The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-28
RAILROAD NEWS.
Hartman Lines Try Out Six
Hour Day Scheme.
Said to Be Better Than Two
Four Hour Periods.
AMONG OFFICE CLERKS
SystemSaid to Solve Lunch Hour
Question.
in Railroad Circles.
AMONG OFFICE CLERKS

The auditing department of the Har-
riman lines is considering the adoption
| of a six-hour continuous day in place Of
| the present two four-hour periods with
| a lunch hour between. 1t is said that
| the idea is now being tried on small
| experimental scale<in the San Francisco
office, and the results are awaited with
| interest.
The six-hour continuous day is said
to be practical only to certain depart
ments and is not desirable when the
workers come in contact with the pub
lie, or when their work is directly de-
pendent on the actions of outsiders,
such as ticket agents or gate men. The
six-hour day is supposed to go through
without a moments stop, and to any
position where outside influences makes
stops unavoidable, or in an office that
must be open to the public from 8
o'clock till OF O'Clock, the six-hour
day does not well apply.
Then there are certain classes of work
that take time rather than concen-
trated effort, like the work of a con-
ductor or a fireman who can do only so
much work in so much time, whose re-
suits are necessarily limited by circum-
stances rather than by his own efforts,
to such positions the six-hour day is
not applicable.
On the other hand, like in the audit
ing department, the work requires con-
centration and the closely interviewer
CO. operation of many different minds.
If one cog in this machine is late it de-
lays the whole machine more or less.
Work starts in the morning rather
slowly and by fits and jerks and it is
nearly an hour before everything is go
ing smoothly and has been speeded up
to the limit. Then noon approaches,
and the machine begins to slow down,
both as a whole and as a collection OF
individuals. Preparations are made to
stop work, much as train is slowed
down before stopping.
Noon Is Not Rest.
Noon introduces practically no rest
that results in better work in the office.
The workers have food in their stom-
achs, which tends to keep the blood
from the brain and thus gives slower
and less accurate work. By o'clock
the machine, the whole office force, is
going at its best again and keeps this
up till within three-quarters or half an
hour of stopping time when things slow
up again. The last half hour in almost
any office will generally not yield in re-
suits what ten minutes will during the
best part of the day.
l. Under the present nine-hour system
the workers have less time to rest, and
especially in winter less time in the
open air and the sun All work and
no play makes Jack dull boy" the
railroad men know all too well, and the
nine-hour day leaves little time for
recreation. The six-hour day is sup
posed to close at o'clock in the after
noon, which gives ample time for rest
and personal affairs.
If the six-hour day is tried out on a
somewhat large scale in actual practice
the results accomplished must at least
equal the present system or it will be
| considered a failure and will be given
up. 1t is claimed for the six-hour idea
that the workers will actually accom-
plish more in six hours, under one long.
steady pull, than they will in the whole
divided day as at present.
Odd as it may seem, many Of the
clerks are quietly opposed to the idea.
"It sounds all right" said one of them
recently, 'but who would expect to see
| the office closed at 2 o'clock when there
was rush of work on? 1t would be on
the farmers eight-hour system-eight
hours before dinner and eight hours
| after dinner"