The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-11-10
LABOR ON SUNDAY.
Interesting Data Contained in a Re-
cent Report by the Statis-
teal Bureau.

According to the report which the
statistical bureau has just issued on
Sunday labor the demand for work to
be done on that day is constantly on
the increase. Anybody with half an
eye, If he keeps that half open half the
time, would be able to divine this, and
he would probably be able to conclude,
if he gave the subject any thought, in
agreement with the report that a GER
tain amount of Sunday labor has be-
come q necessity, though large part
of that performed now is made neces-
sary by social customs and not because
any trade or profession must, in order
to live, transact business or perform
mechanical labor.
There has been great change in the
mode of life of great numbers of the
people in the last 25 years-there is
much done for them by shopkeepers
and tradesmen that they may be en-
abled to keep house" by employing
only. one servant, and in many instances
none at all, and this has brought about
the custom with some butchers and
with nearly all bakers to have their
shops open for an hour or two Sunday
mornings. Also larger percentage
OF the fairly wcli-to-do are coming to
adopt the custom of dining at hotel
or restaurant on Sunday night, when
servants make themselves scarce, and
this condition has made it necessary
for hostelries to employ additional
walters and cooks for Sundays or else
keep on the regular force at salary
which provides for the performance of
this extra labor. In most cases it is
stipulated that SO many hours work
shall be required on Sunday, for which
wages double those of ordinary days
shall be paid, or the amount of wages
stipulated is arranged to cover all labor
required on Sunday. Individually and
collectively the leaning of the working
man and the day laborer is toward the
making of Sunday day of leisure, but
they are not content to have it day
of rest pure and simplc-it is their one
day for plcasurinG, for seeinG,the sights
via livery team or through the me-
dunn of fvc-cent trolley trip or
a-wheeling, and to meet their require
ments large force of their colaborers
are kept in the treadmill from early
Sunday morning ill late Sunday night.
This would naturally set one to won
dering when and where these men and
women who minister TO the enjoyment
of others on the first day" get their
play time. But employers OF all sorts,
corporations and individuals, are more
and more of the opinion that all work
and no play disagrees with their EN-
ployes as well as with themselves. and
it is quite the custom with them to al
low during the week a 'day off" where
work has been and is to be performed
on Sunday.
So it seems that what would n quar-
ter of a century ago have been called
out and out Sabbath breaking, and
dealt with accordingly, has become
recognized condition of to-day-a very
part of cur social life that is not to be
cXpurgatcd from it by moral suasion
Or by legislation, even if good-sized
minority Of the people wanted 1t omit
ted. The only thing to be done is to
accept the condition as inevitable, and
let each one do his utmost to keep it
inoffensivc.-Bcston Transcript.