A LABOR PLATFORM

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2218, 5 September 1889, Page 2

A LABOR PLATFORM

The latest development of the labor quopt'on cornea of course from the United titetea. A ayndloaco of newspapers published la the Western States made an cflfar to the Trades' Assembly of Ohicago to send fifty picked wotkmen to the P*rls Exhibition, and to pt»y »ll neoeeaary expanses. The objeoc of the nowapapera was that the workmen should examine and report upon the various meohanloal orts from the utaodpoint of working men, and examine and explain the methods m whioh foreign manufacturers excel American manufacturers m cheapness and perfeotion of product. The Trades' Assembly refused tho offer en the ground that they do not npprova of increasing the productive power of workers, as that tends to their direct Impoverishment ; that the object of the Assembly is t j aecare » more equable division among the workers of the enormous wealth whioh tbey dally create. For this purpoae they seek by all lawfnl means the abolition of ohild labor, compulsory edrjostion, equalisation of woman.*! pay with that of man's ; the protection of the health and lives of workers, and the reduction of labor to eight hours a day. They say that as tbey have never beard of a newspaper syndicate organised to aid them m that laudable aim, it is too gre*t a strain upon tbeir oredulity to believe that that this one Is piompted by philanthrop'o motivet. Tbey suggested that the newspapers should pay the expenses of a delegation to attend the sittings of the Working Men's Congress m Parti, bat the newspaper proprietors didn't quite sea It.