, 1865-11-02
THE HOURS OF LABOR.


from the Boston Advertiser, s7th-l -
The commissioners appointed under re-
solve OF the last Legislature, to consider the
e1pcdiency Of legislation upon the subject ot
the hours Of labor, held hearing ct the State
the commission, Rcv. William r. Tilden, Of
Boston, presided, and stated IN bis opening
temarks TINT the hearing wonld be occupied
exclusively by statement of facts, any argu-
ment which gentlemen might desire to SUBJ
nit would be heard ut subsequent session.
AIr, Robert Bowers, d dress-tcndcr In one OF
the Lawrence mills, stated that the regular
hours Of work ut Lawrence are eleven per
day, with threc,quartets Of IN hour at noon
for dinner. The rate paid per hour fo1 over
work is abont ten cents III addition to the
regular pay, which Is about seyen dollars q
week. Where great many children arc cr1l-
ployed, about three months ont Of the year
a.c devoted to their schooling: The average
Of tho adults is one-third. In, respect to the
injurious effect Of the long confinement upon
the children, he said that any one who would
70 to the gates Of the mills md look into the
;aces Of these children could sec 1t plainly.
A great portion Of the children employed arc
worked nights. This proportion Of wages Of
the men to that Of the women Is about three
fourths, and the price Of board the same.>
Mr. Bowers then read extracts from letters
received from medical authorities, In which
they state that our factory operatives nro
oyefworkcl, and that the effect upon the f.
male portion is highly Injurious. The intense
ment md loss Of neet1fnl recreation, cause
thousands to 70 down to premature graves
The time gained by the reduction Of the hours
Of labor y III not tend to increase vice and
crime among the operatives, but on the con.
traFy will improve them intellectually and
spiritually. Many under the present system
attend evening schools. The law that pro
bibits employers from working their female
| ndult operatives over ten hours day shona6
! not he made to effect male adults. Tht
usual temperature In the spinning room Is y
degrees in the weaving department It L
| about SO degrees In the woolen room abon
| 90 degrees, and In the dress rooms 1l0 degrees
Mr. Bowers was requested to furnish statistic!
! on the points advanced by him.
| John II. Hooper, Of Medford, shipwrisht
| stated that there were two branches Of work
known to sllfpWrights, viz: construction mt
repairs, or, as they are called, old work ant
new work. For new work the time Is tel
hours dag, from scvcn O'Clock d. m. to 81,
o'clock p. m, with an internal Of ono hou
for dinncr-except when the sun rises attc
seven in the muruing and sets before six q
night, when tho time Is from SIN to sun. Tn
shortest days work between sun and SUI
would be nine hours and seyen minutes Tn
rate Of was four dollars per day. Ol
old work, IN the summer, the days work va
from eight O'Clock q. N. to five o'clock P. N.
with an interval OF twenty minutes IN th
forenoon for lunch, and one hour for dinnel
making the time seven hours and forty miE
utcs. The official time IN tho Navy-yard va
the average time of the private establish
ments In the vicinity. The proportion Of Ii
l,or on old work to tlat on the new work VII
about one third. Shipwnghts on repair
could command fire dollars per day. F.
overwork they receive double pay. The PR
portion of thoee working by the day wi
about threc-fnurths.
Mr.. Elizur Wright, Of the committee, sal
that, 80 far as statistics we're admissible,
was necessary that they should present II
relative proportions Of occupation, Mortalt.
ETC.. In thc yarious localities coneernir
which information might be had.
Mr.. I'm Stewart, from q committee Of Il
, Boston Woskingmen's Assembly, spoke
tie difficulty Of obtaining statistics. and gu
| gcsted that The commissioners recommend 9
, appropriation for the purpose OF obtalnts
; special statements.
: Dr. Bowditch thought that the sub}e
j ! aloull be Investigated by the State IN Il
same manner as the census Is taken, aud n
] by m unpaid commission.
! After eome general discussion upou the be
methods Of obtaining statistics, the comm
! sion adjourned to Monday evening, Oct. So