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EIGHT HOURS PUT TO THE TEST.
There were many glum faces in the vi
cinity of the Trades Hall on Tuesday morn
inc when the time was approaching for the
V.\nM. Hours orocession to move away. The
leaders of the unionists must have had the
tympathy of the community in connection
with the weather that had gathered
tor the day. It is hard to say, 'Good for
the country' when it is your own shew that
if. being ruined by the rain, but philosophy
rose superior to the depressing influence of
a wet holiday. The more rebellious spirits
declared— 'The man on the land wins every
time,' but the gmit majority were re
signed, and agreed that it was 'Good for
the country.' It took a deal of enthusiasm to
be in Grote street punctually, but Tuesday
was the sort of day tiiat put the eight hours
principle to the test, and that principle
came up all the stronger from its dsiokinj;.
Given a fine day, records would have been
broken, because the demonstrations of two
cities had been joined in one— Adelaide and
Port Adelaide. As it was, people wero
amazed at the enthusiasm of the workers.
Comparatively speaking, umbrellas took the
place of banners, but the procession seemed
to have suffered nothing in numerical
strength as a result of the incessant rain.
Trades displays were ruined, and it would
have been better it some of tiem had never
been unhoused. The rainy day, however,
had to come. It was many yjiu-s since
Eight Hours Day had been similarly
crushed, and everybody hopes that it will
be many more years before the experience
is repeated.
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