The times., 1897-11-07


many }or the details OF the struggle nlaiu-
tained l1r them in passing from serfdom to
freedom, the beginning OF which dates from
the black death, which became epidemic in
England in 134s. During the pesulence
and after it subsided lands were lying idle
for want Of labor to cultivate them and
the demand Tor labor in the arts was
almost as great as the demand for il in
the fiel Is. Wages rose 5oper cent in few
wears aud continued 10 rise FOX nearly fifty
years. prices practically remaining the
same.
The demand for labor being so great, it
would follow that the daily working hours
OF the laborers would be lessened If they
had SO desired. But as the efforts OF the
English government Tor 15o years We're
directed solely 10 prevent any rise in wages
II appears that the hours worked were not
So important 70 the laborers At this time
the custom OF working by the piece was
very prevalent, especially III agriculture
Land was plowed, corn was reaped and
grass moTn 10y the acre. Corn was thresh-
ed by the quarter. The artificers generally
conducted business on their own account, as
sisted by their apprentices, and the latter
la tine became masters also. Mas0ns, car
pcnters. laasterers, Tiers, thatchers. black
smiths, silver and gold smiths. were fur
nished tie materials on which they worked,
which were fashioned as desired, often by
the piece cr by contract. when piec work
was SO common the hours Of labor would
not come into controversy.
The guild statutes ordained that no one
"shaH work longer than from the begin
ming OF the day until curfeN, or at night by
candleii4nJ." 1t would be expected that
agricultural lab0rers would generally be
employed from daylight till dark. Within
tits time the laborer took his meals con
suruing between two and three hours
There was little change in these hours
fn England until the middle OF this century,
unlessit was during thetime between 7 Tyler S
fnsurrecti0n and tie death Of Henry III.
In agriculture and the building trades
Iaicrers and artificers We're employed al
most continuously at such times as they
could worS but the tradesmsn Of London
and other cities had long holidays. The
Eeavers did not work between Christmas
and Cdndlefnas, and they never worked
Sundays or hcIydays, nor ION Saturdays,
or the 81 e OF a double feast, after noon wa
rung-''
As time progressed and further division
OF labor began to take place, the hours Of
labor became as important to the EN-
ployer as the scale of wages paid, and
fn the statute Of II, Henry VII cap. %,
1896, tie daily hours the laboTer should
WORK were fixed for the first time. have
been unable 10 find the text OF this law,
but the Ciause ia regard TO hours is quoted
by Sir 7. u Eden as follows:
And Furthermore, where divers arti-
ficers and lal8rers, retained TO work and
serve, waste much part Of their day and
deserve not tLeir wages, sometime iB late
arriving at their work, early departing
therefrOm, long sitting at breakfast, at
their dinner, ct their no0n-meat, and long
time sleeping at afternoon, TO tie loss and
hart OF such persons as the said artificaTs
and lahorers be retained with at service,
ft is therefore established, enacted, and
ordained 10y the authority aforesaid, that
every artificer and Ia boTer be q his WOr k
between the midst of the month OF March
and the rgdsr Of the mouth OF September,
before three or the cI0ckin the morning, and
that he hatn but half az hour FOR his
breakfast anI an nour and a half for his
dinner, al such time as he hath seaso
for sleeping TO him appointed by this
statute, and at sucE time as is here ap-
pointed re shall not sleep then he is to
have bat one hour for his dinner and 2
half an hour Cor his noon meat, and that the
deparC not from his work between ia midst
OF s;,id months ofMarchand September until
between seven and eight OF the clock in the
eveuir-g aud if they or any other offend
ir any Of these articles, that then their
defaults be marked by him or his deputy
that shall pay their wages, and at the
weeks end their wages be abated at such
rate of time as they have offended con
trary to this statute. And that from the
midst Of September to the midst OF March
every Grtifscer and lahoIer be at their
work at the springingof the day and depart
not untu night Of the same day, and the
said artficers and Ia borers sleep not by
dav. hut only from the midst )r the month
OF Mas untn tie midst of the month OF
August
Thar part Of this law relating 70 wages
was repealed next year. 1897, leaving that
part regulating hours OF labor in force.
But the same law, if the title can lie
relied upor at least a law with similar
pr0vislans enacted in 1914 Is Henry
VII. cap. -. regulating wages and hours
Of labor. but, as the text cannot be found,
nothing can be stated concerning it with
exac'uess. In the acts of : Henry VIII the
whole Of this statute was repealed so far
s IL affected the artificers and Iab0rers Uf
London
The next statute regulating the hours OF
tabor is Elizabeth cap. 4, 1862. Section
Il reads as follows.
10 Ard be il euacted by the authority
aforesaid that all artificers aad IabOrers,
being hir.G for wages by the day or week,
shall beiwixt tile midst Of the months Of
March and September. De and continue at
their work a. OF before five Of the clock
In the morning, and not depart unuI be-
twiNt scrrn and eight Of thu clock at night
leXcept Il be al The time for breakfast,
dinner and drinking, the which times at
most shailuot exceed above two hours and
half in q Gay: that is 10 say, at every
drinking one-Iialf hour, for his dinner one
hour and for his sleep when he is al
lowed &. sleep. the which is from the
midst % Nay TAI the midst Of August. half
an hear AZ lie most, and at every break
fast one talf hour. And the said srtificers
and laborers, between she midst Of sapuani-
ber auG the midst Of March. shall be and
continue at their work from The spring
Of the day IA the morning until the night
OF the same day, except it he in the time
before appointed Tor breakfast and dinner,
upon pain 70 forfeit and lose one penny for
every hours absence, TO be deducted and
defaulked out OF his wages that should so
Offend
Speaking OF the act Of II Henry VII.
cap. % Frof. Rogers saws; "A sched-
ule o. wages II given, which, considering
the ohespness Of the tiuie, Is exceedingly
liberal At no time in English history