The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-12
EIGHT HOURS FOR WORK.
LORD SALISBURY RECEIVES THE
DEPUTATION.

He Points Out Obstacles In the Way of
Successful Operation OF the short
Hour System-It Would Increase the
Price OF Goods or Decrease the In
come of Wage Farmers.
LONDON, May lin accor dance with
arrangements made by the conservatives
after Mr.. Gladstone had declined to receive
the labor deputation to discuss the So
hour question, Lord Salisbury agreed to-
receive a deputation from the London
trades council, and to-day he was waited
upon by number Of representatives from
that body. The consent of Lord Salisbury
to receive the deputation was understood to-
be a political move TO offset tactical mis-
take which even the liberals con-
cedsd their leader had made I'm
declining to receive deputetion
that was desirous Of waiting upon him. No
one believed that Lord Salisbury would in
any way pledge himself to support the
views of the dsputation, and this belief has
been justified by the words OF the prime
minister to the members of the trGdes' coun-
Gil who waited upon him to-day. The
spokesman of the deputation urged upon
Lord Salisbury the necessity for the legal
establishment of an S-hour day in order
TO equalize the conditions between those
who are compelled to work for an excessive
number OF hours aud those who are withour
work at ALL
sALIsBURY's REPLY.
In replying to the deputation Lord Saliss
bury said they must not assume because he
had consented TO receive them that he had
been converted to their views as TO the
necessity or expediency OF establishing by
law legal limit to the hours man should
work. He deprecated their desire for legis-
lation to attain their ends. aud declared
that IL would be far better to depend upon
the slower but surer and irrevocable action
of public opinion In favor of shorter
hours where economic circumstances ren-
deTed a reduction practicable he could
not. he said, conceive the same wages be-
ing paid for eight hours work as for longer
time. Lord Salisbury also declared that if
manufacturers were fatally handicapped by
restrictive legislation they would leave the
country. He sympathized with the demand
of the workingmen for more leisure, but he
asked them to carefully consider the matter.
THE CALL ON BALyoUR.
Mr.. Balfour. the government leader in
the house, had also been induced to receive
the deputation. The same arguments that
had been employed with Lord Salisbury
we're used by the deputation in presenting
their case to Mr., Balfour.
The latter, in reply, stated that he agreed
with Lord Salisbury that the parliamentary
machine was ill adapted TO their purposes.
One Of the arguments used by the deputa~
ton was that while strikes t. bring about
the establishment Of an S-hour day were
dangerous and difficult, legislation TO effect
that object was easy and sure. To this
Lord Salisbury replied that II an
8-hour bill was passed employers would
resist it to the utmost aud minority of the
workingmen would sustain their action.
This would probably produce far different
results than were intended. II the cost of
production was increased owing to shorter
hours the selling price must also
be increased, which would cause
decrease In the demand and
thus lead to fewer instead of more men
being employed. Lord Salisbury said he
feared the passage Of such a bill would end
in the manufacturers going to the United
States to obtain freedom Of action that
would be denied them here, while the
English markets would still be open TO them
now.