half past eight
This bad weather , by the way , was a sort of boon to the defenders of the present system , who were hard-up for sensible arguments to explain the cause of poverty . One of the principal causes was , of course , the weather , which was keeping everything back . There was not the slightest doubt that if only the weather would allow there would always be plenty of work , and poverty would be abolished . Rushton & Co. had a fair share of what work there was , and Crass , Sawkins , Slyme and Owen were kept employed pretty regularly , although they did not start until half past eight and left off at four . At different houses in various parts of the town they had ceilings to wash off and distemper , to strip the old paper from the walls , and to repaint and paper the rooms , and sometimes there were the venetian blinds to repair and repaint . Occasionally a few extra hands were taken on for a few days , and discharged again as soon as the job they were taken on to do was finished . The defenders of the existing system may possibly believe that the knowledge that they would be discharged directly the job was done was a very good incentive to industry , that they would naturally under these circumstances do their best to get the work done as quickly as possible .