Evening star., 1923-11-18

1t will make room for the unemploy-
ed. and so will remove the depress-
ing influence Of their competition"
The book was written in 1914, at
the time the movement for the eight
| hour day had been quite generally
successful. and after the writer had
been through, as an international Off
Ger, one of the most stubbornly con-
tested Industrial battles with the
ht-hour day as its objective. At
that time he had fifteen years expert
ence In the international labor field
Yet during all of that period he never
; heard any argument for the eight-hour
; day by labor men other than it was
justified by the Introduction of labor
saving machinery; that 1t was posi-
Die to produce in eight hours all that
could be consumed, with reasonable
surplus. and that II made for a higher
standard of living, for better educa-
tion. for higher ideals In every way.
| and therefore for a better citizenship
ana q better nation In which to live.
ABOVE everything, 1t gave promise of
better chance in life for the chill
dren of the toilers.
Rule OF Old Days.
one authority says of the eight
hour day that 1t was the rule In me-
dieval England. In 1866 the demand
was formulated in America at q gen.
! eral workingmen's congress at BaIti-
| moro and at other meetings.: and the
National Labor Union was organized
10 secure an eight-hour day. A six
week strike in New England and
New York attempted to secure 1t, but
railed. In 1872 eight-hour leagues
were formed in various places. and in
Connecticut and New York a number
or strlkes among the woodworking
trades won this goal for awhile, but
the great depression from 1873 on
SSteVentsH St ,esn pressing such questions.
since 1880 nearly all the states have
enacted efght-hour laws, subject to
conditions, usually restricted to work
ior the state, county and municipal
| ity. The f1rst great concerted effort
for eight hours was in 1886. when
100000 workmen went on strike. A
| general strike for this object was
announced in 1890, and was partly
successful; several hundred thousand
men struck and many employers
yielded, but later advanced the hours
In the early part of this century
widespread strikes in the buiIdins
trades and the printing Industry were
won by the employees: By 1912 it was
popularity understood, both in Great
Britain and America, that eight hours
was fair days work. and employers
accepted 1t generally without pres
sure. In 1915 the railway workers
oUldiucu 'tuc odSiC clSnt-nOOr day by
| federal enactment.
Abrogated In Tllinsi..
In 1895 the Illinois supreme court
declared void an eight-hour law for
women on the ground that 1t unduly
limited the freedom Of contract. In
1908 the Oregon ten-hour law for
| women was upheld by the United
States Supreme Court. and in 1915 the
| eight-hour law.
In the United States the National
Labor Union declared for an eight
hour day in 1866. During the period
of SO many strikes. 1S72-1873. eight
! hour leagues" were a prominent fea-
ture Of the labor disturbances of that
time. This principle of limiting the
days work was fiercely fought by the
manufacturers and other employers,
who contended that 1t was a matter
| only to be regulated by employer and
employe, without outside interference,
but organized labor and it's friends
contended that the status OF the sin
gle. unorganized worker was too
weak to enable him to have a voice
| in regulating an agreement with his
employer. It was the first step In
collective bargaining"
An analysis Of the eight-hour day
in America issued by q statistical bu-
reau maintained by certain associa-
tions Of employers makes this COM
parison Of the straight and basic
| eight hour day: Increased rates for
overtime are obviously designed to
discourage employers from resorting
TO IL To this extent, the provision IS