The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-12 00:00:00

THE NINE HOURS' MOVEMENT.

A public meeting of the building trades, in
furtherance or this object, was held last, evening at
St. Martin's Hall—Lord Robert Montague, M.P.,
in the chair. The attendance was very numerous.
The CHAIRMAN, in addressing the meeting, re-
ferred to the importance of the question which had
brought them together. It had survived strong
and protracted opposition, and was not to be decided
by any flippant arguments, but was worthy of
careful and scientific investigation. He was sorry
that the employers had determined not to hear any
reasons that might be brought forward to effect a
settlement of the question, but to remain in their
ice-bound prejudices. The question was two-fold,
but both its features had been confounded by in-
terested persons. The assertion that a cry of nine
hours' work and ten hours' pay had been raised
in this way. The first question was the proper
duration of labour, and the other the amount of
wages. It had been fairly said that a fair day's
wages should be received for a fair day's labour.
Lord Cranworth had stated wages to be the subject
of a fair bargain between employer and employed.
But, he asked, how could there be freedom when
the one party could shut his works and revel in
luxury, while the other must starve ? They asked
their employers what they meant by a free bargain,
and they were informed of their ignorance of prin-
ciples of political economy and the law of supply
and demand. It was fair that they should have
the option of raising the price of their labour, as
well as the manufacturer and capitalist, This was
viewing the question accordtng to the laws of poli-
tical economy, but such was low ground, and labour
was not a marketable commodity. The employers,
beaten out of this argument, inquired, " Cannot we
do with our own as w e like ? Lord Erskine, on being
answered on one occasion with this latter argument,
replied by bringing a cane which he carried in his
hand in contact with the person's back who had ad-
dressed him, and re-echoed the statement. There
was, however, something more than money wanted;
there was a demand for leisure. Labouring
men had social and domestic duties to perform.
With reference to the second part of the question,
the amount of work which a man could perform, he
believed that when the time engaged in going to
work and at meals was taken into account, it would
be found that -working men were 12 hours absent
from their families. (Hear, hear.) He considered
the nine hours movement was quite in accordance
with the age. The Saturday half-holiday and the
early closing movements had been successful. He
believed further, that the long hours of labour had
rendered those mechanics' institutions of which some
time ago so much was heard quite unalailing, and
led people to-frequent publichouses.
Mr. CREMAR moved the first resolution as follows :
" That• we believe our request for a reduction of the
hours of labour, justified by the first principles of
political economy, and that by the increased skill
and rapidity, of manipulation acquired by the work-
men the necessity for the ten hours system has
passed away, the building operatives, in conjunc-
tion with machinery, being enabled to produce suf-
ficient for the requirements of society by labouring
nine hours per day." The speaker adduced extracts
from the works of Adam Smith to refute the state-
ment of Lord St. Leonards recently made in the
House of Lords that the demand for the reduction
of the hours of labour was not in accordance with
the principles of political economy. He further as-
serted that labour was not a marketable commodity,
and ought not to be treated as such.
Mr. PITT, painter, seconded the resolution, and
recommended organisation, after which the resolu-
tion was carried unanimously.
Mr. HOWELL, bricklayer, moved the second re-
solution :—" That this meeting regrets the late re-
fusfd of the master builders to discuss the nine
hours' question with a deputation from the men,
believing such refusal to be inimical to the inte-
rests and position of the employers, and calculated
to engender embittered feelings between themselves
and their workmen at a time when every effort
should be made to render the interests, welfare, and
progress of both identical. Being convinced that
the concession we seek is necessary to the pre-
servation of our physical and the expansion of our
intellectual and moral powers, we pledge ourselves
to press our claim until it has been conceded."
After some lengthy observations, he inquired if those
hearing him were willing to give up their claim of
right, which was responded to by loud and reiterated
cries of " Never !"
Mr. MaGa-rt, plasterer, seconded the resolution,
and expressed the hope that no one present, while
concurring in the nine hours movement, was en-
gaged in worjring overtime.
The resolution was carried unanimously.
Mr. POTTER, in proposing a vote of thanks to the
chairman, intimated that through the latter coming
forward they had gained a large accession of support.
He believed him to be a friend of the working men.
The resolution
was duly carried, and the meeting
gel:witted.