The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-12-24
MITCHELL ATTACKS
THE M|LL|ON-SAV|NG-
PLAN OF bRANDE|S

New York, Dec. 23.-John Mitchell,
u former president of the United Mine
Workers OF America, now a member
of the executive committee of the
National Civic federation, and one of
the prominent labor leaders in Ameri-
ca, has bitterly attacked the plan ad-
Vocated- by Louis D. Brandeis to save
100000 a day for the railroads of
the country
"Mr. Brandeis had been saying that
some $30O.O00,000 a year could be
saved by the railroads in the cost of
transportation, according to the news
papers, said Mr.. Mitchell. "There
is general belief that he advocates
as means to that saving the premi-
um or bonus system of paying the
Workmen, and further specialization in
work. I do not believe that the work.
men employed by the railroads should
do any more work than they are now
doing. I do not believe that any,
thing can safely be saved on them.
and that If there is waste of $780,
100000 year it lies outside the
sphere Of cost occupied by the work.
men. And I am against the premi-
um or bonus system and against too
much specialization.
FIRST as to specialize tion The
thought should not be so much about
the machine. There is point in the
spec1a l1zation of work beyond which
1t is not safe to 60. because of the
deterioration of the workman and ul-
tlmately Of the kind of work he does.
l think that point has about been
reached in the railroads and in most
of the other large industries.
DR.. Matson Quoted.
"Speaking recently in an interview
DR.. William Matson, superintendent
of the Manhattan state hospital for
the insane. said that monotony of Ia.
Dor is frequent cause of insanity.
Let me read you what he said' '
The article quoted DR.. Matson as
saying, for example. that in a shoe
factory one man has a machine to
punch holes in strips of leather for
the laces; that all day long for six
days In the week he punches holes.
That kind of work gets to be abso-
lutely automatic, and many workmen
deterlorate while doing it. The brain
cells that are not used in the piece
or specialized work, which are most
of those in the brain, finally 20 dead
from lack of use, and then the worker
Is ready for the insane asylum.
''This terrible monotony of spec1a1.
lied labor" DR.. Matson was quoted as
saying, lis doing a great deal to un-
balance the minds of the workers. -
1T is best that the workman use
all the knowledge he has," went on
Mr.. Mitchell. There is nothing so
restful as variety. Even if the work
itself is not intrinsically hard, It
deteriorates the workman If it is al
ways one little piece of the same kind.
Labor Against Piece System.
1T is sometimes charged that the
labor unions tend to level down work.
men. This Is not true. Labor unions
do not say that an employer shall not
pay all especially competent and ef
fective workman something in addi-
ton to what he pays the others if they
are but fighting for at least fair pay
for an honest days work by the aver
age workman.
"Organized labor is against the pre-
MUM or bonus system of payment to
the workman, because that is designed
to speed up the workman beyond the
safety line. That is trade economy.
The. employer who uses the system
may notice an, advantage at first, but
1t Is not long before the workman be-
gins to deteriorate under the strain;