The Cordova daily times., 1917-09-14
SIX HOUR DAY |S FAVORED IN
 ENGLAND
(By Associated Press)

LoNDoN, sept. l4. - AuOptiOn or | a six hour working day for labor and | general establishment of copartner- ship between British employers and | workingmen after the war are urged | by Baron Leverhulme, formerly Sir W. H. Lever, a large employer of la ] bor and formerly a member of the central board of control to deal with the drink problem.
 Whatever attempt Is made at set clement of industrial troubles" said Lord Leverhulme, in statement on labor conditions after the war. q think 1t must continue to be the basis of the new conditions. But it needs improve ment and modification. Wages should be on the highest possible scale, but no change ought to impair the suprem- acy of management.
 "The first thing we must note in any effort at improvement of working conditions is the tediousness of me chanical work. The remedy I pro pose is the shortening of the days task from eight to six hours I think six hours at monotonous work Is long enough for any man or woman. It is noteworthy fact that in the history of labor the shortening of hours has meant no decrease but an increase in production. The successive changes from thirteen hours in the day to twelve, and again to ten so resulted. Even more marked were the results of the change from ten to eight. Pro duction was augmented, loss of time from sickness and inefficient hand ling of machinery was lessened. The loss under the old system owing to absence from sickness alone was 9 l'per cent I count on similar advan- tages from the reduction of working hours to six.
 How is that saving of hours to be I turned to the workmans advantage? With a six hour day he will not be
 too weary to take advantage of educa- tional opportunity. The state should
 insist on two hours daily being spent | in self-improvement. The young work man should have his mind cultivated and his body exercised. In early man. hood these hours might be partly used for military exercises. Beyond thirty he will find time for some hobby, say gardening. And all this time he will be gaining in efficiency and character "So we shall be opening up fresh resources for the good of the nation. The precious plant of inYentiveness Is not grown in a close atmosphere Of prolonged labor, it is the product of leisure hours, when a mans mind is free from task work.
 'The six hour arrangement must not, I need hardly say, involve any reduction in wages. Personally speak ing, want to see wages go higher, for higher wages mean more efficiency and more production. The more ma chinery we have the greater the out put.
 Along with shorter hours I look to co-partnership as a great remedy. Such a system brings employer and employed into family relations; 1t gives the workman a personal interest In his work. Strict care should be taken that 1t Is not used as a device for reducing wages. so that any ad. yantages are neutraliZed. That would be a fraud and a sham. The fierce objection men had to the piece work system was their fear of such de- vice.
 There are critics who would sub stitute higher wages for the benefits of partnership. That is not my idea. Increase of wages adds to cost of pro duction; sharing of profits does not. Besides. the latter system gives the workman a personal concern in the firms affairs. It is so, I think and hope, that the gulf between capital and labor may happily be bridged."