Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 August 1878 — THE LABOR INVESTIGATION. [ARTICLE]

THE LABOR INVESTIGATION.

The workingmen's representatives we.e on the stand again, on the 3d, and they laid the blame of the depression in business to National and State legislation, the granting of lands to railroad and other corporations and the granting of large interest on bonds. They advanced tne idea that the Government should assist men to settle on the public lands. W. A. A. Carney, who said he was a bricklayer and an editor, declared that, in his opinion, the public-school system was bad. Ihe Government, he claimed, shonld establish schools where mechanical trades and arts would be tanght. He denounced the contract system, under National, State and City Governments and said that under th t system the work wa* of the worst possible construction, and it gave an opportunity to men to griud down the laboring class an J employ Chin- se and others, against wnom American laborers could not compete, because the latter cannot live as the former do. He thought it bad policy for any Government to encourage swai ms of foreigners to drive out the native laLorera. Knowing the temper and needs of the workingmen, he felt certain that, if Congress did not step in at an early day with ameliorating legislation, the coming winter could not pass without trouble, and withnnt a repetition of the labor not* of last summer. A good movement would be the institution of a comprehensive system of internal improvements, and the inflation of the currency to carry on the improvements. George W. Maddox, of the " Congress of Humanity.’’ wanted the Government to “issue $14,000,060,000 or so to New York to build docks and so forth,” and comparatively similar Sums to other cities to be expended in public works. When these works would have made sufficient returns, then let the Government be paid back, and the notes destroyed, as cancelled bonds are, Mrs. Myra Hale, wno announced herself a member of the “ Congress of Humanity of the World,” said the first step necessary to bring back prosperity to the country was to grant suffrage to women. Give women the ballot and everytuing would be lovely and perfect. : James O Donnell, wno announced that he repreaented only “ his sovereign self,” said the nonsense of previous speakers the past two days had pained him. He wanted neither greenbacks nor Communism, nor an eight-hour law, but he did want some satisfactory manner of arbitration between master and man, a restriction of the rights of patentees, and the right to work wherever and whenever he oould get it, and for as many hoars as he chose. Several “labor reformers” were before the Committee on the sth. Among them was one named Robb, who re id a lengthy statement and said no man had a right to give a title for land, for God Bays, “Ye shall not sell the TancT forever.” We have violated tile laws of God, and fraud and perjury prevail everywhere. Maurice Cohen, formerly a manufacturer of silk cloaks, said large manufacturers had crowded him out. and were crowding out all the small dealers, and he requested the Committee to attend to these matters. Mr.. Graham, Secretary of the Workingmen’s Union, held that we do not desire the outlaws of the Old World to come here and upset our Government. He did not intend to denounce capital when honestly accumulated, but he denounced railroad monopolies and the raising of prices of provisions, etc., by stock-jobbing and speculation. Reduce the tariff and stop sectional legislation. Stop railroad jobs and give the country the benefit. Our shipping has been driven off the seas by foreign steamers. He would tax steamers in favor of freight. He believed the large unemployed population in cities ought to be sent to the prairie lands and settled thereon by private enterprise. Yr. Hewitt asxed Mr. Marshall, a large shipowner, to give his views. Mr. Marshall said ne did not want any protection against steamers. He thought the removal of taxes as much as possible consistently with revenue necessities would revive trade, and the abolition of the prohibitory law preventing Americans from buying their vessels abroad would revive the shipping trade. Horatio D. Shepherd, of the National Reform Association, attributed the present depression to mistakes in the currency question—too much inflation and not enough taxation. The President of the Cigar-Makers’ Union spoke of the cause of the depression in the cigar trade only. He said while the number of cigats manufactured steadily increased the condition ,j>f the oigar-makera got worse. The trouble has been caused by the General Government by a system of taxation which throws business into the hands of ~l8ig« manulaeturers. The first cause is the introduction of 3.000 Coolies into the trade in San Francisco, and in New York the tenement-house system caused ruin. The system is a shame and disgrace. The whole family, man, woman and children, work, day and night, from fourteen to eighteen hours, and still only make enough to live, or rather starve, on, and when the cigar-makers struck for wages, the landlords who were the manufacturers turned 1,000 wretched families into the streets. He asked that the tenement-house system be abolished, and that cigars be allowed to be made only in factories. He was not opposed to Chinamen as a rule, hut he was opposed to the importation of Chinese or any other labor under such a system. He was opposed to the importation of ali labor by contract.

