Year: 1874

universal rule FOR a days werk and the masters are
ready sustain bosses In other trades In Efforts OK
tend that rule


THE EXPRESSIONS OF TRADES UNIONS.


the way of the resolution OF the bosses to make ten
hours the regular days work most serious obstacle is
the enforcement Of the eghthour system upon Govern
ment and city work To that obstacle the traces
aim TO influence Congress and the Assembly The evils
OF the eicht-hour rule, say the bosses, and OF the
methods by which the labor organizations enforce IL,
together with their many oppressive regulations, are
manifold. Employers clam that there no truth IN tne
assertion OF the advocates OF the elght-hour system,
that a fair days work is done I'm eight hours MANY oi
the declare that their do not do in eight
hours nearly fOuriiths the work which was formerly
done in ten hours Time IL lost in getting to Work ana
there decrease Of activity as the time to cease labor
approaches. Among painters the time consumed after
ng the shop preparing for work and in reach
ing the place whero they are 10 work, often cuts
able hours. The rigid enforcement of the society
EMPLOYERS. a direct encouragement TO idleness
When the society rules carried out the digent
stuoes how little no shall do and still escape discharge
BY society rule man be discharged for incom-
potency 9y an employer provided ne does WON wGrk
enoqsh to reach the society standard, or1, whic9
work which an active, skilled workman can
fairly do. DISCHARGED men have often trumped
up preteXts for exciting strike AGAINST the obnoxious
employer have succeeded. One of the regulations
Of the pasterers society and Of other unions,
that employers shall be obliged TO for the time
they strike Although attempts to enforce this rule
have been raTeprobaOy account of the large number
OF superiuOus IN the ciy-it has been used as a
means of intimidation In several societies beside the
influence for idleness which the putting all the work
men on level and restricting the power OF the EN-
pOver establish there are express rules TO discourage
diligence I'm the plasterers unon in the union OF brown
been fined heavily because they have been complained
by their fellows for obstructing them The stone
cutters have fixed limit Tor days work, wncn no
iourneyman exceed without the risk OF fine Inc
derrickmen have lad down rules when require Ger
tain number TO each DERRICK often larger num-
her than necessary and which restrain the men IRON
nnd1e haste in working derricRs Among hod-carrers
| otI h-tel "A
tended prevent the too rapid Accomplishment OF u
niece OF work 1t is forbidden wbeelbarroWs to
carry bricks from the pie the foot Of the ladders
Strikes were ordered in the of several employers
last sumner because TINS RUE was broken;
hOd and forbidden 10 put more than 10 Dicks III
way the number OF bricks raised machinery
is used Ii may often be DOced that in laying bricks
men delay and lOtcr in their task because they may
not venture to finish ter part aoe the corresponding
part il finished by their fellows, who, II they were out


nnnj youId have the light TO complain to their union


These oppre regulations have not been rigdy ap
piled this year. because or the comparative weakness OF


h e rifles which the societies tried to
establish combining employers to three or Our apren'


night be- have not been generally enforced Of late The
object to limit the supply OF labor has been most nearly
attained by the brownstOne cutters whose power
Their employers has been almost unchecked Some
bosses in other trades complain that the sociees maze
the apprentice responsible to them IN place OF ms
parents. and bid him bring TO Them any complaint


An obnoxious regulation which is upon the hooks OF
some societies which applied it IN past seasons, il
the appointment OF a weekly fortnightly payday.
the threat that the employer for any reason fails
10 pay what is due that day, strike is 10 begin
Immediately on occasion an employer failed acci-
denay to get his Saturday supply OF money from the
bank to pay his He promised them they should
get their wages the moment he could get the money


from the bank on Monday, at the same tine Oheng 10
share with any who in immediate necessity all tho
money he had in hand. The men were paid of at the
earliest moment possible on Monday morning. but they
would not bit OF work till afternoon, having pro-
claimed strike, although all renamed at the yaTa
Nevertheless they forced the employer 10 pay them
full day pay.


bitter complaint OF restricted activity among thelr
ourDcymen, or of oppressive society regulations But
there is plainly great chafing under the general
vicOusness OF the tradesunOn system IN degrading tne
best wOrkmen the level OF the worst IN wages and In
denying the liberty of the employed to Work for such
wages as sufficient 10 them, and of the employer
to discharge the unsuitable men, Before the Violations
of the society had become general on account OF
the duilness Of trade there was considerable stedly
employment Of society at less than society rates
IN all the building trades. Wnen such nracton OF their
rules was discovered the ptnaip was 0.teI eu
forced by the stronger societeS-was hne upon DOth
master and man. together Win sort OF proscrpoD OF
the latter, which broke up all pleasant Relations WIN
| his comrades. -
woIknen IN nearly an Tue trdCeS are ItcVncISu u d
turn the tenhOur plan The President OF the LABOR
ers Union tAe laFst IaDor in nq m eiy, & rs
quoted rs SAVING that great many IaDorers are IN aVor
of ten hours WORK. with an increase OF pay NnGn en-


eoson95e and violent element Controls the Union and
will consent 10 compromise. Oncefs OF ieadlne
wOringmcn's societies. when questioned DIV TRIBUNE
reporter appeared reluctant to state definitely what
the course of the societies viii be If the employers re.





that the iourneymen would yield without deter
mined contest As most OF these societies have large


funds I'm their treasures reserved for strikes. they
hold out considerable time notwithstanding so many
men are idle. These officers defend the eighhou
system, because, they say, 1t gives the wOrkmen
| needed time for reading and sefimprOyement Tney
| assert that the attendance of jOurneymen at the
| plght-schOols has considerably increased since
tLe eght-hour system established They claim, TOO,
that in most of the building trades cannot work
more than eight hours per day throughout the year
without injury 10 his health without such frequent
exhaustion as VIII prevent him doing more work in ten
| hours than in eight They argue that a wOrkngman
does fair days work in eight hours and Is entitled TO
fbe remainder of his rest recreation, and the
'se of means Of Some of them put forward
the singular claim that the services Of workDgmen in
the warwhere they say many OF the men who now
object eight hours not fOund-entie that class
TO exemption from anything like excessive toll Employ
ers the other hand, claim that III no one OF the build


ing trades except perhaps pastering and stOnecuttnR
Oyer-fs gue caused by faithful labor Tor ten hours
while under the present plan OF hafhedrted work ana
care not TO exceed society limitations, more than
ten hours would do harm IN any trade Especial ease
and Of fatigue are claimed or carpentry as now