The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1916-09-01

The primary step In human better
ment has always been to secure u
shorter workday. Those workers who
toiled ten or twelve or fourteen hours
became drudges. too tired to think. too
worn out to hope or dream dreams
with time only for the sleep necessary
for any animal. Each day they re-
turned to work unrested from the toll
of the previous day, the poison Of
fatigue accommodating in the body until
the vigor of youth and manhood was
ruinously undermined.
To decrease the hours Of work to a
reasonable standard assures to the
worker time for rest and recuperatiOn
and additional time for development,
for study, for social pleasures, for the
things that make life worth while and
ill it with hope and opportunity.
Since this change has been brought
about In reducing the hours of work.
the short-hour workman becomes a
better workman, consequently, reduc-
lions In the hours of work are invari-
ably accompanied by increases in
wages.
Reduced Hours, Increased Efficiency.
1t has been the experience of en-
ployers that reducing the hours Of
work to a reasonable standard results
In increased efficiency of workers. The
data furnished by some who have kept
statistics showing the increased out
put resulting from reducing from a
ten to an eight-hOur day Is startling
Some have found that efficiency in
creased in percentages varying from
30 to 60.
Workers have called attention to
harmful insanitary conditions prevail
ing In places of employment. By their
demands. backed up by their economic
power. they have succeeded in bring
ing about a great transformation. In
this they have had the cooperation
and assistance Of the many great
scientists, who have used their knowl-
edge and their ability to promote the
interests Of humanity. But whatever
has been accomplished to establish
principles of human welfare In indus
try and commerce has been due either
directly or Indirectly to economic or
gaaizations of workers.
Each year that has gone by has
made more evident the soundness of
the principles which the trade union
lists have followed. AS the dynamic
forces in the lives of the people stand
out sharply in some test that cuts
through to bedrock fundamentals, the
strength and the nature of economic
power is revealed. Those who had
the understanding to interpret such
fiashlight glimpses into the heart of
things and who can sense the hidden
currents that are propelling the for.
ward surge of life, know that those
who handle the tools and materials of
production. have In their hands the
great powers Of the common life. Gre
alive ability Is that which gives men
and women who can do things influ-
ence and value. Men and women have
AN importance and q power because
Of that ability.
Only from a superficial viewpoint
does this emphasis upon creative pow
er appear NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. at
tention is focused upon the products
created rather than upon that great
er. more beautiful thing. the wonder
full, mysterious, spiritual force that
gives direction and purpose to physi.
cal forces in production.
The problems of those who handle
the tools and who do the actual work
Of production have been to secure rec
ognition of the value of their creative
services and to maintain the right of
free men to control their bodies and
their individual powers while all the