Georoe E. McNeill, President of the International Workingmen’s Union, residing in West Somerville, Mass., was the first witness on the 6th. The whole difficulty, in his opinion, is the wages Bystem of labor, or, in other words, that the wage svstem and the steam engine are contemporanei m, and that the productive power has exceeded the power of consumption. He favored sn eight-hour law throughout the country. Mr. Peck, of Danbury, Conn., thought that, instead of lending hundreds of millions of-dollars to bßnks, the Government should lend some few hundred millions free of interest to the workingmen. He read a long petition to Congress asking the Wiivetnmrnt to loan any man *5.0(10 tos build a house with, the amount to be paid back by installments. One witness was in favor of abolishing the United States Senate, restricting the powen of Congress and the Preside.it, issuing *OB per capita, curtailing hours of labor to six, and allowing no one outside the ljabor Bureau to employ labo rera. Another believed the cause of the depression was the war, the over-issue of currency, extravagance caused by the short period of inflation, and a high protective tariff, all of which, ought t" be remedied. A third witness advocated bnilding homes in the Weet for the unemployed. A fourth said machinery was the curse of labor, and should be crashed out; he would also demonetize gold. and silver. A fifth said the present destitution was altogether due to rum-guzzling and beer-swilling i abolish all traffic in liquor and beer, and prosperity would return. . , Henry D. Rothschild, clothing manufacturer, thoug.it the business still profitable, bnc percentages lower. He believed in ten hours per . day for laborers and workingmen generally, the eight-hour system was the cause of dissipation. He would not give a laborer time even for urn use ment. The introduction of machinery increased employment If the, wuraingman saved his wages when work was plenty and prices high, he would not now suffer from want. Mr. Rothschild’s remarks were received with hisses and cnes of “ Get oat." qUESTIONS TO THE PUBLIC. Mr. Hewitt real the following questions, which the Committee submit to the public: The Congressional Committee earnestly requests the co-oper ition of the pn'>lic in all sections of the oouutry in obtaining information to aid»the pramieat solution of the important question submitted to it, it especially invites suggestions from representative men in all dt-j-ar tine lit* of business. It proposes the following questions to employers of labor throughout the country: 1. What were the selling prices of your prod■ctsin lfcfio, and in each subsequent year down to 1878. inclusive? - 2. ‘Vliat were the wages paid By yon in each of these yuars for labor employed? ,8. Wlitre the pers ins furnishing information are wilting to do so, the Committee invitee them

to state Um percentage of profit made by them in (A*cb of theae yean upon the capital employed in their boiinm. 4. Wiiat were the wholesale and retail prices of the leading articles of lanuly consumption during caiju of three years in your vicinity t 6. \v hat is the diff-rertoa. if any between the rente of tenement* occupied by operatives tn the yean lit# and 1878 in jour viotnuy? & What was the cuiparative amount of th< product* of your hustne-e in quantity and value in the years 1860 and 1878? 7. State tue comparative stoadtnesa of the employment of operatives between the yean 1860 •um 1878, inclusive. The Committee invites suggestions from eia plovers and employ'd a* to the extent and oanaes of the present depression of bosinees. and as to any special Federal legislation which, in its opinion, would tend to relieve ihc same. Tue Committee will hold their next seaaion in the New York Postoffice, Aug. 20. The Committee then adjourned until th* date above mentioned.