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Re: [OPE-L] length of the working day

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I never saw any mention of international competition, but quite a bit about giving workers
time for immorality.


On Tue, Aug 02, 2005 at 03:27:38PM -0400, glevy@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
> Hi Michael P:
>
> Well, I can't check on any sources now, but surely someone
> must have used a "competitiveness" argument against the 8-hour-day.
> I.e. domestic firms, if forced to comply with a limit on the working
> day, would be at a competitive disadvantage in relation to firms from
> other nations which had no such limit.  I suspect, in the context of
> the 19th Century, conservatives also made a "laziness" argument --
> since the working class was deemed to be slothful.  I bet you
> could also find a conservative argument (from the Church?) that the
> 8-hour-day would increase alcoholism and othere sorts of sinful activities
> like adultery.  After all, the working class with too much time on its
> hands would surely fall into all sorts of moral depravities.
>
> In solidarity, Jerry

--
Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA 95929

Tel. 530-898-5321
E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu
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