The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-09-23
GREAT VICTORY FOR .
EIGHT: HOUR SYSTEM
Battleship Connecticut, Being
Built by Union Men, Is
Ahead of Louisiana.
Work Is Progressing More Fa
vorable Than in Contract
ing Ship Yard.

Chicago, ILL.,, September 19.-Ethel-
bert Stewart, of the Department of
Commerce and Labor, has made COM
parative study; and analysis of the
conditions under which the battleships
Connecticut and Louisiana are being
built and gave the result OF these
studies in a recent paper to the Chi
cago Commons: Mr.: Stewart cleaned
mis- facts from an, official article up
on the subject in the form Of & report
by Mr.. Frank J. Sheridan, special agent
Of the Department OF Labor. From
Mr.. Stewards article the Machinists
Journal takes the date contained in the
following: AS Will be- remembered, the
Connecticut is being built In the
Brooklyn navy yard, under trade I'M
ion hours and conditions. while the
Louisiana is being built by the New
port News Shipbuilding Co. at New
port News, Va, where neither union
hours nor conditions are observed. On
the Connecticut the ~efght-hoUr day is
observed, on the Louisiana the men
work ten hours a day. Organized la
bcr's contention IS. that under trade
union rules the Connecticut Is making
greater progress than the Louisiana,
ard Mr.. Stewards figures go far to
prove the claim. At the end Of June
the Connecticut and Louisiana COM
pariscn ctood as. follows:
From the date Of the laying of the
Connecticut's keel to the launching
was sos days. and the percentage or
work done was 5A.5. In the case or
the Louisiana the time elapsed was $40
days and the completion $3.50. To
all intents and purposes the eight-hour
men accompli shed as much work as
the ten-hour men, but really they ac-
comp1ished more.
The men who furnish the material
for the Connecticut are interested IN
having the work done by private con-
tract. therefore they have delayed the
government work by holding back ma
terial and furnishing material which
they knew would be condemned and
refused.
But there Is better chance than
this in favor of the eight-hour work.
mon. The Louisiana workmen worked
2.413.838 hours and averaged 5.06OS
pounds OF iron work per hour. The
Connecticut workmen worked 1,SO8,24O
hours md averaged 6.29e5 pounds per
hour. Working twenty per cent long
err hours the non-union ten-hour men
performed less than 1 per cent more
work The union men on the
Louisiana averaged 5O,608 pounds per
day of ten hours and the Connecticut
vorkmen averaged 50,396 pounds per
day Of eight hours. An average Of 500
men a day worked ten hours day
on the Louisiana; an average OF 40
men worked eight hours a. day on the
Connecticut--and the 470 men III the
eight hours performed practically as
much work as the 500 men in ten
hours. Mr.. Stewart says;
$50 far, the claim of the labor lead
ers that the eight hour. day is produc-
tive of better work and just as much
of it in the skilled trades as the ten
hour day, seems to be: amply sustain
ed"
Not only was the Connecticut ahead
Of the Louisiana when the comparison
was made, but she led all other ships
now under construction in either con-
tract or government yards.
The showing made by the Connect:
cut says a great deal both for the ef-
ficiency If the officers In charge and
for the skill and ability of our men,
hers who are employed upon her con-
struction. In the early part of the race
between the Louisiana and Connecti-
cut, the latter was atcut two months
behind, and many loud comments were
made upon the "ineff1ciency of the
I'd 11,1o n
petition with an up-to-date firm like
that at work on the Louisiana" The
constructors having the Connecticut
said nothing. but kept right on with
their work. Now, it appears, they were
doing some Of the hardest work first,
whereas the Louisiana was doing some
of the quickest work first, and conse-
quently made the better showing. Hav-
irg the easier thing left until later
the Connecticut is now going to the
front. It is said that If no unforeseen
obstacle intervenes and conditions are
normal and fair for both yards there
Is no reason why the Connecticut
should not keep .ahmead.
In his report Mr.. Sheridan makes
some vary interesting deductions which.
give the reasons why the Connecticut
has made such excellent progress. Here
are the reasons:"
Il. Higher rate Of wages are paid at
the navy yard than by private compan-
les in Greater New York and vicinity,
and the rates Of the latter average
higher than private: companies else
where. - ~
~. Employment the year round is
steadier end more secure than in pri-
vate yards.
g. The higher: wages, shorter hours
and steady employment attract the
best grade Of work,nen to the navy
yard, where a. tactic recognition Of
an asserted economic theory prevails
that the best worknen cannot be in
duced to work extra hard without larg-
err pay than the average.
-. Prompt recognition: Of good
work by advances in wages and pro-
motion in grade.
IS. A large waiting list Of mcchan-
les and others from nrivato shona ia