The Advocate. [Established 1888.] [PUBLISHED DAILY.] OLDEST ESTABLISHED PAPER AND GUARANTEED LARGEST CIRCULATION IN THE DISTRICT. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1912. FIVE DAYS A WEEK.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXIII, Issue 307, 10 January 1912, Page 4

The Advocate. [Established 1888.] [PUBLISHED DAILY.] OLDEST ESTABLISHED PAPER AND GUARANTEED LARGEST CIRCULATION IN THE DISTRICT. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1912. FIVE DAYS A WEEK.

Australia lias proved a fertile country for the growth, of improved Labor conditions. The cause of progressive Labor reform lias made much growth there, and the men appear to be 'almost in a constant state of strike. No sooner is one difficulty settled, than ■anotlier anises, and it is therefore not altogether surprising to find that some of the Labor loaders have five days' work a week as their goal. It is stated that this proposal has the approval of Mr Andrew Fisher, the Commonwealth Premier, and it is gaining snip porters so rapidly that it is looked upon by some 'people as a change which will be effected 1 in the very near future; in fact, it is said that the idea is already in operation ia Sydney.* "One big commercial man in Sydney, interviewed last week, said that tho idea was the best advocated ..d'or a long while. The would would, he said ,get on just as h a p p ily—no ; doiib t J ia ppi er—und er tho new conditions. It wouikl enable people to have one day for recreation and one day for rest, and thus it would tend to pull the community up a little. There was no need to go the fuili 48 hours. Almost as much work could be done in 44 hours iiu five days as in 48 hours in six days, because of the loss of the volume of work on the Saturday morning. The probability, ho said, was that Saturday was now worked at a loss, and that being so, the change would be in the interests of al : . concerned." These ideas, however, are ■ altogether too optimistic, and are not shared by some of the workers, at any rate. ,; ? lHr ;,Sulllivan, secretary of the Eight Hours' Committee, is strongly opposed' to the change, on the ground that eight hours' work ia enough for" any man, woman, or child, and according to this gentleman, it has been f6und that the effect is very .pernicious j where the working day has been stretched to 9J or 9£ hours per day. He is of the opinion that the bulk of the workers are against it, and if this view be correct it is an indication that the workers of Sydney have not altogether taken leavo of their senses. Mr Sullivan' argues that under the proposed) conditions Saturday wodld become another,day and'

the earnings of the people would wot 1 stand two idle days per week. He states that "the sub-committee which ha> been making enquiries into the matter lias nearly completed its work, and I believe in its report it will state that a section of the women in th'j clothing trade don't want the Saturday' off, because they find that they h.avo to. work at -home, audi they wouild sooner ho in a factory earning money. Amongst the men they ascertained that Saturday free was opposed, because there was not sufficient money to make the day worth while, and that, consequently, they ■had to mooch about or s/leep at home doing nothing to advance their characters. The only people who hailed the idea gladly were the juveniles." Further, it appears that evidence was given before a wages boan-d quite reccntlj- that at a factory at Alexandria the strain of the five days between Monday and Friday was so great that Saturday was a day of rest at home, which affords fairly conclusive proof of the evil caused by crowding a week's work into five days. Sc strongly convinced is the Eight Hours' Committee of the unwisdom of the proposal, that an endeavor is to be made to have a provision insorted in tho State Bill that no one day's work shall exceed 8f horn's. Despite this, wo have no doubt but that a section of the Australian workers will miako a determined attempt to secure fivo working days for ,a week's work.