Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-29
rhe rronosed Eight-aour Law.


Mr. Edward Atkinson, in the last num-
Der of BrodstYeePS, discusses al consider
able length the agitation in favor OF the
proposed cight-hour law. lie shows pref
~ conclusfyely that such q law would not
be practicable, and chat it would iDjure,
rather than benefit, those who are advo-
eating It.
or the actual workers IN the country
there is only about one in ten Who could
take advantage Of an eight-hour law.
The great major ty OF interests require
for their prosperity at least ten hours OF
| labor day. How would 1t be possible to
subject agricultural labor to an eight
hour law? Even after a days work is
done in the field there is always great
deal to do in looking after the stock and in
attending to various matters which de-
manG attention. 1t is doubtful if 10 per
cent. of the farms would pay expenses If
the house servants and held hands worked
only eight hours a day.
How MANY farmers wives are there
who undertake to manage their own
households who could get along if they
devoted only eight hours a day to their
majority OF the wives of small farmers,
those who bear share of the household
drudgery, are occupied with their affairs
from ten TO fourteen hours day.
An eight hour law could not be en-
forced in restaurants, blast furnaces, gas
works, bakeries, or anywhere else where
continuous heat is required. Three sets
Of men could. of course, be employed, but
the additional expense would ruin these
industries.
Indeed it's doubtful if an eight-hour
law could be made to answer satisfactO.
rily in any of these businesses or INDUS
tries whore there is continuous opera
ton, such as railroads, paper mills, etc.
Indeed it is difficult to name very many
kinds of employment in which those en-
gagged in them could do as well by work
ing eight hours as day as they do now.
There are factories and mills in which
large numbers OF persons are employed
where an eight-hour law might be intro
duced with some sort of success, but the
employees of establishments of this kind
are very small percentage of the work
ers of the entire country, and even they
could hardly expect to receive the same
compensation for eight as they do
for ten and twelve hours work.
If they did demand and receive as much
it would not be very long, probably, before
they would destroy their sources of In
come. If they were forced to receive less
wages for fewer hours of work the most
industrious Of them would very soon try
to earn better subsistence by working
over hours.
The advocates of the eight-hour law
seem to forget that they are very small
part of those who work with their hands;
that their number 10 not equal even to
the seamstresses, washerwomen and many
other classes of workers who do their
work at home and about whom the public
knows comparatively little.
The hours of labor are gradually grow
ing shorter. They are not so long, perhaps,
as they were halt a century ago. Owing
to the invention Of labor saving machinery
and the discovery of easier methods of do
ing things which are necessary to be
done, people are able 10 earn a subsistence
with less effort than formerly.
1t is doubtful, however, if it is possible
to fix the extent of this effort by law. 1t
is a matter that will regulate ITSELF Any
attempt to fix a limit for it by statute is
likely to produce confusion and be pro-
ductiVe of harm.