Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-03-21
AN ElGHTHOUR EXPERIMENT
Results of a Ten Year Trial of the
 System In England.

Results of Ten Year Trial of the
 System In England.
 The growing agitation for a working day of eight hours has recalled an ex- pertinent made a few yearsAago in an extensive machine shop in England, where the eight hour system proved so, satisfactory that it has been continued till the present time.
 The eight hour day must justify it self economically-tha is, it must con- duce to large and economical produc- tion. It may be justified though the ar gument on which it is demanded may be worthless. The objection of employ, CTS that the reduction of the working, day from ten to eight hours means reduction of one-fifth in production or would involve an addition of one fourth to the number of men employed is not at all convincing, because the working day has in past years been reduced from twelve or fifteen to nine or ten hours, with increased production and decreased cost. Whether the reduction can be carried further is matter of fact to be ascertained only by practical tests. On the other hand, the eight hour day is generally demanded on the ground that it would increase the amount of wages paid by increasing the number of men employed or the number of days the men work If it should have this effect, it would in- crease the cost of production and be economically condemned.
 Ten years ago Mather & Platt of Manchester, England, manufacturers of machinery, with about 1,2OO employ ees, reduced the working time in their shops from fifty-five to forty-eight hours per week, reduction of nearly 15 per cent. The experiment was con- ducted for year, and skilled statis- tician was employed to give his whole time to collating facts and statistics and other data bearing upon the ques- tion. It was found that the ratio of wages to the value of product increased only .04 per cent and prices were low. Had prices been normal part or all of this small increase would have disappeared. On the other hand, there was saving of .O4 per cent in pro- portion to the value of the product in wear and tear, gas, fuel, etc, The proportion of lost time to total time was reduced from 2.46 per cent to 40 per cent. The actual time was great CT than this because the absence of some of the men reduced the effi- ciency of other men who were present, but this does not admit of statistical measurement. The piece workers lost in wages only 1.41 per cent for the whole year and this in decreasing ra- tio. Tn the first four months they lost 1.76 per cent and in the last four months only 7S per cent. Some of the rates of pay for piece work were reduced during the year. Making all lowance for this, the decrease in piece workers earnings, for the year was only .O5 per cent. This slight reduc- tion in their earnings shows a slight reduction in their production, but the total output of the establishment in the trial year was greater than in previous years, which proves that the men working by the day produced more in forty eight hours a week than in fifty-five hours.
 The experiment was so satisfactory that the eight hour day has been main- tained in that establishment ever since. Philadelphia Record.