The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-17
THE EIGHT HOURS DAY.
REsULrs or az EIPKRIHREF FADE
ar THE slEFoRD IRON EoREh
a snest decrease - the Cs-t 80 TIE Frss->s
sfnsy's Wsvh. Sss = Rssvetisu - thst
&c FtseswsrE-6hs Espert-s-t - s-,ss-
fsetsrI - Far, sut Net Cassiussve.

- NeNn WcTAs e1e = AeaUrften - hhHa
90 Ftseswsrs-shs Erperf-.,t - s.,ss-
fssisry - Far, su, Net Cessi.s,ve.
Tro- a. L.-ss- 1--s-is
A very practical contribution to the discus
sion OF the eight hours question has been fur
nlshed BY Mr.. william Msther. ". T.. in the
form OF = report upon the result Of q years
trial OF the forty eight hours week" at the
Stafford Iron Works Of Mather& Platt Limited.
The firm employs about 1.20O men. who are
engaged In various branches Of the engineer
ing and machinery trades. and being anxious.
as Mr. Mather puts It. " to devise some plan by
which the hours OF labor could be shortened
without any reduction OF wages" they took
their workmen into counsel with them. with the
result that in February Of last rear I: was ar
ranged that the works would. by tho stop pin G
OF the two hours before breakfast run forty
eight instead Of ty-three hours per week st
the same rate OF waRes" At the same time. an
understanding was arrived At with the ANAL
g.msted Society OF Engineers. wno undertook
that during the year in which the experim ent
was to be tried no demand for reduction OF
hours should be made upon other employers.
and the practical arrangements for carrying
out the scheme appear TO have been settled in
consultation with the officials OF that society.
The workmen. moreover. were given clearly
to understand. that without some compen-
tation being afforded by them in the
shape OF greater punetuallty and increased
energy and interest during the shorter
hours" II would be impossible to make
success Of the new system. while
an earnest appeal" was made to the fore
men In tho various departments to exercise
foresight and vigilance steadily throughout
the rear 10 forwarding the work from process
to process. to furnish materials well in adj
vance. and to provide such simple facilities
-I-.I.- -. Il
-. -, - =. " ,T.s .
plecevork men. from tims 70 Tina"
such were the eondiiion. nno.r xh,ch Oh.
s.n.rim.nt va. IN .,i,utsJ .nJ IN .,,,xInr =,
out a special feature was that no overtime
whatever was worked. except for breakdowns
and repairs. extr. men being en- ployed. on tn.
double shift plan. to meet extra pressure OF
work And RAISING now to the results OF the
year trisi; 4 VIII ne best to leave MT. Msther
.t.sD1.o i?r himself Here Is the s''s oil his
w.s,. Cost On making up tn. book. ". found that,
the rsno Of wage. TO tarno".r ~ IN I "a. .H
preceding I..r 'H;rs 10: an nsrs..s Of o. per ssnt
pres. were considerably loser IN. seiSsI ausntIIy
.sr lsr..i than in ID. ak pr.s.sias
mus. s: e S.s Of 10 .si Ia.
pness ruled III. same. tae turnover IN the trlsi
insI..i OF sno~Ing an .ns.s-.. II 20 p.f esat -o%
si. ir . s to s: OF str. ,,.a a.
$50. n: .s;.s r,.a, as s,.s 90 70. s.mr.i.os
tn. fsio tue wage. eo., to To. turnover ihs ns.
. IN: 5 .S: %
ana q. s on. "a
and toe greater osd OF MED charge. the
s:..s !s.asns Ia .ai lsS;a .aa
IL. ns ss .a
P:ra.n.as .i.a : HIsa :.l.I:. BENG :apS,:a ~.
it.,r aeeosnt % these exprLs,s M nmstaI atiS in n
,"r Of us .r,.l Te.r Ihs credit from ines.
Der cent on ~. net sn,ouat OF the year. turnov.r
~ ..e". " s :.
bolE., rhlen commentaries. the debit . az per
eat I n ID. sS' OF los, Tin.
s.,. To fs Total tms aSss.d .,.ras.a IN III. Is
psr,oi u is ony o a. rss cent hi. los, i'm. 81
sou... rsprs.sst ..roa. ssinu,ion IN tbs year.
saasss OF the conc.n Iher. are also other io...s r..
90. Ola gang" hIs .essucs Ipsetsdr cause. ali
H.. m ate. Co lo.' nsTs 2. zee, ,.ms IN ssrnas .ad
ss Ts'.n ne soTh;s s Is !: probably no, 100
witch an emploTsr has to pay. at is.s, sauai TO
ne !E: TO-, ., a.. man S.a..I ws...I.I :.'iss
Accent tI..a o % N IN. n5IIs. T1rstd Ss
Important ts.es on SSs s.S.rai r:.as mas h'd an
matter OF at.fssG it~a. a, Zoe outset
p.rhso. i.liy-a..um.d that men on p,.Ss -ort
ssI; :ssrs:a:4 ss;lt :.rnss. .osiS :a;S,s
no; been rss,H.l To- stnousa thee !. f.iins ~ n
p<rc hy over and
above what ihry would have received as day wasss
!. slight In comparison villa the reduction
IN the nms and Particularly 80 IN the later
ss soSsips ,ss ' v, 70 1aas, batter Q.
nIsc. sort -. war a. hen d,,iss IN, .rt
Of approSim.i.iy s9u. .snxths. ia the nr.t period
ihs surplus ever d.S.sors rates "a. l. - per cent
les. thaa the standard pisrswork sAses; in tue
end psr.oa % per sent Zee, Than me 'iand.rd piece
,han IN. .r.na "a .aa PEI per e.sL 'sss
lie IL comIns out al p~r cent les. ~ an IN
standard. These nEarss sho- that as IL. ysAr al.
SAnesd there wAs steady adaptation to the altered
eonduioAs; aud Is Is rsAsohAo!s to expect that tue
snSI dlns'snSs Ismainins A. we sna ~ the ysAr
IN, an ~ st pp,.n.. De no,sd
sors rae. say.nesd In fsci soms f.Jaet on. pw.,s
nsds-In special cases where the rates we're sd.
niItIsdy TOO high, Had ,nsss few shanEss act been
made the din.r.nes estvssn t.s two periods would
pay. De- ~ cent en- .hssaa OF IL per cent
,s.ss a. .,.st na,tnation, IN ni.s.nors sssn,ny
isvs from one year TO another andsr ID. Old
systsm
From tho EMPLOYERS point OF view tb..e "a
.nIts must he $4,000 a. rs.y satisfscSory
To- nisss xorksrs ,.on stI,n,s .Yon1 nnstStI,i
81 liz numhsr amnIoyad Inv tha am and
NAV sarn.d IL nsr s.nr Las unJ.rrh. 49,
systsm thsa they had been doing undar the
oiJ 1hils iha rsmaIni 10 tSo 1900 81 ,he
-, " tho