Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-12-17
EURoPE's LABOR LAWS.
What Some Nations Have Done to Pro
tect tho Working ClasneA.

posed Of delegates from all tho labor
organizations in Great Britain, met at
Liverpool on tho 1st of September. 1t
was composed Of five hundred delegates,
including ten women, and represented
most of tho large trades Of the Kingdom.
The principal act of the congress was
to pass a resolution in favor of reduc-
ing the time of laboring to eight hours
Il day and of making eight hours days
labor by act of Parliament. This was
not passed, however, without good
deal Of strenuous opposition on the part
of some of the older delegates.
The meeting Of this congress and the
great strikes which are frequently tax
ing place in almost every civilized
country and region render the subject
Of what laws have been passed by the
several nations regulating labor es-
pecially interesting at this time, says
the Youths Companion.
Thus far no European nation has
passed law limiting the time of the
labor OF adult male working-men Such
measures as have been passed relate for
the most part to the protection and linn
itation of the labor of women and chill
dren, and the greater part of these
measures have become law within the
past fifteen years.
For instance, by a statute passed by
the British Parliament in 1878, women,
and children between fourteen and
eighteen years of age, who arc engaged
in tho textile factories arc allowed to
work only ten hours day. Children
under fourteen years can work only six
hours day. In other industries the re-
6pective periods of labor are increased
over the figures stated by half an hour.
Moreover, no child under ten years of
age is permitted to work in an English
factory at all, and all night work is for
hidden to women, young girls and chill
dren.
In France tho limit of age is a little
narrower, for in that country no child
less than twelve years old is allowed to
work in any factory, or other hard man
ual employment, excepting that they
may do so in textile, glass and paper
factories.
The French law, moreover, differs
from that of most countries in that it
limits tho hours of labor according to
the degree of education of tho laborer.
Children between twelve and fourteen
years who have had good olemen tary
education arc allowed to work twelve
hours day; those who have not, only
six. This is to enable the less educated
to attend school q part of every day.
The French also forbid work on Sundays
and nights to ell boys under sixteen
years, and all girls under twenty-one.
In viewing tho steps taken by tho
young German Emperor to improve the
condition Of his laboring subjects, the
present state of the German labor laws
becomes interesting. Already legisla-
ton has done much, at least in tho di-
rcction of protecting working women
and children.
German children under twelve years
Of age are forbidden to tako work in
factories and miueS, and those between
twelve and fourteen are legally restrict.
cd to six hours day. Those between
fourteen and sixteen years old may
work ten hours a day in most of the in
duStrics, and at spinning eleven hours.
Children arc not allowed TO Work be-
tween half-past eight o'clock at night
and half-past five in the morning, nor on
Sundays, except in cases of urgent nc
ccssity, to be determined by the Bundes-
rath, or upper house of Parliament.
1t is noteworthy, however, that the
German labor laws have as yet done
little to protect worlSing-women Of ma
ture age. The principal law on this sub
Jet provides that tho Bundesrath shall
have power to prohibit female labor in
certain industries, or to restrict it by
regulations, and the same body may, If
1T secs fit, prohibit night work to any
special class.
Even despotic Russia has issued de-
crccs which regulate tho hours of work
% women and children according to the
cXigcncies Of particular industries.
Children under twelve years, with few
specified exceptions, are not allowed to
work in Russian factories; those between
twelve and fifteen years are restricted
70 eight hours daily, and may not work
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