Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-05-24
THE S-HOUR SYSTEM
Less incompetence, Better Homes
and More Pride.
ITS BENEFITS TO THE WORKINGuAN

a Report on the shorter Hours Move.
ment Made 10 tile House of Kepre-
sentaiives = The Committee
Found Only Benefits
~ Washington, May 21.-1n view of the
recent eight hour movement turnout
the country. the report made to the
house of representatives by Chairman
Gardner, of the committee on labor on
the Gardner eight hour bill and the
general subject of eight hour legisla-
4 ton, has timely interest. The bill
requires clause in all government
contracts that the labor under the
contract shall not exceed eight hours
daily. The report says in part:
lit is commended by the advocates of
the shorter day that the additional
leisure given to labor in every instance
of the shortening of the work days, as
lit has been shortened, step by step,
from sixteen hours to fourteen, twelve,
eleven, ten, nine and in many instances
eight, has resulted in decrease of in
temperance among laborers, the ac-
quirement of better taste, and new
and better desires, resulting in better
homes, greater domestic felicity and a
higher degree of intelligence, with an
/ increase of Silaudable pride as to the
clothing of themselves and those de-
pendent upon them. In word, it has
Increased their interests in home and
better social relations, raising their
moral status, and has made them much
better consumers of the products of
labor, and hence resulted in increased
production.
The proposition that without vari-
alton the elimination of intemperance,
pauperism, Ignorance, crime and their
accompanying evils move parallel with
and proportionate to the increase of
the social opportunities of the labor
ing class stands without impeachment
Of its historical accuracy. No recog-
nized authority today combats the
q proposition that the condition of labor
has improved with every reduction in
the hours of daily service that has up
to this time been made.
Nobody will dispute that he has be-
q come better consumer with each re-
duction. No reasonable person would
Tor a moment entertain the PROPOSE
lion that the work day should again
be heightened to fourteen or twelve
hours. When the hours of work were
80 long that workers had no social
opportunities they resorted TO stimul-
ants for solace, and the saloon for SOC
iesy, where they encountered an iron
law for spending which could not
be disregarded without loss of caste
IN the only society which they had
opportunity to enter. A gentleman of
q responsibility and exceptional oppor-
tunity for observation has borne testl-
lnony that the shorting of the work
day has banished blue Monday
"a significant fast in connection
with the shorting of the work day at
various times during the present CEN
fury is the entire silence of the older
school of economists with regard TO
the effect of the shorter work day on
society, business, Industrial conditions.
pr the laborers themselves. 1t is no.
where claimed, in so far as your com
mittee is aware, that any reduction
IN the hours of labor has had a detri-
mental effect on business, on manu-
features on labor as a unit or individ-
ual laborers. The advocate of the
shorter hour theory, upon the other
hand, traces the moral, social and
financial Improvement, of the laborer
TO this cause and allege that business
WAS at no time injured, but improved
# affected, and that production was
stimulated and consumption increased.
Economists who advocate the eight
hour day contend with great plausi-
hlity that the shorter day results in
an Increase of wages without am III
Il crease of price, as greater consump-
ton enlarges production, and the
Larger the scale of production, the
cheaper the given article is produced;
that the laborer, when he has the
leisure, resulting from the shorter
hours, has new aspirations, ambitions.
and greater personal self respect, and,
as before stated, wants better house
better furniture, better clothes, better
food and becomes great deal better
consumer: that the scale of wages is
controlled by the wants of the laborer
IN any given state of society,
rather than by the iron laws
OF wages; that modern men
cease to work under normal con-
ditlons 1t the proceeds of their labor
DO not satisfy their normal wants:
that therefore the social status of the
:giaborer controls the law of wages
\ 70 dS great an extent as the law of
wages controls the status of the la
parer.
While there is still variance If
opinion upon the general question
whether modern machinery and meth
DDS SO tighten the physical tlrudgery
OF most occupations as to have an euui.
4 yalent effect to the shortening of hours
N the conservation of energy, or whet-
her such machinery and methods oper-
ate to so tax the nervous powers as to
be equivalent in exhaustion as the
4 !!engthening OF hours, your committee
is OF the opinion after what has been
said on both sides that the higher
tension OF modern employment. is at
least full offset to the saving accomp-
lished in muscular force
The reports also presents an Ella
borate review of the eight hour legis-
lation in all the states and the preyi.
gus eight hour statutes enacted by the