The manufacturers returned at 3:40 and the workers' proposition was read and agreed to.

Note.

In harmony with the action of the Rochester convention on the four-hour proposition submitted in a number of departments, we awaited what we believed to be the most opportune time to present the same and supported the proposition with the best arguments that we could produce, consequently, when we reached the four-hour proposition, No. 18 in the Press Ware department, we submitted the resolution as adopted by the convention.

The aguments presented in other departments, particularly the Cutting department, seemed to convince the employers that it was our intention to contest for the adoption of our proposition, and they took a very pronounced position against that which they termed to be a “radical change.”

After heated argument on the subject they presented a counter-proposition which provided that:

"Four and one-quarter hours to constitute a turn's work, beginning the first Monday in January and continue until July, 1916, with the understanding that,

"The Electric Bulb department work on an unlimited turn work basis.

"The Chimney department work on an unlimited piece work basis.

"That the pressers on gas and electric shades and electric reflectors work unlimited piece work.

"All stem ware in the Punch Tumbler and Stem Ware department be worked on an unlimited piece work basis.

"The Shade and Globe department work unlimited piece work on all straight colors.

"Then, beginning with the scale of wages of 1916, the hours of labor shall be eight hours per day.

"Fifty hours shall constitute a week's work in the Cutting department, beginning January 1, 1915.

"This settlement to remain in force until July, 1916, and it shall be optional with the management to work three shifts and fix their starting time."

In support of their proposition they declared that departments now working the unlimited system do not work four hours a turn or eight hours a day, that if we were conscientiously advocating the eight-hour-a-day proposition we should arrange our affairs so the men would have an opportunity of working eight hours a day.

They cited cases where the men in some of our unlimited system departments had made a turn's work in one hour and 15 minutes, other men had made a turn's work in one hour and 45 minutes, and other cases up to four hours were mentioned. They stated it was absolutely unfair for us to present a proposition of this kind when our men will not work four hours for a turn's work or eight hours a day, and that they do make their day's work in much less than eight hours and let glass stand in the furnace, burn the fuel in the glory holes and lehrs and cause other unnecessary expense.

They further asserted that business conditions have been bad and the outlook is poor, prices on glass are extremely low and they are doing their best to get higher prices.

It was asserted that at one plant they employed 160 boys, whose wages they were obliged to raise from $1.00 a day to $1.50, an equivalent of $80.00 a day, $400.00 a week, $20,000.00 a year, due to the child labor laws passed in the state of Ohio. In addition to this, the abolition of the Sunday night turn last year imposed a hardship on them. This employer appealed to our Organization to give them a chance to get their breath and not break their back with burdens of this kind.

Another manufacturer declared that when we talk of other trades working eight hours a day we failed to mention that those men worked eight hours a day and six days a week, and most of them worked longer than eight hours a day and six days a week, and that our argument for eight hours a day five and ore-half days a week is beyond all reason. He asserted that the adoption of such a proposition would mean 11 turns a week on day work, or 44 hours on day, and 10 turns a week on night work, or 40 hours, an average of 42 hours a week, which they considered totally unjustifiable.

After considerable time spent arguing pro and con, the manufacturers' amendment to our proposition was rejected and the manufacturers likewise rejected our proposition.

We realized that it would be impossible for us to secure. the adoption of the proposition as submitted and we finally concluded to modify the proposition to this extent:

"That four and one-quarter hours shall constitute a turn's work in the glass working departments now working the unlimited system, except the Machine department, this to become effective January 1, 1915, and 50 hours to constitute a week's work in the Cutting department, this to become effective October 1, 1914, with the understanding that the 50 hours can be worked on 50 hours' pay."

We presented this proposition with the idea of procuring the very best obtainable for our members.

We believe this proposition should meet with the approval of our entire organization because all the departments now working the limited system have the privilege of making their turn's work in four hours and the overwhelming majority of the members working the limited system can produce their day's work in eight hours, consequently insofar as the eight hours a day is concerned, our members now practically have the eight-hour a day where the limited system prevails.

In the Machine department we succeeded in having the manufacturers adopt a proposition to abolish the Saturday afternoon work, which was a great concession, and we are sure the members of this department fully appreciate it.

In the Cutting department the men were obliged to work 55 hours for a week's work and about 95 per cent of the work done in this department is produced on a strictly piece-work basis and at a very rapid pace. In this department we made an exception, to the effect that the agreement shall become effective on October 1, 1914, because we realize that the employers' representatives at the conference agreeing to this proposition would do so in good faith and observe the same; but, a large number of cutting shops, independent of glass factories, who were not represented at the conference would not willingly comply, consequently, we may be obliged to assume the risk of forcing the new rule.

