, 1873-05-15
LABOR IN: MASsACHUs ETTs.
The Eigllt-Hour Law.--Worlk in
tho Cotton Mills.
What the Average Laborer
Earns, and What He
Eats. -


:, 81,
testimony: OF INC oaVlngS.banKS".'lh
New EnnIanh ator-L Leauie.
j. -
A c.,:,.:.. cA.:,. w.,,.,,,o,,+a ~, roo4
@'1 A'.s - wv ner rN.:
--.buller III tae fal1 ohHpa4gu'
---
spree;az coyresponfeuce AZ Tho ch{cdoo Tribune,
uosroN, May 0, 1879.
The annunl attempt to leglslate labor md cap
itnl into aomo sort Of harmony is developing,
this year, into as rampant hostility as ever. Tho
effort as this session Is for tho enaotmont Of
AN E1aur-uoun LAW,
which, with remarkable 1nodossy, is asked to mp
ply only to tho euployos Of tho State, counties,
cities, and towns. Thus presented, tho project
has M element Of popularity TINT ought to bo
appreciated In tho rural DISTRICTS whore q days
labor III " working out" tho highwny-ta1 will bc
bagotallo indeed If limited to right houra. But
tho proposed law, of coureo, relates. more dis
tinct1y, In It's ultimate purposes to tho employees
OF our manufacturing establishments :. md tho
agitation ia accompanied by circnmstancoB which
tn,,,cato n vaat 1rowth of tlo movornout thro,rh-
49, Al'. .t.No..i - 90
9us w. 'no nt1to' .,..4..a
Heforo 6poaKtng OF these clrcnmatancos anu
Incidents, which aro very Significant, it is woll
10 consider tho progrosB making by tho advocates
:. ~, snht .,,at ~, ,,,;a orr,ar;,,a ,1,,o,t,o,,
u no oouo' ln'' III 'h'S pe.p'eA'n6 4''o1''on,
they hhFo reason anu tact On tholr e1do 10 III oh-
tont Tint nay we'll alnrm such capitalists as por-
a;st in maintaining hosti1e attitudo toward
,.L,. n,nno .,o ~, INV. .-o for tor +h,ro
4npoi' tnooo' no n'as nopo' nio ~" 1o1 suoio
aro coftnln terrible, though silent, abusc5 wh1eh
mood Immediate romody. Tho employment Of
.i,s .s,s1t a.z;a. o,,,Io - ,,,u ,,,a..r,
10 a.noae ,uo n1oos e1s1ns osAs ,...,
| Agninat which Ia" seems to DO OF httlo avail.
Of IT yoars. md from that dovnyards to almost
t,,,.,.r. 49, ~, trro1o ,,nvr, dov, b,,t t1,ot 70
n.auoy 'en ~ s"e'o nous a oas sD"s sn,,s
the fulo ~ many iafeo os'apneu1nen.e' @ Luz
wages OF theHo babies average about sl6o yenr,
quito an itom in tho support Of families such
aa thov oro crown in hut NOR enough rs nm
l ovch,roo for t,,c educatfon our stnto Loaas Of
| oAenan6o ~ 'Ao o"u.'''0'' w, 49,
forcing upon each citizen, anu 1of nen4'h Emu
| Nfoltscl1 IN TOO many caseb. 80
But 1t is not 60 much for tho children as for
adults that this agitation Is mado; and tho nd
voootoa ~ an o;oht. t.hour INV ynov wal, rov nnoo
.oo"@eo - s'' W 'A. ~" -' Af
tho succcsa OF tno e4peslhenI; 81 zen IN nonss o1
labor IN some OF our iarge MILLS. ILe progress
las boon steadily y. TO A. o,na r,non
pEonEAsE u OF TIE =; nonns ont air' 9F aAnon' ,.x,
= cotfon-1nill; aud, previous to 1853,
the average tine IN these estaoIlshmente . 'e1
eoor theory Il 1os founa a. % M T must be de-
dueed from particular Instances and ,i, n this ro
intlon may mentlon the lawrence hltlh, N1oro
tho hours OF labor aro reduced to 6i1ty-six
week. With halth1day f1i' Saturday afternoon,
ALSO, tho Atlantic Hills, ~aeh 1or 11ge yonrs
have run on ton-houf tllno. Inc result 1s 70 10
yorablo to all parties that, from, this evidence
aono ono night DO ea to ady9case @ , H n at
reuuctaon or yours ol iapoi. rolt h!tto wv Az
lantic Mills tnko snls os1analsnoh' an relao-
eehtati'o ol w nna aa ~
t1rco sobe auVuuo ponnas soa "oen a,,ao1 an an
eevon:honr systom M1th l,ouu looms ana aod 9o0 ny
wook, working ton lonls dny, aay with !; 1;seo 90
looms, anu ], 1oo opeiatYes' inls gam OF W
per cont ~ tho production ~. o. course, m como ~
measure oao 10 prosfu M sn,,1 nv an ind
considerable degree to tho change in tho hours,
which gives better anu moro zealous work. M IL II
at least Hho"s TINT no haf1h Aas CONC Oh 'no COLI
Another theory %lilch iaots IN tlie experience g
Of MASSACHUSETTS, hnyo tiaapproved, is that o.
tho inability Of WORKING men nnd women to make
aa aa aree town S nua be-
is not wholly degradou, nor 40 operators lnovata
ply Holzo tho tirst empty hour r. to set drunk nj o.
tho wages OF their labor. Tho HoWoli Pnbht
Library sends ons from to ~ books eas
cantB for books IL Guy, VINO the fead1he-foo1s
is crowded on the evening Of thu
day II such is tho extent OF anus'
ol leisure time in the creates
manufacturing ccntro Of the State there ie 1nucl
weight in tho argument that still further ns s1
l tension Of timo would be well employed. IN
half-holiday plan Is also Baid to work admirably
: tho oporatiyes rofuting accusations Of I'M
l morality by behaving we'll md aensbly.
Facts also show that, il tho operatives rcal
l wish further concession, thoy nro their owl
worst enemies. For nothing moro directly con
! yincing Of their Willingness to labor
O Al LONG AZ THEY MAE De pA1p FOR WORK,
n can be induced than tho experience Of anothe
!, largo establishment, tho Washington Mills
whore operatives are paid by tho hour. It va
= not very long ance that tho turbine driving on
It section Of thiB mill broke, aud work rapidly &c