The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1894-05-03
Interesting Experiment Made
in England.
THE EIGHT -FOUR DAY A SUCCESS
A Great Firm of Iron Norl.nrs i'm
England, After II Thorough Test,
Determines That There No
Commercial Profit in Work
ing Men for Long Hours.

| Ine Manchester City News gives an ac-
count of the results of an experiment
with the eight-hour day in England
which is one of the most interesting do
cuments, both in it's relation to the labor
problem and as contribution to the
facts Of political economy, that have come
under our notice. 1t appears that a
great firm of iron workers at Stafford em-
poying about l,20O people, determined a
year ago to try the experiment of work
ing their men forty-eight hours week
and no more. The concern is one where
the division of labor is carried to the
highest point, one department depends
upon the work of another, and twenty of
these departments demand complete ar
ticulation. The head of this great con
Germ has made report on the full twelve
months during whioh the experiment
has been in progress, and his conclusions
are enthusiastically favorable to the new
scheme, from every point Of view.
1t is stated that the men have worked,
on an average, five hours week less all
the year round than under the old ar
rangement, yet they have done as much
work and received as much pay. It is
shown by this that there is no CONNER
cial profit in dragging men from their
beds at five o'clock in the morning, or
keeping them at their places after they
are tagged. AS usual, nature refuses to
be circumvented; and she declares that
the most profitable days work is that
done IN the hours when the man is vigor-
GUS and unwearied. The most remark
able fact in connection with this result is
that one third of the men were engaged
upon piece work. There might have
been difficulty in exactly measuring re-
suits where fixed daily wage was paid.
But where men were paid by the piece,
and received the same money for the
same number Of pieces finished, 1t is GER
tainly startling to find that they earned
as much money in forty-eight hours as
they had previously done in fifty three.
"There have been neither idle men nor
idle machinery at the Stafford Iron works."
says the report; and the work of the
year is taken as a proof of what men can
do when they work with will"
There is another fact connected with
this experiment that is quite as impor-
tant. The foreman of some twenty de-
ments in the works, bear uniform testi-
mony to the improvement of the mon in
morals and conduct under the short
aour system. They do not, as has been
20 vigorously asserted, spend the extra
lime in public houses. Doubtless those
If them who loaf there in any event loaf
here still. But the sober and indus
rious have put their extra leisure to
rood uses. There has been less drunk
'nness since the change. There has been
more punctuality, promptitude, energy,
ttention and interest in the work. And
he whole lesson of the trial is that the
Employees have gained, because work
heerfully and accurately done is better
han work done under the lash; that the
nen have gained in two directions be-
ause they have found labor less onerous
nd added to their leisure without any
acrifice of earnings; and that the whole .
has gained, since it's average t
7ill depend IN the long run on the con
itions Of labor. From the point of view
t political economy, this experiment
GEMS to overthrow completely the posi-
ion, SO long maintained as Mathematics
lily established, that shorter hours must
1ean either lessened production, loss of
rofit or lower wages. Such an exper-
'nce is a powerful argument in favor Of
he shorter laboring day that is one of
he objects toward which all laboring
len are working.