds
he can enjoy from it. The southern
employer working his help sixty
hours a week was given an advantage
when shorter hours went into effect
in the North. The extension of the
4s-hour law in the North adds to the
southerner's advantage, strengthens
his resolution to keep the advantage
so gained and fastens the sixtyhour
law more firmly on the working peo-
pie Of the South.