The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-02-28
The Eight Hour Movement.
ITS HISTORY.

O->O ~~-~ ~S'OA O'AA5 COPAN Va OAoCuAoS0AOAA
among the working people of the
towns and cities. 1t concerns them
most, and was originated for their
benefit. I find the farmers thinking
about it also, but some of them mis-
understand it's application. The
movement for shorter hours has
been going on in European countries
for many years and is by no means
a new idea. In England for instance,
the hours OF labor have been re-
duced from sixteen to nine and a
half, during the last half century.
This has been accomplished by sue
cessive legislature enactments. No
special attempts have been made in
that country to apply this shorten
ing Of hours to the agricultural
classes, because every circumstance
connected with their work is vastly
different from that of the employe in
the factory, workshop or mines.
Public sentiment has, however, been
growing in favor OF shorter hours all
over that country, SO that today
you find the English farmer, from
choice, exacting fewer hours of labor
from his hands during portions OF
the year than he did quarter OF
century ago. In Germany and
France there has also been a similar
development of sentiment in regard
to the hours of labor. In this coun-
try the present accepted ten hour
day came only gradually, and there
are still many branches OF employ
ment in which eleven or twelve hours
are the rule. On the other hand sew
eral skilled trades like the stonecut-
tiers, bricklayers and plumbers work
only eight or nine hours per day.
The present general agitation in ia
vor Of the eight hour day is born of
conditions which demand some i'm
mediate and effective remedy. Eight
hours for work, eight hours for rest,
and eight for what you will, is the
way in which the twenty-four hour
dayseems naturally to divide itself.
TO WHOM 1T APPLIES.
All agitations for shorter hours of
labor are for the benefit of those en-
ployed in some branch of manufac-
turing or distributive work. The
eight hour movement has no direct
relation to the farming community,
and if gained will produce no direct
change in the relation of employer
and employe on the farm. The work
of the clerk or factory operative is
vastly different from that of the
farmer. The employe of the factory
for example stands or sits at some
particular kind of work all day long.
He is obliged to be within the fac
tory gates in the morning at 700
O'Clock sharp, or be fined for being
late. Once at work, he is confined
within four walls, has his own ma
chine or allotted space in which to
work. He is usually forbidden to
run about, to talk, laugh, eat
lunches-in short, do anything
which might interfere with steady
work. The work is monotonous.
Think OF feeding strips of steel
through q machine ten hours a day
every day in the year, or stitching
uppers on shoes ten hours every day,
or setting little pieces of type in line
every hour in the day, all requiring
the closest attention every moment.
The factory employees usefulness de-
ponds ON his ability to fashion some
one portion of an article and to do
it rapidly. The more like machine
he becomes himself, the better work
man is he. Then, too, most work in
factories is done by the aid of ma
chinery, much OF which has to be
carefully watched Or accidents to
life and limb result. The machines
are often run.at a high rate of speed,
compelling the operative to be con-
stantly taxing'every energy in order
to manage it properly and get out of
it the required amount of work.
These conditions make factory work
very different from that performed
on farms. At the close of ten hours
the operative is totally exhausted
and unfit for anything but rest.
The farmer, or his hired help, have
in the first place variety Of occupa-
tions. Most of the work is done in
the open air and amid healthful sur
roundings. While long homs and