Excerpt from An Eight-Hours Day: The Case Against Trade-Union and Legislative Interference

That a general reduction of hours of labour will some day be possible is not questioned. The legitimate effort of trade unions towards securing such an end is commendable; but a clear distinction must be drawn between lawful (using the word in a moral as broader than a legal sense) effort and immoral compulsion or intolerant interference. Peaceful negotiation will solve more difficulties than will recklessly promoted strikes and internecine warfare.

I believe that, with the exception of Mr. Jeans' recent pamphlet, this is the first attempt to summarize in book form the question of an eight-hours day, with the rights of employers and of the unfettered workmen placed prominently in the fore ground. Most of the literature professing to deal more or less exhaustively with the subject seems to have unduly emphasized the sentimental and socialistic view of the question at the expense of practical utility.

We all, whether employers or not, rejoice in the fact that the manual worker has during recent years raised himself to a better social position. He has often been righteously discontented, and moderate discontent, containing all the best elements of ambi tion, is a good thing but, carried to excess, it becomes greed, and inevitably tends to an embittered strife. If a workman is paid - and ungrudgingly paid-higher wages, and if he is given - and willingly given - shorter hours, good and faithful service is expected in return, and employers must insist on his throwing off the incubus of supporting the motley agitator, whose business it is to encourage unwholesome discontent and make strife chronic in the industrial world. If the employers continue to act firmly, with wisdom, and in concert, the State will not be likely to bother itself with labour legislation, but will attend to its functional concerns and ceremonials.

The only unemployed will then be the self-appointed leaders of that socialist faction which, in the labour world, makes so much noise with so little impression or real achievement.

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