The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men. Of whatsoever state or persuasion. religious or political. THURSDAY, NOV. 12, 1891.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3016, 12 November 1891, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men. Of whatsoever state or persuasion. religious or political. THURSDAY, NOV. 12, 1891.

« It is curious to note what a firm hold the eight hours' fallacy has obtained in the mind of the modern demagogue. To ordinary, intelligent common sense it would seem that the more work that is done the more wealth is available for general distribution, and the better is the chance of the worker; that is, the genuine worker, to obtain a fair share. If any system of fraud is prevalent by which he is deprived of his due, that is a proper reform; but to aim a blow at the production of wealth by a compulsory limitation of the hours of labour is suicidal. " Oh, yes, , the demagogue replies, " but it it takes 100 men to do a given work in a given time at ten hours a day, it will take 125 to do it in the same number of days at eight hours a day. The competition among employers for the extra 25 men must tend to raise wages, and if that is the caso, what need we care for the production of wealth or for the general welfare of the community?" Thi3 is the argument for the compulsory eight hours system in its unabashed nakedness. Even if it is true, it is mean and sordid; but, like everything mean and sordid, it is not true. The work of the community is not a fixed quantity. The more work that is done, the more there is to do, and the more money can be earned by doing it. When a man has food, clothing and shelter, he is apt to want a small plot of ground, or a horse and or something equally expensive, and requiring a good deal of highly skilled and highly paid labour to produce. Is he to be debarred from satisfying these legitimate desires to make up for the indifferent or improvident 1 To limit the labour of the community by law tends to confine it to the production of bare necessaries. Extra labour, and the extra wealth produced by it, are necessary, both for the production and purchase of luxuries. It is universally true that activity in trade never is more

promoted than by a demand for luxuries. Those who can afford to buy thorn pay for them out of their surplus, and c.inaftord to be liberal; therefore good prices and wages can lie paid in their manufacture. The production of bare necessaries on the other hand, is always cut down as near as possible to a bare subsistence. The compulsory eight hours would do more to bring about poverty among woiking men, and to confine them to a barren and joyless existence than almost any other device of the enemy. They would have plenty of spare time doubtless —so has a dog—ease and hunger.