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 limit, takes such a shape in various British industries that the low price of labour during the so-called normal time compels the labourer to work during the better paid over-time, if he wishes to obtain a sufficient wage at all. Legal limitation of the working-day puts an end to these amenities.

It is a fact generally known that, the longer the working-days, in any branch of industry, the lower are the wages. A. Redgrave, factory-inspector, illustrates this by a comparative review of the 20 years from 1839-1859, according to which wages rose in the factories under the 10 hours’ law, whilst they fell in the factories in which the work lasted 14 to 15 hours daily.

From the law: “the price of labour being given, the daily or weekly wage depends on the quantity of labour expended,” it follows, first of all, that, the lower the price of labour, the greater must be the quantity of labour, or the longer must be