The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-10-19
RUSSIA DISCOVERS.
THAT PROHIBITION
IS SPLENDID FACT
Workmen Benefited BY Dry
Regime In Empire - Lose
Less Time and Earn More.
OUTPUT OF FACTORIES
is HEAVILY INCREASED
Results of Probe Convinces
People That There Was Wis
dom In Edict Which Danish
ed Vodka from Dominions.


Moscow. Russia, oct. IS.---A gen
eral inquiry has been instituted by
1.-The Association of Manufacturers OF
the Moscow industrial district to as
certain the progress of temperance
! among the wo~kmen under the direct
Influence of the measure OF such
great historical importance as the
general prohibition of alcoholic
drinks introduced by the will of His
Majesty the Emperor.
The information was collected by
means Of Inquiries sent round TO the
manufacturers belonging TO the asso-
( citation, as we'll as to all more or less
( important other concerns of the Mos
cow district.
The habitual state Of intcmperance
Of the ma jOrity of workmen eXer-
cised an injurious influence on the IN
tensity and continuance of labor, the
quality Of the work, the order in the
works and the mutual relations be-
tween the workmen and the admins
tratfon Of the manufacturing con-
Germs
Haa Peen Long Recognized.
The harm done TO the Russian in
dustry by the intemperance of the
workmen has long ago been recog-
nized by the leaders OF the manufac-
turing Class of Russia; however, their
voices were not heard because of the
influence OF other classes Of the popu-
lation and the consideration Of the
state budget The manufacturers had
TO fight against the intemperance OF
tho workmen with their own means
and at their own risk: some by en-
ploying only sober workmen, others
by inducing their men to sign rectp-
rocal bonds pledging them not 10
drink, etc. Such local measures were.
Of course, powerless before the evil
:hat had spread all over Russia.
Only the advent of the war could radi-
cnlly and at once introduce the re-
forms which the government was
gradually preparing for the purpose
! OF abolishing intemperance.
The term "progoul" (wOrking time
Tnissed) could serve as the best means
TO determine the harm caused by the
iintemperance OF the workingmen. In
mills and works this term is used 70
denote any absence from the work,
/ of whatever duration II may be. This
includes late arrival, absence on &C
count of Illness, strikes, leaves OF ab-
sence, etc, It actually means any alb
! breviation ot the working time, and
therefore must be considered az a re.
i ductton of workingmans produc-
tivity.
Much Time Lost.
! After the cases of work missed on
account of Illness It is the absence
in consequence OF drunkenness that
/ is most frequently met with, a con-
siderable part of the first mentioned
cases being the direct or indirect con-
sequence OF intemperance.
AS such absences represent the
, of TINS
quently Of the productivity Of the
mems labor it will now be possible
I 70 reply to the question of general in
terest what the Introduction OF tenn
perance has given TO national labor,
and in what degree the producing
powers of Russia have increased from
the day when the sale of alcoholic
drinks was universally prohibited.
The results OF corresponding cal
Culatons have proved that with the
introduction Of temperance the pro-
ductvity in five branches of indus
try OF the Moscow manufacturing
district, with 64613S workmen (the
total number of workmen in this dis
trict being 976,3S7) under normal
/ conditions of work will increase by
0,25 per cent IN consequence OF the
reduction of missed hours.
If the results obtained be applied
TO all branches Of the Moscow Indus
try it will be proved that under nor
NAL working conditions the reduc-
ton IF missed working time will re-
suit in an increase Of the output Of
the concerns of the Moscow district
Of approximately 0.4S per cent.
The reduction of the number of
missed hours resulted in a better
utilization Of the working time in
consequence OF which the productive
ity Of the workmen rose on an aver
iage by 2.6 per gent, as instead .of
every 95,1 hours actually spent in
work during 1913, the men worked
9T.6 hours during the period under
investigation in 1914.
In 1914 the earnings on piece work
Of the average workman rose by 06
copccks per hour, or by A per cent.
Taking into consideration that the
better utilization OF the working time
increased the productivity h. 2.6 per
cent, and the payment on piece work
increased by 4 per cent, it must be
concluded that the productivity of
. labor during the period under inves-
tigation (August-October 1914. in
l creased by II per cent In compari-
son to the same period in 1918 in
regard to 1855 workmen that had
come under consideration.
, The increase OF productivity Of the
workmen in the textile industry in
consequence OF the prolongation Of
working hours in 1914'as compared
= TO 1914 was 81 per cent, while the
increase Of the productivity in con-
sequence of the greater intensity OF
labor amounted to &c per cent Con.
sequenty, the total increase OF pro-
: duCtVity OF the labor of workmen in
textile concerns under normal con-
ditions amounted to So per cent.
r. In the metal industry. the increase
p OF productivity in consequence OF
longer working hours in 1914 reached
: So per cent. while the increase in
= consequence OF greater intensity of
, labor amounted to SO per cent.
2 Therefore, the total increase of pro-
duCtivity of the laborers in this
! branch of industry under normal
. conditions reached 12.7 per cent.
Here are the statements of some
I of the leading manufacturing con-
, Germs:
= independently Of the prohibition
4 90 l. 49, n