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THE PUBLIC FORUM
THE 8-HOUR LAW. Since the 8
hour law was passed by congress
many writers for the kept press are
criticizing the president, senate, con
gress and the four brotherhoods for
their -action. These writers are
either making profits off the work
ers and therefore want long hours
for them or they are ignorant of the
possibility of an 8-hour day and the
organized movement to attain it
One of these writers had a very sar
castic article in Sunday morning's
Tribune, in which he wound up with
the sentence:
"Let us have a 4-hour law for
everybody."
As sarcastic as he meant this ar
ticle if he had stopped one minute
to figure he would have seen in one
minute that a 4-h6ur day or even a
3-hour workday is a possibility and
can be attained by the workers
through political action, if they will.
only vote for the party that stands
for public ownership and operation
of our industries. Taking, for in
stance, the financial statement of
the Ford Motor Co. (I take my hat
off to Mr. Ford as the most human
' and greatest financier of this coun
try). Having 49,870 employes, of
whomJ56,826 get $5 or more per day
of 8 Hours, the company made a
, profit of $59,994,118 for the year
ending July 31, 1916. "
Dividing this profit by the 49.870J
employes shows a profit of 1,203.01
on each employe for the year, even
by paying the highest wages and
meeting the strongest competition.
Allowing 300 workdays per year at
$5 per day is a salary of $1,500 per
year. Dividing this $1,500 per year
into the $59,994,118 profit shows
that the profit would employ 39,329
more men at $5 per day or $1,500
per year. If the government owned
and operated the Ford Motor Co. it
could increase the salary of every
employe $1,203.01 per year or it J
.could employ 39,239 more men at 1
$1,500 per year' and reduce the hours
of the employes.
49,870 employes working "8' hours
per day makes a total of 398,960
hours per day. Add to the 49,870
employes the 39,329 employes hired
from the profit makes a total of 89,--199
employes. Now divide between .
them the 389,960 hours of work per
day" and it will average 4 hours per
day at $5 per day.
Another instance is the Pullman
Co., which cleared $12,000,000 over
all expenses last year. The average
was about 5,000 employes per, year.
5,000 employes working 10 hours per
day makes 50,000 hours per day.
$12,000,000 profit will hire 12,000
men at $1,000 per year for one yearl
5,000 workers plus the 12,000 hired
from the profits makes 17,000 em
ployes. 50,000 hours of work di
vided between 17,000 workers makes
a scani 3 hours per day, $1,000 per
year. A further reduction of hours is
possible by taking off your back
many nonproducers. E. W. Schneid
er, 11941 Wallace st
WHAT IS COMMON LABOR
AND WHY? Discussion of ques
tions, social, economic and political,
in current literature disclose a pecu
liar twist in the minds of the people's
instructors. The uncommon laborer
who shovels editorials into the Trib
une machirie remarks that "common
labor never before commanded su.
good wages."' It is, therefore, per
tinent to inquire what is common
labpr and why common? Also how
did it get where it could command .
any wages at all?
Is it the bodily exertion that is so
common that it is to be despised and
avoided wherever .possible? The
tone of the discussion 'indicates an
attitude of mind, that is PharisaicaL
This attitude looks down from its im
aginary height upon this common
labor, concedes its existence and the
necessity of its having wages, but it
ignores the fact that upon the basis
of this despised thing rests the whole 3
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