Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-03-16
Hours of LabOr-l'heir Influence
Upon Industry and the Profits OF
Working People.

The SIN yesterday manifested its Pc
culiar traits by couple Of bitter and
venomous articles against the working,
men In the first place it said editori-
ally
Many absurdities have been PROFOUND
ed by people who have represented, or
assumed to represent the laboring class
es; among which none have been more
ridiculous than memorial from the
Eight Hour League of Boston, which
argues that a reduction of the hours of
labor would increase wages-a line Of
argument which would lead to the con-
clusion that if people generally should
work but one hour day, they would
earn more, and the country be more
prosperous, than if they worked eight.
The eight.hour movement will not be
likely to gain strength if committed to
the care of such injudicious leaders.
The objections of the Sun are based
upon fallacies which have been repeat
eddy exploded both in this country and
in England. When the ten-hour move
ment was iuaugurated Il generation ago.
it encountered Just such arguments as
are here advanced. In England the
opposition was very strong, and was
headed by the late Mr.. Golden, old Sir
Robert Peel, father Of the famous states
man, Mr.. John Bright, aud other capt.
alists. They insisted that the limitation
of the hours of labor would ruin Eng
fish industry. Capital would be forced
to 90 to foreign countries where labor
would not be trammeled, aud the work
men would either he thrown out of en-
ploymont Or would receive only half
wages.
Not one of these forebodings were re
allied. England not only adopted the
Ten hour system, but is gradually slid
ing into the Eight-hour system. d.
Quoting the Saturday halfhoiday, which
is general in that country, English me-
chanics now average only fIty.two OF
lifty-three hours work week, or abou
eight and half hours,,a day. Yet Eng
land copinues the workshop Of the
world, aud wages is now from 20 to 4(
per cent. higher than when men, women
and children were worked fourteen hour!
a day, or eighty-tour hours q week, as
in the New England cotton factories al
the present day.
Two years ago at a workingmen''
meeting in Manchester, john Bright
honestly confessed that he was mistaken
thirty years ago in predicting the ruiz
of British industry by the passage o
the Ten Hours Factory Act He sale
that the wages Of labor and the profits
Of capital were higher than ever before
that the time had now come for adopt
ing the Eighthour system, and that Will
Il reduction Of taxation aud the contin
ued improvements in machinery, tie
time was not far distant when the Six
hour law would be adopted.
The same old arguments were rotteG
ont against the adoption of the Ten.
hour system in this Stale. Yet on
manufactures and workmen compare
favorably with the New England States
where even women and children are
forced to work longer hours than in this
State.
The arguments of the San, if good
for anything, would compel our work
men ITO return to the old system Of
working from twelve to fifteen hours a
day, and on the same hypothesis why
should not twenty hours constitute a
days work - New Y0rk Democrat,
March 8M.
Felix Hartman was arrested on Satur.
day on charge Of stealing boots from
the store of the Rutland Boot and Shoe
Company. He was also charged with
breaking the window in the drug store
Of Clarke e. Keeling, Center ST., and
stealing therefrom a syringe and rurs
ing bottle. This is the same Felix, who
was in Jail last year for stealing boots
from the Cars. He somehow escaped
the penalty for stealing boots, but we
think the syringe and nursing bottle
will fetch him.