The labor advocate. [volume] (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1912-1937, 1916-11-18
A Protest Against Working Labor Men
Seven Days Per Week
By Charles StelzIe,
tin

continuously has a very poor chance to
develop as a man, citizen, father and
husband.
All the tendencies in industrial life are
toward the shorter workday on account
of the increased strain being placed up
on all workers. The steel plant is run
on twelve-hour basis-four hours
longer than the generally accepted work
ing period-and now asks permission to
crown the evil of a twelve-hour day by
the elimination of any day of rest.
Seven-day labor has been condemned
by practically all who have given the
question serious thought-egislators
social workers, workingmen. churchmen,
physicians, and employers. A committee
appointed by the English Government to
consider the health of munition work
ers reported that weekly day of rest
must be allowed. If this recommended
ton. made in the interest of winning a
war, is accepted, is a nation at peace like
ly to serve its ends best by following an
opposite course?
1t is argued that the men prefer to
work continuously. 1t has always been
possible to secure petitions protesting
against a reform measure even from
those who would be most directly bene-
fited There are two reasons why a
man may want to work seven-day
week. First because his wages have been
so small that he is compelled to work !;
and. second, because he has become so
sodden on account of the seven-day
week that his finer sensibilities have be-
come SO blunted that he prefers to work
seven days per week rather than to spend
one day per week with his family or in
the development of his better self This
is one of the strongest arguments against
continuous labor.
1t is contended that workingman has
a right to work seven days per week if
he prefers. There is no such thing as
absolute Personal Liberty in a Democ-
racy. A man may exercise his personal
liberty only insofar as it does not in
jure someone else. The chief consider
alton is not the individual but society.
If working continuously is a bad thing
for the workingman himself. for his
family and for the State, then society
has right to insist that not only shall
the State be protected but that the Safe
must protect such man against himself
This principle is accepted in practically
every human relationship.
If exemption is granted the Lacka-
wanna Steel Company. other industries
in the State which are also "continu
Gus" will ask for similar exemption.
Probably fifteen per cent of all the work
ers in New York State are engaged in
occupations recurring seven-day labor.
This would involve several hundred
thousand workers.
Even though every social and econom-
&c argument should fail we should still
be compelled to answer the challenge of
the decalogue; six davs shalt thou
labor" Commerce and Industry must
conform to moral standards-not moral
standards TO the convenience of Com
merce and Industry. The Federal Coun-
ell Of the Churches of Christ in Amer
ica, representing 30 leading Protestant
denominations, which contain 100000
local churches. having membership OF
nearly 100000. earnestly protests
against granting the request of the
I.ackawanna Steel Company, not only
upon moral and religious basis, but
for social and economic reasons. Rep
resenting the Federal Council, the writer
made two days study of the living con-
ditions of the steel workers in Lacka-
wanna, and appeared at the hearing of
the Industrial Commission to argue
against the request of the Steel Com
pany.