The Labour - Day. By M. Maltman Barrie. (G. Vickers. ls.)—Mr. Barrie
moves with a very certain step in regions which to us, we must own, are obscure. There are, he tells us, a million adult males in the United Kingdom who live in "volun- tary and wealthy idleness," and another million and more (paupers, vagrants, criminals, &c.) who live "in more or less enforced idleness and want." This leaves seven millions who work on an average twelve hours a day. We do not know where the first million is to be found, unless it includes all who do not work with their hands. But let this pass ; the " twelve hours a day" is a figure that can be checked. The writer of this notice employs a gardener, and has employed one for nearly forty years ; but he has never known, or even heard, of a man so employed who
worked so many hours. From 7 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., with an hour and a half for meals, is the common time. This works out at nine hours. It is a pity to spoil Mr. Barrie's neat little sum :— 7,000,000 x 12 = 84,000,000. Make every adult male work, and divide by nine millions, and we get nine hours (about) as a quotient, or the desiderated labour-day. There are many other things to be read in the pamphlet. -Some of them are true ; some we do not understand ; some we absolutely deny. As a whole is worth reading ; the author represents, we quite believe; a number of more or less intelligent people, and it will repay the trouble to see what they think.
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