The Labour Question

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 136, 10 May 1890, Page 2

The Labour Question

Twenty years ago, or there about, a small, and then insignificant, colony in the south seas recognised that eight hours were long enough to toil in for one day ; and in spite of the predictions of its op ponentsthat the limited hours put it beyond all possibility of the colony being able to compete against other countries- in its products, backed as they were, by two hours more per day drawn from the laborer. New Zealand made eight hours a, day's work the established rule, and contrary to the predictions of fa lure, although alone in recognising that one-third of the time ; between sunrise and sunrise was sufficient for a man to toil, New Zealand not only held her own, but grew in prosperity antf importance; and to-day it sees ite rule, now of about twenty years' standing, being advocated by every philanthropist under the sun, while millions of every nation and every tongue in the civilised world are now engaged in one great struggle in endeavouring to obtain for themselves Buch an abridgement of the hours of labor as the workmen of New Zealand have so long enjoyed. The demonstrations of the first of May are attribute to the farsightedness in New Zealand we may well be proud of; and if it is British to be in the van of social advancement, New Zealand's long and unique adoption of the shortened hours of eight to labor in justly entitles her to the claim of being the Britain of the South.