Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-29

missions wero organized and put to
! work. What they discovered led the
government authorities to ro-cnforce
| every rcGulatioY concerning tho mini
mum-age law. tho eight-hour day. and
some new and very stringent laws In
regard to overtime employment.
Perhaps the most remarkable results
obtained were those Of the British
Fatigue Commission, which conducted
| an extensive inquiry into the princi-
pal causes OF fatigue. It's experiments
covered seven factories. each employ
ing anywhere from GOO to 1000 hands.
Including men and women. The first
| investigation. extending over 4 period
OF one and half months, was con-
Quoted In factory engaged in the
| manufacture OF surgical dressings for
the army In the field. The entire pro-
cess OF making surgical dressings was
carried on In this one factory, in
cluuins packing. carding. spinning.
winding. wrapping, sizing, weaving.
bleaching. drying. impregnatins with
antiseptic. redrying. examining, cutting
| into bundages. weighing and compress.
| ing.
The second factory was an engineer
ing plant. manufacturing materials of
war which ranged from tho huge
turnines Tor large ships to the steel
shieids used In the trenches. IT EN-.
ployed about 900 men and many wo.
! men.
Carefully Tested for Fatigue.
The fret experiment. was known m
a color test. The person examined was
| given the task OF depressing a key on
| a moving drum. which caused a shuttar
to fall. revealing n certain color. Sir
keys bearing different colors were then
| handed him. and he was told to .eI.ct
the one similar 10 tho color exposed.
me second experiment was a hearing
| test. The subject was again seated on
the stool and told 10 keep his eve.
fixed on some object In front OF him.
watch was then held as far away from
MIN as he could hear it's tick, and the
distance measured BY tape measure
The third experiment was an eve test
Its object was TO determine the great
est distance at which the subject could
| identify letters on piece of card
board. Tho fourth experiment. known
as tfIc systolic blood pressure test, con-
sisted merely OF taking the subjects
| blood pressure.
The subjects OF these four expert
ments. OF course. responded to each of
| them In proportion to the extent TO
which they were fatigued. AS re-
| SUIT. the commission reported the fol-
lowing facts: First. That fatigue ae-
cumulates during tho day, and. under
! ordinary circumstances Is able TO en-.
tirely recover from fatigue accumulat-
ed during the day by one nisht's rest.
However by tho end Of week hia
ability to recover is lessened; while
his ability to acquire fatigue 10 in
creased. so that ono nights rest ia not
sufficient. Hence. the necessity of n
complete rest on Sunday. and on Satur-
day afternoon when possible.
| Found EiEht-Hour Day Best.
| second. Ihat more work may be &C.
complished in short hours than in long
hours. In other words, person who
works eight hours day is able to
accomplish more than person who
works ten hours a day, and I'VE times
AS much as person working twelve
hours day. This is because their re-
covery from fatigue is much greater
owing to the longer period OF rest. and
they arc. therefore. able to exert great
er effort. The commission made the
absolute recommendation that over
time be abolished from the factories
altogether In its experiment.. CON
| Quoted in connection with this feature
1t was found that. not only was tho
output no greater on account OF tho
| extra hours. but in most cases IL vas
actually less than that produced in
normal hours. In some cases where
the operation OF machinery is almost
| the sole process connected with the
|
time may be justified. hut even here
| results showed that more could be pro.
| duced with second shift"
| The commission also discovered that
| hpme conditions, the health Of The
worker and the amount OF food con-
sumed all had their effect upon his &c
emulation OF fatigue. but the main
factor In combating fatigue was rest
| Concerning this II says: Under ordi-
| nary circumstances labor In perform-
ed In tasks OF definite length. separated
| by intervals OF rest. Under ideal con-
ditions rest intervals would be SUM-
GENTLY often and sufficiently prolonged
| TO insure that perfect recovery should
he attained after the performance OF
every task"