Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-04-26

An Eight Hour Experiment.

SaS Va "h VA
pertinent with the eight-hour day
In England, which is one of the
most interesting documents, both
IN its relation to the labor problem
and as a contribution to the facts Of
political economy, that have come
under our notice. 1t appears that
a great firm of iron workers at Sal
ford, employing about 900 people,
determined a year ago to try the
experiment of working their men
forty-eight hours a 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 articulation. The
head of this great concern has made
a report on the full twelve months
during which the experiment has
been in progress, and his conclu-
sions are enthusiastically favoratle
to the scheme, from every point of
view.
Il is stated that the men have
worked, on the average, five hours
"A week less all the year round than
under the old arrangement, yet
they have done as much work and
received as much pay. 1t Is shown
by this that there is no commercial
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 circumyented
and she declares that the most pro-
fitable days work is that done In
the hours when the man is vigorous
and unwearied. The most remark.
able fact in connection with this
result is that one-third of the mer
were engaged upon piece work,
There might have been difficulty in
exactly measuring results where &
fixed daily wage was paid. But
where men were paid by the piece.
and received the same money fol
the same number of pieces finished.
it is certainly startling to find thai
they earned as much money in
forty eight hours as they had pre-
viously done in fifty-three. "Ther'
have been neither idle men nor idl,
machinery at the Stafford IroI
works. says the report; and thu
work of the year is taken as a proc
of what men car co when they W ri
with a will.
There is another. fact connected
with this experiment that is quit
as important. The foreman of som
twenty departments IN the work
bear uniform testimony to the im
provement of the men IN morals an,
conduct under the short hour sys
tenn. They do not, as has been s.
vigorously asserted. spend the extr
time in the public houses. Doubt
less those Of them who loaf ther
In any event loaf there still. Blu
the sober and industrious have pu
their extra leisure to good uses
-. There has been less drunkenness
: since the change. There has beel
more punctuallty, promptitude
energv. attention and interest IL
the work. And the whole lesson o
of the trial is that the employer
have gained, because work cheerful,
and accurately done is better thar
work done under the lash; that tn
men have gained in two directions
because they have found labor les
generous and added to their lelsur'
without any sacrifice of earnings
and that the whole community has
gained, since its average will depend
! in the long run on the conditions o
labor. From the point OF view 0
noljtical economy, this experiment
: seems to overthrow completely tn
nos,tion, so long maintained a
4 mathematically established, tina
shortened hours mast mean eithe
lessened production, loss of prof
!; ar lower wages. Such an experience
is a powerful argument in favor Q
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