Eight Hours’ Demonstration in Melbourne.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 450, 6 May 1890, Page 3

Eight Hours’ Demonstration in Melbourne.

[own cobbksfondent.] Melbourne, April 22. The 34th anniversary of tbe introduction of the “ eight hours ” system into Victoria was celebrated yesterday in the customary manner. There was the usual procession through the town, blocking traffic; the usual gaping crowd; tbe usual number of pickpockets, who industriously plied their calling whilst the working man was enjoying himself. Thia eight hours system is a very good system, as far as it goes, and contrasts very favorably with the system still in full force in the rural districts of the old country, and, I have uo doubt in several other countries besides—a system under which a joinery carpenter, or bricklayer, in summer time tramps four and five miles to his work, and is on tbe spot ready to •' off with hie jacket” when tbe six o'clock bell rings, having already breakfasted: who works steadily on for six hours, until the midday bell announces the time for dinner—eaten cold —who begins work again at 1 o'clock and continues thereat until the bell again rings at 6 in the evening, informing him that after eleven hours’ good work, by which he has earned at moat five shillings—probably less—he is at liberty to resume hia jacket, and trudge four miles back to his home and his supper. Yes; tbe eight hours system is a very good thing, and I, for one, would not willingly see it break down. For all that, the manner in which ite inauguration is commemorated each year might be very considerably modified with advantage to a great many people, and without detriment to anybody whatever. Let the trades societies and their adherents have their yearly holiday by all means. There is no reason why work should not be suspended by the workmen in every trade that is carried on under the eight hours regime. But there is no reason in the world why all the rest of mankind should be governed by the laws promulgated from Trades Hell. Vehicular traffic of all kinds is stopped during the two hours required by the procession to drag its weary length through the principal streets in the city: tram car service is also suspended: the day is gazetted aa a public holiday : public offices are shut up: the postal service is capsized, and business is thrown out of joint generally. There is no necessity for any of these things. As I have said before, let the workmen take his holiday if he thinks fit, and go and kick up bis heels in tbe green fields. It will do him no harm. But there is no earthly reason why work should be rendered impossible to everybody else; and the Trades Hall does not do well to practically impose a day's idleness—which means the loss of a day’s pay—upon thousands of people who would rather be at work. There is altogether too much of this sort of thing in Melbourne. It is not yet twenty days since the Easter holidays, and now the State gravely proclaims another day of rest, and that in a place where, as a rule, people have not the remotest idea oi what honest hard work really it. lam glad to see that the Banks this year set their faces against this tomfoolery, and remain open, and I imagine that a good many slaves of tbe desk are hard at work in the merchants' offices as well. Tbe change in tbe day of departure of the English and Indian mails from Friday to Tuesday, will compel thousands of people to remain at work.

The procession this ysar was to have been traced by a contingent of the " unemployed," aut their more fortunate brethren would not have them. This, they felt would hardly do. After the money they were throwing away upon banners, bands of music, &c., a mob of unemployed workmen at their heels would have been too bad.