Mr Bradlaugh and Eight Hours

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7219, 20 September 1890, Page 2

Mr Bradlaugh and Eight Hours

The Leeds Mercury, in its report of the debate betweon Mr Hyndman and Mr Bradlaugh on the oight hours' system contains tho following :— Mr Bradlaugh was, as usual in a fighting mood, and he at once charged his opponent with not having gone into' the subject at sufficient depth, and with having mostcarefnlly avoided deaails. He agreed that in some trades there was much overwork in every occupation. Mr Hyndman had ommitted to mention the fact that the object of the miners at Southport in de- , manding an eight hours day was to limijjjthe 1 output. In how many trades are the stop- * pages of output to apply ? With a Parliamentary limitation to eighl hours, textile industries of this country would be ruiui€L__ at once. The miners of Northumberland, had declared that a compulsory Eight Hour* Bill applied to their county might mate • thousands work a longer time, and certainly throw thousands out of employment. It rested with Mr Hyndman- to show that where they decreased the hours of work it would bo possible to eonduot industry in suoh a way as to find the money eooh week to pay the workers' wages. When he (Mr Bradlaugh) said that a business" should he conducted for profit, he meant that after roconping tho cost of the raw material, fixed plant, etc, there should bo ensured life to the worker (Ironical cries of 'Life?') He defined life as a reasonable subsistence for the man and his family, with, time for recreation and education. This life at anyrate wonld have sunshine in it, while revolutionary social democrat would only offer brimstone and burning. Was it alleged that there was more poverty to-day P Statisi ties disproved it. Was it alleged that there was more disease ?' Vital statistios disproved it. Was there more crime? No. The. Truck Act did not interfere between. em> ployer and employed farther than to punish fraud — and he was in favour of oompultory cultivation of land, heoanse the' land ought to pay its fair share of taxation^ Mr Hyndman had said nothing^, show what the result of a legislative limitation o,f; hours would be. In many oases in collenes and ohomical works it had bepn disastrous. Ono of its effects would bethatamau who is laid down with illness for three pr four we^ks would be debarred from making up for thftfc lost time. The returns from America were dead against Mr Hyndman' vague and general contentions. The eight lours movement had, they were informed,' fizzled out 1 there. Vasb sums of money, somo of it invested by working men in ths cotton mills of Lancashire, had over a series of years not realised more than 3j per cent. Limitation to eight hours per day would, in his opinion, be fatal to somo of our largest indmfcries. On the other hand, he alleged $has " man and man were more likely to inak.o fnjr contrapts with eaoh otb,er wVen they did so voluntarily than when tb'oy were aided by the law.

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