The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-12
UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT

THE EIGHT HOUR LAw--ITs EFFECTS UPON oov-
LRNMENr CONTACTS FOR LABOR.
WAsnixGTos, June IL, 1877.
Tho Supreme Court OF the United States has rem
dercd the following decison:--
No. 40I. The United States. appellant, VS.. Arthur
Martln--Appeal from the Court oil Claims On the
18th oil june 1868. Congress passed an act 10 stat,
77) declaring .that eight hours shall constitute days
work for all iaborers, workmen and mechanics now
employed or who may hereafter DO employed, by or
bchA oil the government OF tho United States" IRE
viscd statutes, Sec 8, 1887 This was direction by
Congress the officers and agents OF the United States
establishing the principle TO DO observed IN The labor
OF those engaged in service. II prescribed tho
length OF time which should amount 10 days work
when NO special agreement WAS msdo upon the sub
jecl Thore are several thugs which tho act does not
regulate which Il may be worth white 10 notice.
FraIt does not establish the price 10 DO paid for
q days work.
Skilled labor necessarily commands . higher price
than manual labor, and whether wages are high
or low depends chiefly upon tho inquiry whether
those having labor 70 bestow numerous than
The English statute books arc iu Of asszes OF bread
anu aie. commencing as early As thc reign oil Henry
H.. aud regulations VI labor aud many such are 70 be
by Adam Smith the law Ia his day that IN sheffield
no master cutler or weaver or halter could have more
than Two apprentices Nv btInc, uuu 81 iutciy
As The Sth Ueorge ILL.,. and which remained
unrepealed until 1928, ACT WAS passed prohibiting,
under severe penalties. all master taiors M Lon.
dom or within hive miles Of IT, from giving. or their
workmcn from accepting more than Is ! "a. day,
except she OF general mourning smith's Wealth
OF Natione, 125, Oxford cd. OF 1891 different
theory is now almost universally adopted PRINCIPALS,
30 TAR the law give the power arc entitled 70
employ a. many workmen and OF whatever degree Of
skii aud q, Whatever price they think A. and except
IN some special casos, as OF children Or orphans the
hours OF LABOR and tho price 10 be paid arc left 70 tho
LIBERALIZATION OF the parties Interested Tho statute
or tho United states does not interfere with this prin-
ctple II does not specify any sum which shall DO paid
or the labor Of eight hous nor that the price shall Do
more when tho hours are greater or loss When the
hours IRE lever II silent as 10 everything except
the direction 70 It's officers that cgns hours shall
constitute a days work Tor y laborcr.
Second-Thc statute does not provide that the en-
poycr and the Hborcr not agree with each other
a. 10 what time shall constitute days work.
There are somc branches Of labor connected with
furnnces foundries, steam or gas works, whore the
labor and the exposure OF eight hours day would
soon exhaust the strength Of aborsr and render him
permanently an Invalid The government ohlcer 10
NOT prohibited from knowing these facts, nor from
agreeing when IL 10 proper that less number Of hours
than csht shall pe accepted as a days work. Nor
does tins statute intend that whore outofdo0r labor
long days Of summer may DO offered Tor twelve