Oxford and Cust Observer. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. SATURDAY. October 3rd, 1891.

Oxford Observer, Volume 3, Issue 200, 3 October 1891, Page 2

Oxford and Cust Observer. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. SATURDAY. October 3rd, 1891.

The results of the discussions of the great European Trades and Labor Congress have on the whole been satis- . factory. And while they show an jdvance upon the programme of other days they have been marked by the practical common sense that those of any experience know is the synongme for success and prosperity. Let us hope that the uninformed and selfassertive leaders who have done so much harm m these colonies may condescend to bo guided by the decisions of their more enlightened brethern m older lands. One of the unanimous recommendations of the Congress was m favor of the eight hours movement. Though the ample report of the debate is not to . hand many reasons sustain the propriety of this movement. Machinery .has,-' : come to the toilers helpf*anej though we do receive ample. benefit from .ingenious inyeiLtidh it is n<ii yet 7 * m the direct' lightening of the , . labourers toil- . , We get cheaper clothes and more work put m ladies dresses: we have obtained all sorts of goods from books , to bedsteads = otherwise * beyond our roeans^-but* men work jis hard and as long as

ever. May we not arrange that machinery instead of cheapening goods, should make the diys labor lighter 1 This seems to be the intention of many nations. If a man invents a machine that enables him to do two days work m one, why should he not be paid his contract all the same, though he does it iii half the # expected time ? By reducing the hours of labor this is effected. Then again, the ei<rht hour system enables work to be " better distributed. If there are twelve men working ten hours a day and three poor fellows unemployed, by reducing the day to eight hours the whole fifteen men will be a,t work. " " * The result would seem to be — reduce the hours, things will be dearer, but men will have more regular work. But we can easily see for any one country to adopt the eight hour system might mean ruination to the working man, inasmuch as the neighboring country that works ten hours as usual would obtain the trade, and the workman m the former country would have no ere ploy ment. Charles Bradlaugh arrested the folly of the Socialists and extreme radicals by meeting them m public debate, and showing them this obvious result. Few men would have the honest courage to do as Bradlaugh did, and face the insane mob demented by the harangues of our socialists and other faddists. It is well known that Germany, Austria, and Belgium are taking away British trade because their workmen get lower wages than Englishmen. If the hours were shortened say . m England and the same wages were paid, the conse • quence would be that our > workmen would have to migrate to Germany, m order to follow their calling as the Ejglish employer would lose the market. 'ihe eight hours' movement can therefore only be introduced m certain businesses, and extended as the underpaid countries** agree to the system. No doubt m time, and a comparative short time, workmen m the underpaid countries will agree to demand the eight hours, and then it i can be universally adopted ~ without injury to any. Thi* is what the Congress thoroughly understands and is seeking to bring about. Tt may be said that it was*. ; done m New Zealand^ — but 'it •••' is forgotten that we are not a manufacturing people m com-,* petition with the. world, and also that we can do many things for years to. come which would ruin a more thickly" populated country. Some cry out for population but while we divide our inheritance among few, each man must get a larger share. Verbum Sap.