The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-11-28
HOURS OF LABORTN EUROPE.

In connection with the agitation for
fewer hours of labor, some facts which
have been gs thered by British represen-
tatives in foreign countries, at tn re
quest of the Government, are interesting.
In Belgium the Government has a bill
which is designed to regulate the work
of women and children in industrial es-
Establishments, but no attempt has been
made to legislature as to the hours OF
adult male labor. AS rule, the hours
in Belgium are very protracted. Rail
way guards are sometimes on duty for
fifteen and even nineteen hours and a
half at a stretch, and the Brussels street
car drivers work from fifteen to seven
teen hours daily, with a rest of one and
a half hours at noon. Brewers work
from ten to seventeen hours a day, and
brickmakers work during the summer
months sixteen hours day. In France,
the working day in manufactures and
mills, under a decree promulgated in
1S4S, is limited to twelve hours OF effec-
tive labor, but the law is often evaded,
and as a rule, Frenchmen in factories
are present at least fourteen hours out
of every twenty-four, There is no COM
pulsory observance on Sunday, and no
day of habitual rest. Where work is
done by shifts, and machinery is run
ming day and night, it sometimes occurs
that the same hands work twenty-four
on end in order to get a whole Sunday
in fortnight.
In Germany no laws exist affecting
the hours of adult labor, but employers
cannot force their employees to work on
Sundays and feast days. The employ
ment of youthful or female labor in GER
tain kinds of factories is forbidden orre-
stricted. In Hesse Darmstadt from ten
to twelve hours constitute medium
days labor. In Saxony the normal work
day is from a. m. to 7 p. M, with half
an hour each for breakfast and supper,
and an hour for dinner. The Leipzig
masons have carried ten hours day,
but this is local arrangement. In the
Saxony coal mines, since the strikes,
there has been an eight hour shift where
the pits are of high temperature and a
ten hours shift in others. In house in
dustries, in particular in the weaving
branch, fifteen hours work day is not
uncommon for adults and young per-
sons. In Austria ten hours in mines
and eleven in factories is the limit laid
down by law, Sunday rest is also en-
forced. There is no legal limit in Hun
gary, but the hours, though in some
trades very long, are not generally long
er than in Austria. In Russia there are
laws for the protection of children, and
female night labor is prohibited in GER
tain industries, but there are no laws
affecting adult male labor, and the nor
NAL working day averages twelv ehours.
Longer hours are found in some estab-
lishments, and there is instances where
uninterrupted toll is prosecuted for
twenty-four hours. The conditions of
labor in other countries are thus sum.
married
1.-The Federal Factory Labor Law of
1877 in Switzerland provides that a nor
NAL working day must not exceed eleven
hours, and on Saturdays and public holi
day it shall be reduced to ten hours. In
the case of unhealthy industries, or
where the work is calculated to render
occupations for eleven hours prejudicial
to the health or lives of the laborers, the
normal working day shall be reduced by
the Federal Council. Except in case of
absolute necessity, Sunday labor is pro
hibited, and in establishments where un-
interrupted labor is required each work.
ing hand must have one free Sunday out
of two. Women cannot under any cir
cumstances be employed in night or
Sunday labor. Besides Sundays, work
is prohibited on other holidays not ex-
ceeding eight in one year,
Italy has not legislated for adults. but
has made regulations for child labor.
Sweden Is IN the same position. Spain
and Portugal have done nothing. The
general rule in the latter country apply
to old and young, is to work from sun.
rise to sunset, an hour and half being
allowed for meals. In the Netherlands
a law was recently promulgated to pre-
vent excessive and dangerous work by
grown up women and young persons.
No legal enactment for adult labor exists
in Denmark. In Turkey the working
day lasts from sunrise to sunset, with
certain intervals for repose and refresh
ment. Servia works on the principal of
mutual agreement or individual convent
ence, and Rlumania and Bulgaria prac
tcally do the same, In primitive Mont
enegro the sun is the time check, with
break of two hours in the middle of the
day. According to NJ, Tricoupi, the so
cial conditions of Greece have not arriv-
ed at that point of progress where the
Interference of the State between the
employer and the operative becomes
necessary"