The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1890-12-27
dbe neekIp A1essenper
PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY
ALBERT eIENVENU.
Labor Laws In Europa

A great Trades Union Congress,
composed Of delegates from all the
labor organizations in Great Britain.
met in Liverpool 1t was composed Of
200 delegates, including ten women, and
represented most of the large trades Of
the Kingdom.
The principal act of the Congress
was to pass a resolution in favor OF re-
ducing the time Of laboring to eight
hours a day, AMI of making eight hours
4 days labor by act of Parliament.
This was not passed, however, without
o 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 taking place
in almost every civilized country and
region, render the subject of what laws
have been passed by the several nations
regulating labor especially interesting
at this time.
Thus far no European nation has
passed law limiting the time of labor
Di adult male workingmen. Such
measures as have been passed relate for
the most part to the protection and linn
itation OF the labor of women and chill
aren.
For instance, by a statute passed by
the British Parliament in 1878. women,
and children between IA and 18 years
of age, who are engaged in the textile
factories are allowed to work only ten
hours day. Children under IA years
can work only six hours day. In other
industries the respective periods Of la
Dor are increased over the figures stated
stated by half an hour.
Moreover, no child under 10 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
aren.
In France the limit of age is little
narrower, for in that country no child
less than II years old is allowed to work
in any factory, or other hard manual
employment, excepting that they may
do SO in textile, glass and paper facto-
ries.
The French law, moreover, differs
from that OF most countries in that il
limits the hours of labor according to
The degree OF education of the laborer.
Children between IL and IA years who
have had good elementary education
are allowed to work twelve hours q
day; those who have not, only six. This
is to enable the less educated to attend
school part of every day. The French
also forbid work on Sundays and nights
to all boys under IL years, and all girls
under 81.
In view of the steps taken by the
young German Emperor to improve the
condition of his laboring subjects, the
present state of the German labor laws
becomes interesting. Already legisla-
tion has done much, at least in the di.
rection of protecting workingwomen
and children.
German children under II years OF
age are forbidden to take work in facto-
ries and mines, and those between IL
and II are legally restricted to six
hours day. Those between IA and Ii
years old may work ten hours a day in
most of the industries, and at spinning
eleven hours. Children are not allowed
to work between $40 o'clock at night
and D 80 in the morning, nor on Sun.
days, except in cases of urgent neces.
slty, to be determined by the Bundles.
rath, or upper house of Parliament.
1t is noteworthy, however, that the
German labor laws have as vet done
little to protect workingwomen of ma.
ture age. The principal law on this
subject provides that the Bundesrath
shall have power to prohibit female
labor in certain industries, or to restrict
it by regulations, and the same body
may, if it sees fit, forbid night-work to
any special class.
, Even despotic Russia has issued de-
rrees which regulate the hours of york
of women and children according to the
exigencies of particular industries.
Children under II years, with a few
specified exceptions, are not allowed to
work in Russian factories those between
IL and 10 years are restricted to eight
hours daily, and may not work more
than four hours continuously. Children
under II years and women are not al
lowed to work in Russia in spinning or
textile industries at night, and the Rus.
sian law requires employers to pay at
tention to the education of their work
ing people.
Similar regulations and restrictions
70 those which have already been de-
scribed exist in Belgium, Spain. Aus
tria, Hungary, Holland, Italy, Norway
and Sweden and Denmark. It will be
seen that there is little or no legislation
which restricts or imposes conditions
upon the labor of full-grown men but
in many countries there are vigorous
agitations to extend the limitations Of
law to workingmen also.-YOuth's
COBiDdiliO1l.
TIE CHICKASAWS EXCITED.