ASSIGNMENT OF WAGES. SEC. 1247. No assignment of future earnings shall be valid against an attaching creditor of the assignor unless made to secure a bona fide debt due at the date of such assignment, the amount of which shall be stated therein as nearly as the same can be ascer tained, nor unless the term for which such earnings are assigned, shall be definitely limited, in the assignment; nor unless such assignment shall be recorded before such attachment in the town clerk's office in the town where the assignor resides, or, if he resides without the State, in the town where the employer resides, and a copy thereof left with the employer from whom the wages are to become due. PART III. PAPERS ON DISCONTENT AMONG THE LABORING CLASSES. The five papers which make up Part III of this report, were prepared at the request of the Commissioner. This request was made because it seemed of the greatest importance that the opinions of various classes on this subject of absorbing public interest should be generally known, and because the Commissioner's investigations have made it evident to him that the views expressed in the second, third, and fourth papers of the series are held by a large and increasing number of our people. A letter, similar to the following, was addressed to each of the gentlemen who prepared the papers: HARTFORD, CONN., Nov. 1, 1887. DEAR SIR-I am desirous of publishing as complete a statement as possible of the way in which the labor question is regarded by the different classes of our laboring people, as well as employers; and have invited several gentlemen to write papers- each from the standpoint of the class he represents on the following topic, viz. Discontent among the laboring people; Its extent; Its cause; Its remedies. What legislation would you suggest? I shall be glad to have you write a paper on the same topic, treating it as a whole, to be printed in our report. I think these papers will be instructive, showing much that ought to be generally known, but which seems to be very imperfectly understood. We want the views of yourself, and the class for whom you speak, freely expressed. Truly yours, SAMUEL M. HOTCHKISS. The first gentleman speaks from the standpoint of a capitalist and manufacturer; the second from that of a Knight of Labor; the third from that of the Land and Labor Party; the fourth from that of the more radical Socialistic Party; and the fifth from the conservative standpoint of a professional man. These gentlemen are thoroughly fitted for this work by their position, their relation to the classes they represent, and by their knowledge of the subject. Perfect freedom of expression was accorded to, and exercised by each. It is not to be assumed that all laboring people hold the opinions expressed in the second, third, and fourth papers, nor that all capitalists, employers, and professional men would express themselves in the words of the other two papers. But it is believed that these five gentlemen fairly express the opinions held by the people of our State. It will be observed that in one of the papers, much space is given to a consideration of the currency question. The opinions of the writer on this subject are entertained by our intelligent workingmen to a much wider extent than is generally believed. This question occupies a prominent place in the statement of principles of nearly all of the labor organizations. (See statement of principles, Part IV of this report.) Opinions are as certainly facts, as are wages or profits. When held by any considerable number of our citizens, they become mighty factors in our government. It is believed they will prove as valuable at this time as statistical tables. We may not be able to agree with these opinions, but much may be gained by knowing what they are. There may always be cause for wide disagreement between large and influential classes of our citizens, but there is no good reason why these classes should misunderstand each other. PAPER I. This paper is from a gentleman who is a capitalist, a bank president, and president of one of the largest manufacturing corporations in the State. He has always taken an active interest in everything relating to social and industrial progress in the State. He may be considered to fairly represent the views of a large proportion of our capitalists and employers. He preferred that what he had to say should be |