The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1914-07-03
TENDS TO MORAL UPLIFT.

Wherever Hours of Toll Have Been
Reduced the Result Has Benefited
Both Worker and Employer-Raises
Standard of Living.
The success of organized labor in in
creasing wages of workmen has been
brilliant and signal, but has not been
more important than It's success in re
ducing the hours of labor. An increase
In the rate of wages means more OF
the comforts and luxuries of life; de
crease in the hours of labor, the oppor
tunity to enjoy these comforts and lux
uries. The shortening of the working
day, moreover, stands for freedom from
toll at the time when 1t becomes most
exacting, nerve wearing and danger
Gus. Still further, 1t stands for leisure,
recreation, education and family life.
Owing to the fact that the work of
the modern world is becoming more
and more a matter of nervous energy,
Of skill and intelligence and less mat
ter of mere brute force, the reduction
In hours Is not only of advantage, but
of absolute necessity. Even when
work is simply and purely physical 1t
Is not economical to work long hours,
but shorter day of labor is impera-
tive where work Is intense or where
intelligence. ingenuity and inventive
ness are required. You can not get
more out OF a man than is in him, and
If you take too much one day there
will be just so much less to obtain on
succeeding days.
The most curious feature about the
history of the reduction of hours is
that In almost all cases the trade
unions have been obliged to force em-
ployers, strongly against their will, to
grant reduction which have ultimately
proved to their advantage. The Eng
lish mill owners in the beginning and
middle of the nineteenth century
claimed that they would be ruined If
hours were reduced, and this complaint
is repeated wherever an attempt Is
made to decrease the hours of labor.
Wherever the reduction has been made,
however, the result has been a decided
benefit not only to the workman, but
to his employer.
In so far as lessened hours mean in
creased production and cheapened
cost, there can be no question as to
the adyisability Of shortening the
working day, and in such cases en-
ployers should be compelled to seek
their own advantage, their own per-
manent interest, by adjusting them
selves to reasonable conditions. Even
where the advantage to the employer
is not so apparent, an excessive num-
Der of working hours should not be
tolerated
Professor Irving Fisher of Yale uni
versity states the whole matter sue
cinctly in his report on national vitali-
ty to the national conservation COM
mission when he says: The present
working day. from q physiological
point of view, is too long and keeps
the majority OF men and women in a
continual state of overfatigue. 1t
starts q vicious circle leading to the
craving of means of deadening fatigue,
thus inducing drunkenness and other
excesses Experience In reducing the
working day shows a great improve
ment in the physical efficiency of la
borers, in many cases resulting in
even increasing their output sufficient
ly to compensate the employer for
the shorter day. Several examples of
such result exist, but the real justif-
cation of shorter work day is found
In the interest of the race, not the
employer" A reduction in hours
means strengthening of the work.
ingman, the growth of a keener intel
ligence and an Improvement In his
home life.
AS to the oft repeated charge that 9
reduction in the hours of labor means
more time and more money spent In
drinking and dissipation. Professor
Fishers words indicate the true fact
namely, that overlong hours directly
induce dissipation. and the unanimous
testimony of all competent observers
teachers, ministers. sociologists, has
been to the effect that reduction iT
the hours OF labor almost invariably
means an improvement in the whole
moral tone of the community, rails
ing Of the standard of living, growth
of self respect Of the workingman ant
a diminution. not an increase, IL
drunkenness, violence and crime. II
the American workman can be intrust
ed with the suffrage it is certainly
safe to intrust him with a few hour!
OF leisure--John Mitchell.