Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-03-09
THE EIGHT HOUR LABOR SYSTEM
Report Of q Massachusetts Commission
- Children in the Factories Reasons
against the Eight Hour Nystem.
From the Boston Traveler.I

/ Report Of q Massachusetts Commission
Children in the Factories Reasons
-AgaiHst the Eight Hour Nystem.
/ From the Boston Trayelerl
/ The Commission appointed by Gov.
J Andrew, in accordance with a resolve Of
/ the last Legislature, 10 collect iniorma-
I ton and statistics i'm regard TO the hours
/ Of labor and the condition and prospects
| of the industrial classes, have made their
/ report:
CHILDREN IN FACTORIES.
The Commissioners speak in terms of
reprobatiOn Of the continuous employ
mentof children in factories, and showthe
extent 10 which this sad and terribly de-
structive abuse of responsibility is carried.
The half time system Is recommended
school half the day and labor the other
half-as calculated, by a fair division, 10
benefit both body and mind. Employers
rolling in wealth, and corpOratOrs whose
richly clad wives would shudder if they
knew it, send out agents and ill their
mills with scores Of little children, some
as young as seven years.
The Commissioners suggest that q suit
able person or persons be appointed by
the Governor and clothed with full
power Of inspection, whose duty shall
be to see that the laws concerning this
subject be faithfully obeyed, and TO bring
suits when they are violated. Such Off 1
GERS should report annually to the Legis- |
lature the condition and wants Of that /
class of children TO which the law refers. |
EIGHT HOUR LAW.
The Commissioners speaking Of wit |
uesses before them on This subject, say
that those in favor Of a reduction Of
hours were not all agreed a. to the wis
3lm Of an eight hour law. Some thought (
that the change from eleven hours 10 /
eight hours was too great, and that fac
tory operatives should be content with a
change from eleven to ten. There was a
difference Of opinion, also, in regard TO
the nature Of the proposed law. Some
JI the wOrkingmen advocated a pTohihi-
tory statute, making ID penal 10 work
more than eight hours.
The Commission, after making this
20 into an argument against
the latter point, which appears Uuneces-
SaTy, as "the great majority growing at
last to great degree Of unanimity, ask
only that eight hours should be regarded
As legal day in the absence of a special |
contract"
The Commission think the latter point
must destroy the effect intended, as the
mills would still run audspecial contracts
De made to cover ten and eleven hour , .
and the law would be more than useless.
But the radical objection 70 making
'ight hours or any other number of hours
, legal days work, is that such a law, l
living one measure Of time for all .
ranches of labor, would be unequal i'm
Is action. There are some emplOyments :
It which men may work ten, or even :
Welve hours, with less wear and 1
ear than they could work six at others I
The severity or lightness Of lab Dor, the
'iOlence of exertiOn. as in welding the 2
ledge hammer, lifting stone. or on the
ther hand, tailoring, shOemaking, en-
raviug, etc; the persistence or vaTia-
leness Of the exertiOns, emPl0yments g
hat require the exercise of one set Of
muscles only, these should make differ L
nee in the hours of labor.
The Commission are opposed 10 the =.
doption Of an eight hour law il
l. Because they deem It unsound I'm
rinciple to apply one measure Of time to
u kinds of labor. 2
?. Because, if adopted rs a general !
IVY, in the way proposed, il would be
sndered void by special contracts, and
, add another to the dead laws that
lumber the statutes.
3. Because a very large proportion Of L
le industrial interests Of the country
Jitld not observe il.
4. Because if restricted, as some pro-
ose, TO the employees Of the State, it
ould be manifestly partial, and there A
re unjust. 4
The Commissioners then present their II
yn views on the relation of capital 10 O..
Dor the province Of law, the law Of 10
-rrrg- la arnr,1..-r,,.ur -f uns.E+,1 ] Il
her matters having Indirect reference ~,
the question at issue, and they say s
iey believe that the change desired can n
2 better brought about by wOrkiugmen | ~
Inside the State House, than by legisla-
rs inside. The reduction from the old g
ng hour custom, 10 eleven in factories
ld ten in mechanical employments, has I
zen made in our own State without leg =
latiye aid. They believe all needful
langes can best be made in the same
ay. The eight hour rule is already
iopted, 20 some extent, and seems to be III
inning favor.
Let the great body Of workingnen
rove, by temperate and industrious hab- 3
:, by ambition in work and in work
anship, by the practice Of that economy Fl
lat will help them 20 become their own pc
lpitalists, by yco-operativelabo securing
his work, by associations for mutual
pod as well as mutual gain-let them
-ove thus, by logic, that no sophistry
IN refute or evade, that workingmen u
e bent on elevating labor by the eleva- q
on Of themselves, and the ride spread
.SfTJiSt Of the proper use Of leisure hours u
i'll speedily disal pear.
I'm concluding their report the Com
issioners make the following recon- :,
endations:
!. That a change be made in the stat
Is concerning the schooling and work ~
children in manufacturing districts, 81
to give them twice the amount OF
ho0ling now required, or by adopting "a
full what Is known a. the "half-ume
STEM fo'
>. That an inspector, or inspectors, be ~.
,ponited 10 attend 10 the enforcement =
the laws, and also, to look after the =
lildreu put TO apprenticeship, or other Z
ise bound to service by the State, to see
at they are properly cared for accord
2 TO the terms Of indentuTes.
3. That provision be made for the an II
nal collection OF reliable statistics in re-
rd to the condition, prospects and wants
the industrial classes.