31 MARCH 1894, Page 16

AN EIGHT-HOURS DAY.

[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] Sin,—My attention has just been called to an article in the Spectator of March 24th, containing a statement which does not coincide with your usual fairness. You say that the skilled artisan wishes for an eight-hour day in order to begin overtime the sooner, such overtime being paid half as much again as ordinary time. As I have had some fifteen years' experience of skilled artisans, perhaps I may be allowed to give their side of the case. Individuals I have come across who would work fourteen days to a week if they could have got the time in, but as a test of the feeling of the majority, we can fairly, I think, take the Trades-Unions as representing this majority.

Now, Sir, about four years ago, in the engineering trade, there was a very great increase of work, which necessitated a great deal of overtime being worked. For about eight months, the men in this district worked from 6 a.m. till 9.15 p.m.' Then the Union came forward, and told the masters that overtime must be stopped ; the masters objected ; the result was one of the most serious strikes which have ever occurred in the North- eastern district. Finally, the masters gave way, and now nobody connected with engineering trades is allowed by the Union to work a single hour of overtime. This has been the order for some two years at least, and when we get busy a double shift is put on, thus employing two men for reasonable hours in place of working one man to death.—I am, Sir, &c.,

ERNEST HOOPER.

Gateshead Pell Rectory, Gateshead-on•Tyne, March 24th.