| Show smelling smelting Sm elting and wages SALT satt laub LAKE CITY june 26 1980 editors deseret news JN aws asa As a word to the wise is sufficient sincerely do I 1 hope it will be so in this instance for the sake of those for whom it is written namely those in utah who are so unfortunate as to be obliged to earn their bread by working at one of the worst of all employments for health namely smelting smelling sm elting the cause of this communication is the fact that a short time since the employers of one of these establishments increased the number of working hours from eight to twelve without increasing the remuneration and this tilis not because the financial prosperity of the institution demanded it for I 1 learn from good authority a good paying business was being done but to squeeze a little more life out of those who lose enough by having to work at such an employment to earn not large but very moderate wages even were vere the employment regular which is not the case I 1 am aware that those interested in the monopoly of gods gift to man life will argue that oft times timea these works do not pay aid and that to make them do so it is necessary to reduce expenses by either increasing the number of hours or reducing the wages to make the toiler stand the less let juet us look at this fact and see how much justice there is in it allow that a sum of money is invested by an individual or company and men are engaged to work what is termed eight hour shifts a length of time that any person who h with the employment knows is all that any in man an should work per day is all that any man should work per day at a certain rate of wages are they not expected to perform their duty faithfully and expect no more than their wages even though the tile result of their work should yield Immen immense sr sums to their employers but by and by the result of operations is not so successful the tle employed still havethe same work to perform but as capital is so much more valuable than human life they conclude that they who had little before shall have still less by making them work one half longer for the same or at best a very small sum above their previous wages it is a fact that mine and smelter owners and cants frequently pursue this course first to lengthen the hours of labor and then after this has lias succeeded to reduce the rate rote of wages generally by twenty five cents per day and thus gla gia gradually dually but surely impoverish the worker or in other words muzzling the ox who treads the corn in one instance at a smelter the hours were increased by one half and the wages by one quarter and that while a good paying business was waa being done plainly showing that regardless of all justice despoil was their object and even allow that a mine or a smelter were being run ran at a lose of capital for a time which is right that those who have capital to invest in these enterprises and whose families can have every comfort life affords should sink a few or even many dol lars ills or that those who do the actual to toil toll and d whose families can equally appreciate the comforts of life ilfe should be made to pay for these losses often occasioned through mismanagement but under any circumstances expected to perform their part faithfully I 1 leave for honest men to answer hoping the spirit and purpose of this com communication will be supported by those to whom it is addressed I 1 ain am respectfully A lover LOVEK OP MY FELLOWMEN ST GEORGE june in lct 1880 editors editor deseret news last evening we had the pleasure of attending a very nice sunday school entertainment presented by the fourth ward sunday school of this city having Z the privilege flege of a standing seat perhaps I 1 did not appreciate it so much as though I 1 had been comfor comfortably ta bly bis s seat ea t ed although it was very successful and well presented and reflected much credit upon the worthy superintendent in thomas cottam andnis and his assistants and their school many in noticing this tills may be led to inquire ul re is the fourth ward of st ceorge george so far ahead of uli uil all ill the rest that they do not bear mentioning no we consider the third ward of this city with all due respect to our own ward with our young brother don 0 bobbins as superintendent demands the tile credit to a certain extent as lie and liis ills school led out very successfully and set the example followed follow ed by the first fl rs ward with brother pickett as superintendent then followed by the tile fourth ward all did splendid and we cannot say which ward is is ahead As for our stake superintendent M P romney is much beloved by the superintendents of the various wards who do not know of any person who can nil fill the position more successfully his first assistant we tro lre are ire sorry to say wo we never see out although lie is sustained regularly at our corl ecil conference ference we are not prepared to say what for as we have llave never seen him in a sabbath school second assistant A it whitehead is very attentive and stands shoulder to shoulder with brother JR omney we believe th the e schools of st george are all in a good lively condition very respectfully a well wisher to the young E ar L al |
