The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1910-05-20
EMPLOYERS GET
REAL PEEVISH
When Subject Of Shorter Work Day Is
Mentioned by Laboring People-Opposi-
ton to Eight-hour Movement Is Based on
UnsOund Economic Basis.

story of their prosperity in the account
of the machinery they have installed in
local plants as printed in the afore-
mentioned article. We are not claim
ing that this shortening of the hours
from ten to nine worked all this splen.
did prosperity, but, don't you see, they
said it spelled ruin. Is it fair to pre-
sumo they are any better prophets now
than they were then? Don't they tip
their whole hand when they say that
their plant must remain on an open
shop basis> 1t Is organization they
fear-not an eight-hour day.
How about this competition with
I Eastern manufacturers In one case
we know of in particular a great plant
equipped with every modern aid to
speedy and fine construction, but work.
ing under the ten-hour system, made
a sorry showing in competition with a
government plant working eight hours
Two battleships were to be built for
the navy. The contract for the con-
struction of one was let to a private
concern working on ten.hour basis.
The other was built in a government
yard on the eight hour basis. They
We're practically siste rships calling for
| the same amount of work and material.
There were no labor troubles in the
private yard to delay the work so
arguing on the basis of long hours the
private concern should have had all the
best of it in time of construction. But
somehow it didn't. The ship built by
the government on an eight-hOur basis
was built and completed in less time
than the one built by the private con-
Germ and the government thought so
we'll of its own product that it was
made flagship of the Atlantic fleet.
The Florida, just launched, the larg-
est and most powerful ba,ttleshiI,
afloat, was built in government yard
on an eight-hour day basis. What the
government thinks of the eight
day may be found in this fact: That
a rider attached to the fourteen million
dollar appropriation for new ships
makes it compulsory on the firms tax.
ing the contracts to build them on the
eight hour day basis. The day is not
far distant when every bit of work
done by AND FOR the United States
government must be done on the eight
hour basis.
The government has been compelled
by experience to admit the fact that
the shorter workday has resulted in
greater labor efficiency and has there
fore been an economic saving. Hundreds
of private firms throughout the United
States that have been under the eight
hour day system long enough to give
it a thorough trial, admit it's economic
worth and would not go back to the
ten hour day. No skilled trade in the
country that has gone on the eight
hour day basis would go back to the old
hours of labor. May we be pardoned if
we insert just one quotation from a
speech delivered by the Hon. VIM. Sui
ger in the House of Representatives on
May Is, 1908. It might interest some
one as it is apropos:
'In my judgment no man in this
country ought to be compelled to work
more than eight hours day. l want
to see, and hope the day is not far
distant when we all shall see, an eight.
of our land and rigidly enforced in ev-
cry state, in every city, in every town,
and in every village in the country.
believe it will be beneficial to the
laborer, advantageous to the community
in which he lives, and for the best in
terest of the government. Too long
hours make the wage worker a poor
workman. Shorter hours, in my opin.
ion, will produce better results l am
and always have been an advocate of
shorter hours for legal working day.
1t is in harmony with the spirit of the
times The hours constituting legal
days work should keep step with the
progress of invention in labor saving
machinery. The history of the past
teaches us that every reduction in the
hours constituting days work has
resulted beneficially. These reductions
in the hours of labor have decreased in.
temperance increased knowledge, made
better homes, happier and better
clothed wives and children, brighter
and more prosperous firesides. and in
every way benefited the social rela-
tions, promoted happiness and content
ment, and improved the moral, econom.
ical and financial condition of the pro.
ducing masses of our land"
We believe It win be proven in every
case that the employer who strenuously
opposes the eight hour day workiay