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MINERS' EIGHT HOURS DAY. .

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MINERS' EIGHT HOURS DAY. 30UTH WALES COLLIERS AND THE QUESTION. PROBABLE REVOLUTION IN THE SYSTEM OF WORKING. THE OPINIONS OF ABERDARE AND RH< >NDDA MINERS. WILL THE PROPOSED CHANGE RESTRICT THE OUTPUT ? [BY A RH03TODA ECONOMIST.] There is now but very little doubt in the minds it the leaders of the miners in moat of the mining districts of this eonnry that the Eight Hours Bill will sooa become law. A cast- iron rule such as is proposed will unquestion- ably, if rigidly enforced in all the mines, cause quite a revolution in the system of working In the collieries in many of the largest districts. The Aberdare and Merthyr districts have not banged their views since they declared recently Against the proposed eight hours day. The Rhondd.. Valleys are not at all enthusiastic regarding the measure. in fact, the voice of the majority of the men has not been ascertained. But it is a well-known fact that the men's representatives, including the Federationists as well, are m favour of the Bill. The Clydach Vale collieries, employing about 2,000 workmen, (laving tried the eight hours day from bank jo bank for over 12 months, abandoned tt, because they found the mode of working and ,1M shortened hours detrimental to their interests. They balloted upon the matter, and the great majority were in favour of reverting to the nine "boars system, which was previously adopted by them. I have no hesitation to stating that a very large number of the miners in the Rhondda Valleys, if not a large majority of the men, would vote against the Bill if their feelings were tested by ballot. Then the Northumberland and the Durham miners disapprove of the principle 5f the Bill, and it is alleged by theIr leaders that the propoeed legislative in. terference will seriously affect the welfare of the underground workmen in all the .•cilleries in their districta. Although the miners !n the Northern districts do not work even eight lours from bank to bank, yet they contend that i legal eight hours' day would affect a large aumber of workmen in the pits, and would BEVOLUTIONISK THE SYSTEM THROUGHOUT THE 1IINB8. Fbe employers and a majority of the men agree that tbe principle of the Bill is unjust, and the proposed change would, if adopted or enforced, Increase the cost of production, and throw out of employment many of the workmen in the various jollieries. It is evident, therefore, that the en- forcement of an eight hours' law would cause con liderable dissatisfaction among a large section of miners in various large districts in different parts of the country. For instance, the large number af miners employed in the Clydach Vale Collieries who have tried an eight hours' system from bank to bank for over 12 months, and abandoned it owing to its impracticability and the great inconvenience and annoyance it caused to the generality of the men and also to the management of the pita, will have to legally resume the objectionable system if the Bill should pass into Jaw. It therefore stands to reason that these BOilieriefl will be dissatisfied if the change be legally enforced. I have had a chat with many of the experienced miners of the Clydach Vale collieries respecting the eight hours system as adopted by them. Some of them alleged that tht-y could not possibly earn suffi- cient wages or the amount of wages they gener- ally earned previously, because the time was too short, although they received extra remuneration for working under the eight hours from bank to bank system. Of course, the*e waa a double shift on the coal. The first shift of miners, descending the pits about six o'clock in the morn- ing, worked on until the second shift went in at two o'clock to turn them out. The second shift same out of the pits at about ten o'clock at night. The officials of the collieries complained that the interval between ten o'clock at night and six ID morning was too short to allow for repairs m different parts of the mines by the night lahourerg and timbermen. This was one of the grievances of the management. THK TWO SKIITS 0- COLLIEBS QUATTBELLED with each other frequently, one complaining that the other was not doing its duty, or was un- skilled or indolent. Two shifts of workmen em- ployed in the same working place is a thing practically unknown in South Wales collieries, speaking generally. Occasional disputes and wrangles occurred in the working places, and the officials of the collieries had sometimes to interfere, and were sent for by the aggrieved parties underground. Then, on pay-days disputes occurred between the workmen of the two shifts regarding the dividing of wages paid for dead work. Such is a brief account of the condition of things amongst the miners of the C'ydach Vale collieries while the eight hours' day was in vogue there. Such is the state of things that must occur in every other colliery where a double shift system on the coal will be adopted. This is why the men themselves so strongly protest against the adoption of double shift on the coal. We now come to con- sider very important question in regard to this matter. Will the employers enforce the double- ahift system on the coal if the Eight Hours' BIn making an eight hours' system from bank to bank compulsory becomes law. We know the views of Mr David Morgan, Aberdare. He states emphatically that in all probability a double shift will be enforced generally throughout South Wales. The employers themselves are somewhat reticent about the matter. They no dottbt have made up their minds what to do w the change is a<iopted, or enforced, assum. ing the measure will pass, as now expected by t119 leaden of the men. Mr D. A. Thomas, M.P., has warned the men, stating distinctly that the double-shift system on the coal will follow the passing of an eight hours' day for miners in the South Wales collieries. And if the double shift be enforced the system of working in the South Wales collieries Wilt BE REVOLUTIONISED, not for the better, but for the worse. These are the views of the men themselves. But the men's leaders contend that the woikmen will not submit to a double shift. It is flo be an eight hours' system from bank to bank without a double shift on the coal. Now, even confining this question of legislative interference to our own district of South Wales it will be seen what conflict is likely to occur between employers and the work- men when a legal eight hours' day comes into force. How are the men going to successfully resist the employers' enforcement of the objectionable double shift ? The work. idea of South Wales to-day are badly organised. They might say. We shall strike against a double shift." Unquestionably there will be a conflict between the employers and the misers respecting the change. But why should the employers enforce a double shift ? A couple of years ago, when the question of limitation of hours to eight from bank to bank was being dis- cussed at different public meetings and at the associations of the miners, the leaders urged that such a limitation of the hours in mines would not cause a diminution of output. It was one of their chief arguments that an eight hours day would enable the men to increase their vitality and work more vigorously, and conseqvieutly do practically the same amount of labour in the short day as m the longer one. But during the past few weeks THB LEADEES HATE CHANGED THIUR MINDS upon this important question. They adopted at a recent conference a resolution earnestly request- ing every collier to adhere to the nine hours system, or to put down tools at the expiration of nine hours, and not to work ten or more as was done in a large number of collieries in South Wales by a large number of men. It was said by them that the carrying out of that proposal would reduce the output in the mines by at least 20 per cent. Surely, therefore, if the limitation of hours to nine will so substantially rescrict the output, the limitation to eight must reduce the output considerably more. Anyone arguing differently must evidently be illogical. But a legal eight hours day means, strictly speaking, a seven hours' working day, or even lees than that. Therf comes the question of cost of production, aDd also other very important questions, which I sbftil consider in another article.

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