The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-04-18

ASHORTER WORKDAY
COMMENTS UPON THE REPORT OF
AN ENGLISH MANDATORY.
Underlying Motives of the Eight Hour All.
tation-How Improved Machinery Has
Invaded the Domain of Manual Labor
Toilers Must Free Themselves.
The report of Mr. William Mather. M
p, Of the results Of years experience
with the eight hour workday in the Sal
ford iron works has received considera-
BILE notice on both sides Of the Atlantic.
A little more than a year ago the firm
Of Mather & Pratt reduced the working
time in the Stafford works from nine to
eight hours daily without any reduction
OF wages, and the full details Of the effect
OF the change, recently presented to the
government, are gratifying from the
standpoint Of the firm as well as from
that Of the employees Mr. Mather shows
that the aggregate output for the year
was greater than ever before with the
same number Of workingmen and with
the day shortened by one hour, and he
pronounces the experiment in every re-
spect success. The employees have been
cheerful under the new rule, and there
has been feeling of mutual good will
So satisfactory is the report of Mr.
Mather that his recommendation that
the government adopt the eight hour day
In the arsenals, dockyards and other
public works is receiving rather liberal
support from the press and the public Of
England. The London Globe, however,
does not look upon the success Of the Sal
ford experiment as strengthening the
claims Of the eight hour labor agitators
and politicians in sympathy with them -
The prophecies Of these gentlemen are
falsified, says The Globe, by the fact that
Mr.. Mather has not found it necessary
to enlarge his force Of employees on &C
count of the reduction Of the working
day from nine hours to eight hours. If
the eight hour champions based their
agitation upon that one point alone, and
If the reduction was intended only for
concerns like the Stafford iron works,
then The Globe could lay claim to hav-
ing scored against the eight hour "agi-
tatOrs "
In the first place, it is claimed that
the greatest and most lasting benefit
which will follow the Inauguration Of
the eight hour workday will be in the
increased time for recreation and rest
which will be given to those whose days
labor is shortened. Mr.. Mather's report,
wherein it refers to the cheerfulness Of
employees and the mutual good will ex-
listing under the new order, emphasizes
this point Men would be better and
happier if they had only to work four
hours day if in that time they could
provide for their wants, and the shorter
hours movement will ere long change it's
watchword from "eight' to ''seven' or
"six." Already it is known that a uni
versal application Of the eight hour rule
would give only temporary relief to the
overcrowded labor market; that with
present methods of production six hours
day contributed by each worker would
be sufficient to supply all demands. AS
the only object Of work is to produce
sufficiency of the things needful to
mans comfort, there should be no waste
Of labor in well organized society, nor
should there be excessive labor by some
and idleness by Others
The statement Of The Globe that the
reduction Of the workday to eight hours
does not increase the area Of employ
ment is evidence that the editor Of that
paper has never looked deeply into the
subject or has assumed an air Of igno-
rance for the purpose of deceiving his
readers. It is probable that the condi-
tions in the Stafford iron works were ex-
ceptional, but if the result in all such
concerns was the same as there it would
not justify the assertion Of The Globe.
Only in manufacturing where all or
nearly all of the labor is done by hand
will it be possible to accomplish the
same amount of work in eight hours as
is now accomplished in nine hours.
There is limit to the capacity of the
machine, wonderful as it is, and as the
greater part of production is now car
ried on by the use of machinery, with
human tenders, the product must be re-
duced one-ninth with the reduction Of
the running time from nine to eight
hours, and the machines are generally
run up to their full capacity.
A large part of the army Of labor is
engaged not in production, but in dis
tributing products, and labor is of the
least consideration in determining the
speed at which distribution shall be
carried on In other words, it is not to
be supposed that those engaged in dis
tributive labor could accomplish any
more per hour in an eight hour day than
they can in day of nine hours. A COM
positor may not be able to keep up in
his ninth hour the average Of the pre-
ceding eight hours, but pressman can
not avoid doing so. A bricklayer may
get livelier move on for short day,
but car driver couldn't if he would.
Hundreds of illustrations of this point
mill ooo,,r tO tho reader and 7 need not