The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1902-04-01

/ six days, followed by the repose on
on the seventh, was to inix this grand
principle in the mind of every human
being that after six days labour one
day of rest should follow God work
| ed in certain order that man might
work in the same, and God rested at
O certain time that man might rest
| likewise.
1--WE learn Also" says Bishop vii.
| son. from this order of creation, that
man was made not for constant and
unrelievej employment, or for earthly
pursuits chiefly, but for labour with
intervals of repose, and in subordina-
tion to the glory of God. Man was
| formed not for seven days toll, but
| for six-man was formed not for ter
restrial pursuits merely, but for the
| high purpose OF honoring God, medi-
| tating on His works, and preparing for
| the enjoyment of Him forever The
| essential nature of the institution OBJ
viously lies in the proportion of time
| fixed by his benefcent and all-wise
| Creator--for his body six days labour,
for his soul one day of religious rest;
and this corresponds with his com
| pound nature-his intellectual and
moral part calling him up to the ex.
alted and delightful offices of religion;
this bodily and animal part requiring
recreation and repose. The Sabbath
is the spiritual badge and charter of
man."-(The Lords Day, by the Rev.
Morris Fuller. PIP. 299-300)
The practical experience of those
who labour is in full accord with the
principles laid down in the above pas.
sage as belonging to the moral gov
ernment of the world. A friend of
mine who has had opportunity of as
certaining how your system is regard
ed by your employees writes to me:
From chemists, sugar boilers and
engineers in four, might say in five,
different mills, have it that the pres
| ent system would be much improved
by closing the mill every Saturday at
IL o'clock (noon). Men strong and
vigorous coming into the mill are seen
| gradually to fall off, able to produce
less work than formerly, necessitating
an increase in the number of hands
to keep up the weekly output of sugar
or to suffer in the output q marked
falling off. One sugar boiler of many
years experience and certainly first
class man in his line, told me that he
is ready to prove that with a stipu-
lated number OF hands they can put
out more sugar in six months, if they
close at IL noon or Saturday, instead
of at midnight as at present, and to
reopen at a. m. Monday instead of
at IL mid. The closing at noon on
Saturday, which is observed, believe
in all factories, etc, in England, al
lowing from to 6 hours for pans TO
cool. would enable the men to do all
cleaning by midnight, and feel that
they have one day of rest before
them"
If the testimony here given of loss
of vigor sustained by your servants
through the encroachment on their
God given right by the system now in
vogue on your plantations does net
appeal to you on the grounds of justice
and humanity to alter your system, it
should appeal to you on the grounds
of self-interest, to prove whether the
Keeping of your human interests in
their full energy and vigor will not
more than compensate for a curtail-
ment of the present hours of labour.
SO far | have viewed the question
on the side of the rights OF C.iankind.
But there Is another side on which
much might be written. l have spok-
en- of the Lords Day rest as God
given right. If | am justified in so
calling it, 1t is because the seventh
day rest having been Instituted by
God, not by man, it follows that whilst
on the one hand the Fourth Com
mandment gives TO capital Divine
sanction tor the employment of la
bour, 1t gives no such sanction for its
employment on the seventh, Aut on
the contrary, Is the labourer's charter
of rest from toll on the seventh da :.
This being so. it should need no al.
gument to satisfy all who believe in