Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1893 — Working Days in Different Countries [ARTICLE]

Working Days in Different Countries

In these days of ever-recurring labor disputes in almost every part of the globe, says Iron, of theories of the British workmen for the Continental Sunday (but, mind, only so far as pleasure, not labor, is concerned); and, of the weakkneed endeavors of the Continental artificer, in his turn, to have the British resting Sunday introduced, it is interesting to note, from figures furnished by a Polish statistician, the number of working days per annum standard in various countries. As might be expected, the inhabitants of Central Russia labor fewest days in the year—to wit, 237. Then comes Canada, with 270; followed by Scotland, 275; England, 278; Portugal, 283; Russian Poland, 288; Spain 200; Austria and the Russian Baltic Provinces, 295: Italy, 298; Bavaria, Belgium, Brazil and Luxembourg, 300; Saxony, France, Finland, AVurtemburg, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway, 302; Sweden, 305; Prussia and Ireland, 305; United States, 300; Holland, 308, and Hungary 312. Assuming that these figures are fairly correct, it may be considered that in a few instances they afford ground for mild surprise. For example, if the Canadian working man has only to toil, statutablv, 270 days out of 305, why does he cross the boundary line to the United States, where he will be kept at the grindstone, so to speak, for 306 days, or only six less than the Hungarian has to slave? Again, it is curious that Brazil should be bracketed with Bavaria and Belgium at 300 days, these three constituting the only countries mentioned in the initial letter of whose name is “B;” while it is worth noting that the sweatiug Fritz and the downtrodden Pat are in the same category, these gentlemen having legally to delve for some 30 days more in the twelvemonth than their more fortunate Scottish and English colleagues.