Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-05-11
SHORTER WORK DAY.
House Committee Makes an Inter,
esting Report.
ITFAyORS THE EIGHT HOUR MEASURE
A Strong Argument In support of the
Movement-Procced in Con-
Eress-The Medley Embez-
element Case.


out the country the report made to the
house of representatives Tuesday by
Chairman Gardner, of the committee
on labor, on the Gardner eight-hour
bill and the general subject of eight
hour legislation, has a timely interest.
The bill requires clause in all govern
ment contracts that the labor under
the contract shall not exceed eight
hours daily. The report says in part:
ut is contended by the advocates of the
shorter day that the additional leisure
given to labor in every instance of the
shortening of the work day, as it has
been shortened step by step. from l6 hours
to IA, u, IL, ten, nine, and in many instances
eight has resulted in a decrease OF in
temperance among laborers, the acquire
ment of better taste. and new and better
desires, resulting in better homes, greater
domestic felicity, and higher degree of
intelligence, with an increase of laudable
pride as TO the clothing of themselves and
those dependent upon them. In word,
has increased their interests in home and
better social relations, raised their moral
status, and has made them much better
consumers of the products of labor, and
hence resulted in increased production.
Improves Moral Tone.
1.-The proposition that without variation
the elimination of intemperance, poverty,
pauperism, ignorance crime and their ac-
companying evils moves parallel with and
proportionate to the increase of the So
cial opportunities of the laboring class
stands without impeachment of its his
torical accuracy. No recognized authority
to-day combats the proposition that the
condition of the laborer has improved with
every reduction in the hours of daily sery-
ice that has up to this time been made.
Nobody is disputing that he has become
better consumer with each reduction. No
reasonable person would for moment en-
terrain the proposition that the workday
should again be heightened to IA or II
hours. When the hours of work were so
long that the workers had no social oppor-
tunities. they resorted to stimulants for
solace, and the saloon for society, where
they encountered an iron law for spend
ing which could not be disregarded without
loss of caste in the only society which they
had opportunity to enter. A gentleman
of responsibility and exceptional opportu-
nifty for observation has borne testimony
that the shortening of the workday has
banished blue Monday
Improves Business Interests.
"a significant fact in connection with
the shortening of the workday at various
times during the present century is the
entire silence of the older school of econo-
er workday on society, business, industrial
conditions, or the laborers themselves. 1t
is nowhere claimed, in SO far as your COM
mittee is aware, that any reduction of
the hours of labor has had detrimental
effect on business, on manufacturers, on la
Dor, as unit, or individual laborer. The
advocates of the short-hour theory, on the
other hand, trace the moral, social and
financial improvement of the laborer to this |
cause and allege that business was at no |
time injured, but improved, if affected, and |
that production was stimulated and con-
sumption increased.
Causes Greater Consumption.
Economists who advocate the eight
hour day contend with great plausibility
that the shorter day results in an increase
of wages without an increase of price, as
greater consumption enlarges production
and the larger the scale of production the
cheaper the given article is produced; that
the laborer, when he has the leisure, re-
sulting from the shorter hours, has new
aspirations, ambitions, and greater per-
sonal self-respect, as before stated, wants |
q better house, better furniture, better
clothes, better food and becomes a great
deal better consumer; that the scale of
wages is controlled by the wants of the
laborer in any given state of society, ra th-
er than by the iron law of wages that
modern men cease to work under normal
conditions If the proceeds of their labor do
not satisfy their normal wants; that there
fore the social status of the laborer con-
trolls the law of wages to as great an ex-
tent as the law Of wages controls the status
of the laborer.
while there is still variance of opinion
on the general question whether modern
machinery and methods so tighten the |
physical drudgery of most occupations as
to have an equivalent effect to the short |
ening of hours in the conservation of en-
Or tn1, sapnft ,a,.,y sa,,lV
methods operate to so tax the nervous pow
ers as to be equivalent in exhaustive eff
fects to the lengthening of hours, your
committee are of opinion, after what has
been said on both sides, that the higher
tension of modern employment is at least
q full offset to the saving accomplished in
muscular force"
The report also presents an elaborate re-
view of the eight hour legislation in all
the states, and the previous eight hour
statutes enacted by the federal govern
ment.
Washington, May s.-The house de-
voted most of Tuesday to the consid-
Grafton of private bills recommended
from the committee on claims, and
ten bills were passed. The most i'm
portant was one to remit the penal
ties imposed by the government on
the Union iron works of San Fran
cisco, the builders of the monitor Mon
terey, for her failure to make con-
tract speed. Before the consideration
of these bills was entered upon the
house considered the action of the
ways and means committee in report
ing against resolution calling upon
the secretary of the treasury for in
formation regarding the materials
used in the manufacture of oleomar-
garine. which is on file in the internal
revenue office. The majority of the
committee contended that this infor-
nation could not be furnished under
the revised statutes, and that it would
betray trade secrets. but the resolu-
ton was adopted. This is preliminary
to the reopening of the fight for the
Grout bill in the committee on agri-
culture.
Washington, Nay 9.-The senate on
Tuesday concluded consideration of
the naval appropriation bill, with the
exception of that section relating to
armor and armament. This went over
until to-day, when it will be consid-
ing the morning hour number of
minor bills were passed. among
them one to reimburse various
collectors of internal revenue for in
ternal revenue stamps charged against
them but not accounted for. The de-
hate IN the naval hill was Droct ton lly