New-York daily tribune., 1845-12-24

straci, then think it very papable that any mas
ter must be gamer, both in the amount OF labor
and manner OF execution, by exactIng rom lhe
workmen he employs rather under than aooVe Tue
average time during which their attention ahu ac
,ivity can be maintained. Among the many prac-
tica us,rarjons of this doctrine few could be more
directly applicable than the following, which re-
gently came under cur notice In Flieshlre, where
the hours Of the plowmen are OF average duration--
namely during daylight IN W inter, and from 10 D.
with breakfast aud mid day interval al other sea
sons-the men, as q class, are active. energetic and
well skilled in their various duties. In activity, we
will back them against any similar class In the
Island and the trial of skill which few years ago
came off between twenty of them and like mum
Der from the Lothians IA prominently Agricultural
district. places them foremost the list at least as
plowmcn In Strathearn and the Carse Of Gowrie
on the other hand where the hours OF labor are no
;oriousy long, the iarnlaborcr seems to be quite the
antiihesis Of his brother in Fife. A farmer in the
latter county, few years ago, engaged TWO OF the
irstrate Carse hands al the highest wages. and
placed them at the general labor of the farm along
with seven native plowmen. In lew weeks the
difference between the imports and the natives be-
came painfully apparent for with every disposition
10 oblige they neither performed so much labor, nor
executed il so well, with much aacrIty as the
latter &" | We had enough OF your Carse men, SAID
the farmer 10 US day and his reason was as near
" as possible in the following words -" They We
90, a wretched system OF long hours in the North :
they work the very spirit out OF their men, and 80 1t
is tha, these have half the SmcdduM (smartness
of our Fife lads They We aeither the same skill
nor activity, and, when push comes. would make
nv foreman work ronnd a couple of them But
you Il find them very willing and obliging? 40
yes, they patterns in that respect and are GER
tainy not so independent in their way as our own
blades; but they want the energy and aptitude and
really DO n give their work the same finish. FOR
one order that have 10 give 10 my own men have
81. 4 hnro ac lprtyn q
at the plow.ta but ! want throughput and so
commend me TO my own men and reasonable hours.
Now these are not the preachmgs OF any oi your
sentimentali,y men, but the plain words OF hard
driving, money making, Scotch farmer, who saw
from this comparison the obvious advantage 10 him
self OF keeping his men on short hours, and oi never
exacting from them more than they could do cheer
fully and well.
The same argument applies 10 every species OF
labor and with double force 10 those empoyments
which require intelligence and care. AS soon as
the body begins 10 tire the spirit droops, the atten-
ton flags and if positive carelessness does not So.
pervene there follows all events q du!lness and
ethargY which any thing but favorable either TO
amount of work or 10 manner of execution. Nor
can there be any remedy for this but rest and re-
pose. 1t is true you may apply artificial stimulants'
bat these oo will shortly fail and their use only
renders the bodily system OF their victim the less
capable of being reInvigorated. These remarks ap-
ply in special manner to indoor labor, where the
long hours abuse is frequently seen notwith.
standing that u restrained position OF body, want OF
fresh air and ventilation should be potent arguments
for n quite the reverse. Nor do we argue
upon mere theory for in this case. as in the other
have fortunately most convincing illustration
al hand. Il is that of large spinning mill, situated
beside country village for the sake 81 water power
and in which the hours Of labor from in the morn
ing ill AT night, deduciing hour FOR breakfast and
another for dinner thus reducing the hours OF actual
work 10 eleven-a space still too long but con.
sideraby shorter than that required in any other OF
the nelghborng factories. In addition 10 this re-
duction, the wheel is stopped at o'clock on We'd
nesdays and at 5 on the Saturdays three halt days
a.year are allowed for Fairs two days for Church
Fasts, two for New y ears Day and Handse Mon
dav and one for the Anniversary of the Mills
erection-an event seemingly OF great local i'm
portance. Now, however small this may seem to
some, it is in reality amount OF freedom and re-
Taxation not enjoyed, tar as we are aware III any
similar establishment. And what, according TO the
owner, has been the result? Not a single spindle
of yarn less, great reduction Of disease, better
executed scork fe,cer accidents Of damage TO the
machinery, a orderly and more obilgtng sci
OF w0rk .people, beside the satisfaction that ne as
contributing some degree TO the happiness OF ms
e0lc creatures. 1t may seem contradictory al hrst
sight, that reduction of hours in such establish
ment should not be followed by dminution OF pro-
duce little reflection. however, will clear away
the dubiety. The last two years wages book shows
the meres trite of absence from i'll health the les
seninc of damage has caused fewer stoppages, and
even greater degree OF speed can be obtained, IN
asmuch as the attention OF the workers Is never re-
laXed by long and tedious confinement. The stop
page on Wednesdays permits the women TO attend
little 10 their domestic concerns, while ii allows
the mill TO be cleaned and the machinery 10 be over
hauled: the advantages of the Saturday afternoons
are too obvious 10 be adverted to.