The Grit-advocate., 1904-09-23
EIGHT HOUR DAY
WILL NOT LESSEN PRODUCTION
Statement Of National Civic Fedora.
tion.-Shorter Hours Have Given
Increased Profits. ts.-Wages should
Not Be lowered.


Increased Profits. Wages should
Not Be Lowersd.
New York. Sept. 20-The National
Civic Federation. which numbers
among its membership such promi-
nent men as Samuel Gompers, Oscar
S. Straus, Henry Phipps. August Bel
mont. Cornelius N. Bliss. John Mitch
ell, Grover Cleveland. Andrew Carne-
gle, Archbishop John Ireland. Bishop
Henry C. Potter, Henry G. Davis and
Dan r. Hanna. to-day issued the fol-
lowing statements of men prominene
in the world OF organized labor. which
show that the demand for an eight
hour day is universal among workers
and that they are anxious to quicken
its realization by temporary reduc-
ton Of wages or by the pledge Of unre-
stricted output, when restriction IL ad-
mitted.
The belief is held by the majority Of
wage earners that fewer hours Of
work would neither lessen production
nor increase its cost. The experience
of the building trades. where the eight
hour day has prevailed almost univers-
ally for several years. is cited as proof
positive Of this assertion.
w. r. Farley. member Of the ma
tional executive board. United Mine
Workers of America, says:
Il believe organized labor should be
willing to remove any arbitrary re-
strictions on output to secure the
shorter work day; that it ought to rem
der the best service of which it is cap
able, SO that output should not be de-
creased and thereby increase the pro-
duction. l am not In favor Of lower
wages. even temporarily, to secure .
shorter work day
After years of close observation and
experience I do not believe that .
shorter work day lessons production"
John D. Pringle, editor of the Labor
World Of Pittsburg, expressed himself
thus:
81 certainly deem II right that or
ganized labor should grant unre-
stricted output in return for shorter
work day. Under present industrial
conditions restrictions are put upon
production by some of our labor unions
that are injurious to trade and react
disastrously to both employer and en-
ployed.
Except in rare cases shorter hours
Of work have actually resulted in in
ceased production, increased profits
and wages and cheaper commodities.
The history Of various trades proves
this"
Says William S. Carter, secretary
treasurer Of the Brotherhood OF Loco
motive FiremeN: II believe with the
introduction of improved methods a
shorter work day does not lessen pro-
duction or increase the labor cost Of
production. If like cause will pro-
duce a like effect We may reasonably
expect the reduction from ten-hour
day to an eight-hour day to produce
the same result that the reduction
from a twelve-hour day to a ten-hour
day produced. I believe that with a
shorter work day came increased pro-
duction and decreased labor cost of
production"
The following expression comes from
J. E. Mulkey. editor of the Advance
Advocate. official organ Of the Interna-
tional Brotherhood OF Maintenance of
Way Employees:
Where the wages of labor are suffi-
cient to enable the worker to submit
to a temporary reduction of wages
without depriving his family of the or
dinary comforts Of life, if the hours OF
labor are both that the worker does
not have reasonable time for rest and
recreation, 1t would be proper and ben
efcial for him to submit to a reason
able reduction of wages in return for
proportionate reduction of hours.
"In regard to output. that should be
limited only to the normal capacity OF
the worker. and one workers capacity
should never be gauged by that of an
other"
S. M. Sexton. editor of the Mine
Workers Journal of Minneapolis,
says:
Shorter hours do not lessen produc-
ton; therefore, il we accept lower
wages for the same or larger output, it
is giving something for nothing, prop
osition not based upon equity.
When the coal miners worked
twelve or fifteen hours per day the av-
eraee tonnage for the day worked was
a little over three tons. To-day, in the
same mine, same height Of coal, with
the same tools, the same men average
over four tons.
"Under the long-hour system the
miner had to take his small sons to
help him. Under the shorter hours he
does the work himself and sends his
sons to school.
"The short-hour man is rested; his
muscles and brain have become re-
freshed; he is eager to begin his task.
and is able. from physiological reasons.
to give 1t better attention.
"The Overwhelming fact in favor OF
the short hour, the one that clears
away all doubt as to whether hours
lessen production. is the fact that the
piece workers. like pick miners, print
ers. machinists and bricklayers, are the
most urgent in the demand for shorter
hours. If these men were not
fully convinced they could earn more
under the short-hour system they
would not advocate it."