The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1913-07-22

single handed. Our working day is
still constructed upon a farm hand
basis. One hundred years ago, the
net efficiency, the actual horse power
OF the average worker was less tlan
one-fifth what it is today. But we
work far more than one-fifth as many
hours day and are far short OF
making five times as good a living.
We have enlisted the stars "ur
service but we have not lifted our
selves half as far towards them in
consequence as We should. While we
accomplish three times as much, we
have shortened our working hours by
bare one.ffth and raised our stan.
dard of living scant cne-fourth.
Though we have piled up enough of
that dead mems labor called capital
10 enable us to take full advantage
OF all our new heritage of power if It
were only intelligently app led 70 ~
purpose.
The trouble is that we nave never
ser oueH considered the problem fr y,
broad, racial point OF view. If we
were to be asked why we go to work
at such and such an hour, and keep
on until such and such a ".ne, we
could only give the cuckoo, like an.
swer: Because everybody e!se
does. " We have never asked cur.
selves the question, in how many q:
in how few hours a day can the a"g-
est amount Of most efiic ent work be
,nrned out, with the greatest a-nourt
Of benefit to the worker? There "a
few things we do so senseessly as
work. To put in all the hours OF day
light and steal one or two from the
night at each end no matte" how
stupidity or slavishly, ourselves, and
to demand the same tale of bricks
from those we have hired-that is
the spirit of our boosted modern in
dustry.
We know better than to work an
OK, or a horse on even a loom, or g.
locomotive, on such principles bu,
we will and do so work ourselves ana
our fellows. The one thing that
would most increase the efficiency OF
our work would be an extra hour IN
bed in the morning and from one to
Two hours u play between clos n
time and nightfally. Such unconsci-
Gus and often most unwilling expert
ments as have been made In this di-
rection, yield the same result with d
positively astonishing unanimity Ey-
cry time that the hours OF labor nave
been shortened in a given industry
the Hctual output per worker per G..
ca, has increased and been 70 lowed
tv that mOst incontestab;e Cf eviden.
ces an increased wage. Though this
last s ever in proportion to the ga n
in efficiency. Those countries of the
civilized world and those trade3
which have the longest hours have
nine times out Of ten the lowest wag-
cs and the smallest output per work. |
or. The best paid and most intell
gent labor is, in the long run, the |
cheapest, whether it be your own or |
that of your employe. Only recently |
for instance, the mills in a certain |
industry in this country cut down
their schedule from six days week |
to four and half in order to limit |
production, on account Of the high |
price of raw material. Within a
month, to their surprise and almost
dIsmay they found that they we're
out Just as much material
hs when working on full time. The
more snap and energy, and cheer |
fulness, you and your workers have
to put into your work, the more and
better quality Of 1t they will give.
We know that we cannot afford to
reap profit from the labor Of our chill
iren at the risk OF stunning and i'm.
pairing their efficiency for life that