The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-07-31
WORKING DAY Is HOURS
&. CERTAINLY TOO LONG
Csntinued from Pare i

H. esntinued from Page 1.
The bureau d labor Inquired Of
Messrs. Mather q Plat II they were
still on the eight hour basis, and re-
cetved e reply 81 which they stated
that "a .S5s al: .s Va. PSI
II Our experience since the first year
in which It <the eight-ho system)
was tried hrs fully borne out the con-
clustons then arrived at, ana we are
fully satisfied that as regards the
comparison between eight and nine
hours per day.
!, In 1894, the hours: Of labor of
about Il, 600 workrnen in British gov
eminent factories and workshops were
reduced to forty-eight hours per week.
OF this number, $4,000 received a re-
du'ction Of five, and three-fourths
hours week and $4,000 had their
time reduced two and one-half hours
q week. With no change in piece
rates the workmen were able to earn
AZ much as formerly. Day workers
received an increased hourly rate to
pay to make their earnings per week
Of forty eight hours equal to those
per week Of fifty hours. It was not
found necessary to increase the num-
Der Of day workers. CO. as.t II y \
~ In Other Countries.
Tn 1899 he, owners Of the great lakes
Zeiss optical goods factory at Jena,
Germany, introduced the eight-hour
ray and then made careful records Of
the results (. In 1903 it was an
nour1ced that although the aggregate
number of hours worked had decreased
IL per cent the output per hour had
increased 1862 per cent. (c)
AT .Liege It was found in a sui
phuric acid establishment similar to a.
foundry (d) that shortening the work
ing day from eleven hours to ten, from
ten TO nine, and SO on gradually down
to seven ana one shalt, resulted, in
each case, In an increase Of the OUT
put. .>-. =. ...-. q
"The Solway Process company, of
Syracuse, Installed; in 1892, q system
Of three eight-hour, shifts in place OF
the two previous shifts Of eleven anil
thirteen hours, respectively. It was
stated by the assistant general mana
ger In 1905 that the change had con-
siderably lessened the wear and tear
on the men, and that they could be
called on to do their work at their
highest state Of efficiency, which had
not been posstblss on the two-shifts
basis. President Hazard Of the CONF
pany writes: ,s>s~a-. d., .-<... .>...,,s.s ,..zs
In general, can say that the re-
suits Of the change from "a twelve-
hour shift to an eight-hulr shift were
very satisfactory and have continued
to be 80. While the immediate result
was to considerably increase the cost
per unit Of product, the efficiency of
the men gradually increased, so that
at the end of about one year the first
increase has been overcome and the
cost per unit Of product fell to point
even lower than had been obtained
under the twelve-hour shift. and
further the time consumed per unit Of
product has since been so reduced that
we are today and for some time have
been operating with a. smaller number
Of hours per unit of product than we
had under the twelve-hour shift
.. Point Insisted Upon.
. 1T ii not maintained that in all
cases productivity will be as great in
eight hours as in nine. Cases to the
contrary could also be cited. The
point to be insisted upon is not that
1t IL profitable to an employer to make
the work day shorter, for often It is
not, but to show that 1t Is profitable
to the nation and the race. Continual
fatigue is inimical to national vitality,
and however 1t may affect the COM
mercial profits Of the individual it will
in the end deplete the vital resources
on which national efficiency depends.
Tn the interests Of this efficiency,
a longer time at noon tor lunch Is usu-
ally necessary. The present economy
Of lunch time is short-sighted, tends
to food boiling, Indigestion, q drowsy
and tired afternoon, and inferior work.
This has been shown by actual exper-
fence. (e) Z /: :-s5Ss%.. + .>s<s... i; y
'The accident bulletins Of the inter
state commerce commission contains
frequent records Of disasters caused by
the long hours, Of railway employees.
In q recent bulletin, NO. ~ two COLI
sions are attributed to the mistakes Of
employees who have been on duty lon
ser than the instinct Of safety should
allow. Collision No. 3 81, which
killed, two and injured fifteen, was due
to the mistake Of q station operator
who had been on duty from Z a. m.
to $3.50 3. n. and who had returned tc
duty ats p. m. The collision took
pact at 1890 a. M, the next morn
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