Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-04-24
THE WORK DAY IN EUROPE
LONGER AND WeARlER THAN MAN
CAN WELL STAND.

A return just issued in pursuance OF
an address from the house of commons
throws considerable light on the question
of working hours in Europe.
In France the hours of adult labor are
regulated by series of DEGREES, of which
the earliest. promulgated September |
1S4S. enacts that the workingman's day |
in manufactures and mills shall not ex
coed twelve hours of effective" or actual
labor decree issued in May. 1851
made exceptions, so that more hours
might be worked in certain trades In
1885 circular was issued stating that
the limit of twelve hours per diem was
not to be imposed where hand power was
employed, but was TO be confined to
manufactures and mills in which the
motive power was machinery. No work
shops were to come under the clauses of
the act that did not employ more than
twenty hands in any one shed The re-
port says; st is likewise to be borne in
mind that there is in France no compul-
sorry observance of Sunday, and no day
of habitual rest"
EFFECTIVE LABOR.
The reports of the French inspectors
of labor appear to show that the act of
1913 is very loosely interpreted. 1t is
even doubtful whether the section limit
ing the actual working day to twelve
hours was intended to include or exclude
hours of rest Practically, the legal time
is made to exclude rest This makes the
working day so much the longer Thus,
one OF the French inspectors states that
the hours OF attendance in factories un
der the act of 1913 are from in the
morning until in the evening, or total
of fourteen hours, out of which there
are twelve hours of effective labor
But the same authority also states that
defective" time often extends to thirteen
and fourteen hours in many weaving
establishments. Finally, we are told
that, "as a rule, it may be taken that
Frenchmen employed in factories are
present in the shops at least fourteen
hours out of every twenty -four.
Among the countries having no laws
affecting the hours of adult labor, Ger
many is conspicuous. Employers, how
ever, cannot force their servants to WORK
ment of youthful or female labor in Ger
tain kinds of factories, which is attended
with special danger to health or morals,
is forbidden, or made conditional on GER
tain regulations, by which night labor
for female workpeOple is especially for
hidden. In Germany, as in other coun-
tries also, women may not be employed
in factories for a certain time after child
| birth. In Hesse Darmstadt the medium
| duration of labor is from ten to twelve
| hours; the cases in which the latter time
is exceeded being however, more fire.
| quent than those in which the former is
not exceeded The normal work day
throughout Saxony in all the principal
branches of industry is from a. m. to
p M, with half an hour for breakfast,
an hour for dinner and half an hour for
supper In the manufacturing industry
there are departures from these hours,
the period of work in spinning and
weaving mills not infrequently being
twelve hours.
EXTENSIVE LEGISLATION.
In Austria the law provides that the
duration of work for factory hands shall
not exceed eleven hours out of the twenty
four, exclusive of the periods of rest.
These are not to be less in the aggregate
than an hour and a half The rule can
be modified by the minister of commerce.
in con junction with the minister of the
interior, allowing longer hours. The
hours have been so extended to twelve
hours in certain industries, such as spin
ming mills, and even to thirteen in silk
manufactures Sunday rest is enforced
In Hungary there is no limit laid down
by law, but the hours are not generally
longer than in Austria.
Concerning the actual hours of adult
labor in Belgium, some difficulty is said
to be experienced in getting at the facts
The evidence given before a Belgian
royal commission showed that railway
| guards are sometimes on duty for fifteen
and even nineteen and half hours at a
stretch. and the Brussels tramway
drivers are at work from fifteen to seven
teen hours daily, with rest of only an
hour and half at noon. Brickmakers
work during the summer months sixteen
hours day In the sugar refineries the
average hours are from twelve to thirteen
for men and from nine to ten for women
The cabinetmakers, both at Client and
Brussels, assert that they have often to
work seventeen hours a day
In Switzerland the law provides that
a normal working day shall not exceed
eleven hours, reduced on Saturdays and
public holidays to ten. Power is re-
served for prolonging the working day
in certain circumstances Except in
cases of absolute necessity Sunday labor
is prohibited, and in estab lishments
where uninterrupted labor is required
each working hand must have one free
Sunday out of two. Women cannot
under any circumstances be employed in
night or Sunday labor. Italy has not
iegislated for adults, but has made reg
uations for child labor. Sweden is in
the same position. Spain and Portugal
have done nothing. The general rule
in the latter country, applying to old
and young, is to work from sunrise to
sunset, an hour and half being allowed
Tor meals. In the Netherlands law
| was recently promulgated to prevent eX-