Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1890-12-01
LABOR LAWS IN EUROPE.
Brief Resume of Statutes Especially Con-
corning the Old Worlds Workers.


corning the Old Worlds Workers.
A great trades union congress, COM
posed of delegates from all the labor Or
CARNATIONS in, Great Britain, met at
Liverpool on the 1st Of September. It
was composed of 500 delegates, including
ten women, and represented most of the
large trades of the kingdom.
The principal act of the congress was
to pass resolution in favor of reducing
the time of laboring to eight hours a
day, and of making eight hours days
labor by act of parliament. This was
not passed, however. without a 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 eoun-
try and region render the subject Of
what laws have been passed by the ssv-
eral nations regulating labor especially
interesting at this time.
Thus far no European nation has
passed law limiting the time of the Ia
Dor of 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
dren, and the greater part of these meas
ures have become law within the past
fifteen years.
For instance, by a statute passed by
tho British parliament in 1878 women,
and children between ii and 10 years of
age, who are engaged in the textile
factories are allowed to work only ten
hours a day. Children under IA years
can work only six hours day. In other
industries the respective periods of labor
are increased over the figures 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
dren.
In France the limit of age is little
narrower, for in that country no child
less than 10 years old is allowed to work
in any factory or other hard manual en-
ployment, 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
the hours of labor according to the de-
gree of education of the laborer. Chill
dren between 12 and IA years who
have had a good elementary educa-
tion are allowed to work twelve hours
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 16 years and all girls
under 81.
In view of the steps taken by the young
German emperor to improve the condi-
ton of his laboring subjects the present
state of the German labor laws becomes
interesting. Already legislation has
done much, at least in the direction of
protecting workingwomen and children.
German children under 10 years of
age are forbidden to take work in fac
tories and mines, and those between IL
and IA are legally restricted to six hours
a day. Those between IA and Is years
old may work ten hours day in most of
the industries, and at spinning eleven
hours. Children are not allowed to
work between half-past 8 o'clock at
night and half-past in the morning,
nor ON Sundays, except in cases of urgent
necessity, to be determined by the bun
desrath, or upper house of parliament.
It is noteworthy, however, that the
German labor laws have as yet done little
to protect workingwomen of mature age.
The principal law ON this subject pro-
vides. that the bundesrath shall have