Our members clearly understand that if we allow this matter to rest until January, a time when the holiday season is over and cut glass conditions are dull, as they generally are, it would be a very bad time for us to attempt to enforce a radical change of this kind, whereas on October 1 the cut glass business is in its busiest period and the employers are rushed for holiday trade and they could not very well afford to become involved in a serious conflict with us. We placed this matter plainly before the manufacturers in order that they could understand our position and co-operate with our efforts towards improving conditions in the Cutting department. It seems as though they realized the logic of our argument.

After considerable persuasion on our part, the employers asked that we adjourn until 2 o'clock the following afternoon. We thought this rather strange, and we requested that they caucus the remainder of the day and meet us on Thursday morning for the purpose of settling disputes. They consented to this.

During the recess we learned that the employers had held a meeting and unanimously decided to resist our demands. They had wired the absentees of their association to send representatives to Atlantic City immediately to co-operate with their efforts. We also learned that telegrams received from their absentees guaranteed them that they would abide by the decision of the employers in their attempt to resist our demands even to the point of closing their plants, if necessary.

We reassembled on Thursday afternoon and the debate did not proceed very far until we understood their position, as one of the prominent manufacturers declared in his address that:

"We are getting tired of your ultimatums. You have come here year after year with ultimatums and we have conceded."

He referred to the pot-setting agreement, the abolition of the Sunday night work and other demands made upon them. He asserted that "conditions in the glass trade were such that it seemed absolutely imperative for them to assume a decided position," and that there was red blood flowing in their veins the same as in ours; if we wanted to fight they were ready to give it to us, as the time was not ripe for such a change, insofar as their business was concerned.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation and the danger confronting us, we concluded to resort to diplomatic tactics.

We informed the manufacturers that it was not our intention to be the aggressors in this fight, and if the employers had prepared themselves and were ready for a conflict, we were ready to meet them, but instead of “issuing an ultimatum," as they termed it, we would issue a notice to our trade that on and after October 1 no member of this Association working in the unlimited system department should work longer than four and one-fourth hours for a turn, and that when they had worked four and one-fourth hours they must cease work and report for work at the next regular starting time; that we would further notify our members working in the glass working departments that those men should not report for work earlier than one-half hour before the regular starting time, that if any employer wished to take issue with our position and lock out our members for failure to work four and one-half hours, we would contest the question with them. But we appealed to them not to force us into this position as we did not wish to act arbitrarily in the matter and we much preferred to have this change adopted by mutual consent.

Another long and passionate discussion ensued, threats

and counter-threats were made, criminations and recriminations were indulged in, the manufacturers again held a long caucus and finally agreed to accept our proposition.

In connection with the four-hour proposition we desire to impress upon the minds of our members that there were several employers represented at that meeting who were in favor of that proposition, provided we allowed them three shifts. Mr. Kauffeld, of the Star Glass Co., Star City, and connected with the Athens Glass Co., of Morgantown, W. Va., stated that if we would allow them three shifts at the Athens Glass Co. they would agree to the eight-hour system and would take 15 punch tumbler shops off our Columbus relief roll and place them at work in Morgantown immediately. Mr. Collins, of the Hocking Glass Co., asserted that he would agree to the eight-hour proposition, provided, we allowed them three shifts, and he would hire our idle men to work their machine press and other departments, taking the position that the men could work seven and one-half hours for a day's work and have a half hour for lunch.

We do not wish the three-shift system in the flint glass trade, because the employers who wish the three-shift system would not be satisfied with that any more than some of the bottle manufacturers who had three shifts, then moved to a four-shift system of six hours continuous work.

In addition to that, the members of our Organization are not securing steady work at the present time, and if we adopted the eight-hour-a-day basis and the employer insisted on three shifts, we would produce more glass workers, more glassware and, instead of working steady, we would have a large army of members irregularly employed, with all the dissatisfaction that accompanies a condition of this kind.

When voting on this important proposition you should bear in mind that out of an estimated total of 20,000,000 toilers, only 523,652 people are employed on an eight-hour basis, or about one-fortieth of the toilers of our land, and about one-fourth of the organized forces of our country, and you must also remember that nearly all of those working an eight-hour-a-day basis are engaged on a basis of eight hours a day and six days each week-a very significant point to keep in mind when reflecting on the grave danger attached to a general strike to secure the adoption of such a change.

If our members will only realize the condition of our trade and the fact that one year ago we abolished Sunday night turn in all factories where it was observed and this year we abolished the Saturday afternoon work in the Machine