The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1915-02-27
THE NEED FOR THE EraHr.HoUR DAY.

Inc success OF organized labor In increasing wages
OF workmen has been brilliant and signal, but has not
hours of labor An increase in the rate OF
more Of the comforts and Inquiries of life; decrease
In hours of labor the opportunity enjoy these
forts and luxures. The shortening of the working
moreover stands for freedom from toll at the time
when it becomes exacting, wearing dan
eerous still furtheT 1t stands for leisure recreation,
education and famit life
Owing to the fact that the work of the modren world
is becoming and matter nervous energy,
of skill and intelligence ND less matter of mere
brute force, the reduction Of hours only ad-
vantage but of absolute necessity. Even when work
IS Simply and purely physical it is not economical
work long hours shorter day of labor is impera-
tive where work is intense, intelligence in
genuity and inventiveness are required You cannot
get more out of than is in him. If you take
too much one day there will just so much less to
obtain succeeding days.
Inc most curious feature about the history of the
duction of hours is that almost all cases the trade
unions have been obliged to force employers strongly
against their WILL to grant reductions which have u
tlmately proved to their advantage. The English mill
owners in the beginning and middle 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 decided benefit only to the work.
man but to his employer.
In so far 1essened hours mean increased produc.
ton and cheapened COST there be question as
10 the accessibility OF shortening the working day.
III sucn cases employers should be compelled
tne1r own advantage their interest, by
adjusting themselves to reasonable conditions. Even
where the advantage the employer is not so appar
ent an excessive number of working hours should not
De tolerated Professor Irving Fisher of Yale niver
sy states the whole matter succnctly in his report on
national vitality to the national commits
slon' when he says: "The present working day. from
pnyslologca1 point of view, is too long keeps the
majority OF men and women in continual state of
overfat1gue 1t starts vicious circle leading to the
craving OF means for deadening fatigue thus nduc-
Ing drunkenness and other Experience in re-
ducing the working day shows great Improvement in
the physical efficiency of labores many cases re-
sutng in even increasing their output sufficiently to
compensate the employer for the day. Several
examples OF such results exist real justification
OF shorter workday is found the interest Of the
race not the employer" reduction in hours means
strengthening of the workingman the growth of A.
keener Intelligence, and improvement in his home
life.
AS to the oft-repeaed charge that reduction in the
hours OF labor means more time money spent
IN aflnkns and dissipation, Professor Fishers words
a4cate the true TACT, namely that over-long hours
olec'y 1nouce dissipation and the unanimeus testi-
ony o1 ali competent observers teachers, minister's
soeoloe'ss has been to the effect that reduction in
the hours OF labor almost invariably means an i'm
provement in the whole moral of the community
a raising OF the standard Of living a growth of tho
se1f-respect OF the workingman, dimntfion not
an increase in drunkenness violence and crime If the
american workman be entrusted with the sffra.
1t Is certainly safe to entrust him few hours of
leisure-Wisconsin Labor News. : :<