New-York tribune., 1912-04-16
REPORT ON STEEL LABOR
committee Urges 6-Day Week
'' and Shorter Working Hours.
coMMENDS PROFIT SHARING
r,.irman Gary and G. M. Cabot
II Tilt-Directors Re- elected
Stock Books Opened.

.s-tNl6
.rnuaI meeting yesterday, at which |
ue s,rsctors whose three-year terms had
l u. - vsre reelected, and the report OF
snsc,al committee which had been
II ~..,eating the labor conditions at the
,'s,. Of the corporation was submitted
J" the chairman. Stuyvesant Fish, and
( az discussion was adopted.
rns report in its general lines was ia
.,rsble TO the corporation. although GER
20, Recommendations looking to improve
lent were made. As to the day
~ the committee found that except in
,ro or three Of the plants the system had
,.sn abolished and they expressed them
olives as strongly of the opinion that, no
latter what alleged difficulties in opera
lion may seem TO hinder the abandonment
n the seven-day week, they must be met"
~ the total number OF employees, the
report says. 45,24S, or 25s4 per cent. are at
present working twelve hours a day, main
" in the departments which are more or
ass continuous. like the rolling mills and
cpen hearth and blast furnaces. The &C
tual physical labor involved in many of the
positions to-day, the committee say, is
much less than in former years. but they
sdd
notwithstanding this fact, We are of the
t,lnion that a twelve hour day OF labor
tSlowed continuously by any group of men
means the decreasing of the efficiency and
lcssening of the vigor and virility of such
men. The question should be considered
flom social as well as physical point of
view.
When IT is remembered that the twelve
kours day to the man IN the mill means
lpproximately thirteen hours away from
hNrnA family f.NV ,lnx- A,,tI
for all working days, II leaves but scant
: line for self-improvement for companion
thip with family or for recreation or
leisure.
Discussing the system Of payment of
wages by piecework. the committee say that
they do not believe there has been devised |
q tairer or more generally accepted method |
Of payment for labor. In this and also in |
the bonus system" which has been largely |
employed by the Steel Corporation as an |
Incentive to increasing output and efficiency. |
there is a possibility of abuse, the COM |
mittee concede; but It is their opinion that |
here has been neither desire nor tendency |
on the part Of the Steel Corporation fore |
nen to pursue these policies TO a harmful |
point
Regarding the alleged repression Of the |
men the committee report that the Steel |
Corporation has made efficiency the one |
standard by which continuance Of employ.
nsnt in its plants is determined. They do |
not believe the final solution Of the prob
fen involved in this question has been |
reached but they do believe the present |
methods are preferable to the old for all |
concerned and that the Steel Corporation. |
In view of the practice which is often pur-
sued by labor organizations in steel mills
IN past years, is justified in the position it
has taken.
Profit Sharing Commended.
The profit sharing plan, which has been |
In operation since 1903. is commended by
the committee. who add that many Of the |
hen with whom they tslked were holders |
Of one or more shares. a number of them |
rsmarking that they had never saved any |
money until they began this way" The re-
port closed by saying that the facts pre-
ssnted show that much has been done by |
the United States Steel Corporation for the |
betterment Of the conditions under which |
It's employees live and work.
Chairman Gary, in moving the adoption |
Of the report. said that circulars had been !
sent to about fifteen thousand Stockholders |
al the request Of Charles NJ. Cabot, of Bos- |
ton, the man whose agitation Of the sub |
Jet brought about the appointment Of the |
committee Of investigation. OF the fifteen I
thousand shareholders only about ninety |
had sent letters in reply.
Most Of these letters approved the cor |
pcratlon's attitude toward its employees. |
Thirteen per cent Of them suggested re-
saetion Of working hours. some of them |
s'en az the expense Of lowering Of divi |
tsnds Most Of the writer's who expressed |
their disapproval of existing labor condi.
tons. Judge Gary added. were women and !
aergymen not familiar with working con-
ditions
Mr. Cabot, called upon by Judge Gary |
70 give his views on the report, said that |
he had hoped that the committee. instead |
OF Offering recommendations, would pre-
sent resolutions. He proceeded to offer a |
resolution for the appointment Of 8, COM
mittee Of seven TO consider the question OF |
introducing a system OF three eight-hour |
Salts day at the mills. instead OF the |
present two twelve-hour shifts. Chairman |
Fish OF the committee urged Mr.. Cabot !
not 10 Insist upon his resolution. and after |
zone argument Mr.. Cabot withdrew It.
In controversy between Mr.. Cabot and |
'uose Gary, toward the close of the meet |
ing the sympathy of the stockholders pres |
ent appeared TO be with the latter.
MI Cabot said that before the magazine !
article upon which he based his request for |
40 inquiry into labor conditions at the |
steei Corporations plants had been writ |
'sh Judge Gary had promised to distribute |
We article among the stockholders, saying |
nst he did not object TO their criticism |
ssuase Gary. the speaker asserted, had |
frozen faith
-. Gary Rstorts on Cabot.
Judge Gary replied that the article had
no' been on the lines indicated to him in |
'ae interview referred TO. and that he con-
soered that It was Mr.. Cabot and the au
"or OF the article who had broken faith, a
,s'oit which was applauded by the stock
no'aers Mr. Cabot rose to reply, but a
nouon that he be ruled out OF order was
made
opon the request OF Judge Gary Mr..
Sdoot vas permitted to address the meet |
n N~s again, his remarks being practically
s'eherauon Of former statements. The re-
fort Oh the committee was the nadopted.
tns stock books were. as usual open for
sNpecuon by stockholders. They showed
al as IN 1911 and 1910 the largest single |
.oknoider was the Amsterdam syndicate.
nieh this year has $3.50 shares Of the
aerred stock and 2Si560 shares of COM
81, comparing with $3.50 preferred and
tAO common year ago
Among other heavy foreign holdings are
uose OF n NJ. Rothschid & Sons. London, |
h b,Hl preferred and 25eo5 common, |
sesihst BST preferred and 22.965 common |
.st Year; Leon Brothers. London. $500 pre- |
.eIed and 107,5i0 common. against S.76O