The Washington herald., 1914-01-04
Three Shifts Daily, Instead Of
Two, b Favored IN Paper
Industry by Charles Sum-
ner Bird.
ny CHARLES SUMNER BIRD,
President Y. w. Bird q Son.

President y. w. Bird & Son.
lEachsive Service The Survey Press Bureau)
Z For one hundred years or more the
paper mills OF this country have been
operated twenty-four hours each day.
These mills usually start at midnight
Sunday and do not stop until midnight
saturday. They are running IA hours
each week. Those who are employed on
the continuously running machinery are
called tour-workers. anc they work one
| week from 2 a. m. TO s d. m, sixty-six
| hours. and the next week from p. m
| time on for meals.
That has been the custom in paper
| mills In this country until the past few
years, when many mills have adopted
| three shifts of eight hours, instead of two
| shifts Of twelve hours. A law should be
passed In every State that would require
all continuous industries to operate on
| the three-shift system.
i have had practical experience in pa.
per-making. / worked for years in a
paper mill when / was a boy, both on
the thirteen-bour shift. and on the eleven,
hour shift, nights and days. I know
from practical experience what it means
to work thirteen hours, from O'Clock at
night until o'clock the next morning one
week. and from in the morning till at
night, eleven hours. the next week. year
/ Il
work Is intclerable and speak with de-
liberation and with knowledge. II is in
tolerable. not only because of the number
OF hours, which, under any condition Of
labor woul1 be excessive. but also be-
cause In many paper mills the conditions
under which men work are severe and
trying.
What Long Hours Mean.
i ask the carpenters. bricklayers, ma
chinists, and other Industrial Iaborers to
consider what such long hours OF labor
mean. How long would you work sew
enty-two hours a week? Compare the lot
OF these men with your own hours of
labor, forty-eigh. to fifty-four hours each
reads this to think what such long hours
would near to him or to her in their
home life. what time can a man who
works thirteen hours each night have
with his family? What time can the
same man nave during the next week
when he works eleven hours each day
with no time off for meals?
That such hours are intolerable and in
furious to fcalth and happiness no fair
minded person can deny; in fact. it seems
to me to he another form of industrial
clavery. In many ways it is as danger
Gus to the future welfare of the nation
as was tn slavery OF the black race; the
men emp.Dyed for sucl long hours are
taxed beyond their strength and physical
exhaustion. day after day. week after
week. soon results in a lower standard
of life. No lime or energy is left for the
development of a healthy home life
which is 50 essential to the welfare of the
nation.
To correct the evils OF continuous en-
ployment in Massachusetts,. a bill was
introduced in the last legislature by the
Progressive party of Massachusetts which
provided that:
Persons employed as tour-workers in
any paper mill. foundry. factory, or in
any manufacturing establishment or me
chanical or other Industrial establishment
which is operating both day and night.
either continuously Or internationally.
shall be limited t. work forty-eight hours
per week. ard eight hours per DAY.
Tour-workers mean all employees who
tend or are employed TO. the purpose of
tending machinery or appliances OF any
description which are operated both day
and night either continuously or inter-
mittently.
Extra Expense Cited.
This bill was defeated. One of the
arguments used against il was that the
extra expense of the three-tour system
would drive thu paper industry out of the
SufTl argument unSOund- |
doubt ve.y much whether the increased
cost OF labor due to a change from the
two-tour to the three-tour system in a
paper mill. representing as it does.
think, approximately not over per cent
of the average value of the product.
would be sufficient to drive any one out
of the paper business. Furthermore. I
doubt whether 1t is true that it costs
even that amount, because ! believe that
mills that run on the eight-hour basis. or
three tours. as compared to the twelve
hour or thirtsen-hour basis. produce more
paper and bctter paper. due to the i'm
proved spirit among the men and due to
the physica. capacity of the men to do
better work.
II wouldn't take much better spirit or
much better physica: capacity on the
part of the men to produce enough bet
ter and enough more paper in any paper
mill to make up the difference between
the labor cost OF three-tour. as against
two-tour. systems. Furthermore, il II is
necessary for any mill in order TO exist
to employ men seventy--wo hours a week
year in and year out, then the sooner that
mill is removed from the State and the
the letter will 1t be for the men
and women of the country.
That bill ought to have passed. and
some time such &. bill will become a law.
The public is becoming more alive each
year to the economic waste OF excessive
hours of labor. 1t will demand legisla-
ton to correct these evils because they
will be -emedied satisfactorily in no other
way.