The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-01-21
FOR S|x-HOUR WORK DAY
British Manufacturer Pro-
poses Plan as Means of
Preparedness.

\ hour working day proposal
that embodies perhaps the most far
reaching scheme OF military training
Yet devised has been paced before the
British people by Sir William H.
Lever. He suggests that the working
day IN all industries in the United
Kingdom be reduced to six hours. but
That the workers. I'm return for their
increased freedom from toll. shall give
the nation the benefit of the two hours
daily of their liberated time. Workers
from the ages Of ~ to Is shall put in
two hours daily at study, he proposes,
but all workers from Is to 80 shall
srend the two hours daily in military
training. After reaching the age of 80
the worker under this scheme. would
be permitted to use his extra two
hours as he saw fit.
1T is only by the adoption of "A six
, hour working day that fun and COM
Ilete education. discipline and training
can be given in preparing every citi-
zen to live a full life of service to his
country and his home, with happiness
to himself" Sir William asserts
A Citizen Army Would be Ready.
The s,x-honr working day with
such related system of training
would give. us n citizen army prepared
| physically and mentally FOR the defense
! nf tho I rn
di,ions would be worth living and such
conditions of life would be worth
fighting 10 defend and maintain but
it canno, be done unless we reduce
the working day to six hours. Ate,
youths nor adults are in fit mental
or physical condition to receive cithc,
education ,,or 'trniping." @-E ~ ~
:If Thc3SmanF who shasl' offered ;this; rla,
the same time placating labor for It.
sacrifice, is no visionary. no dwcllci
in mnsty libraries. He is one OF the
greatest magnatcs OF the British en-
pirc one of the towering industrial
figures of the time in fact He is hcat
of Lever Brother, Limited, the great
lost soap manufacturing concern in tn,
: world. His fortune is estimated a
s $50 100000 or more. +. Sir William, Ia,
mad" thorough study of coniition
Iof labor in, England and as far back IA
discs he sought to eliminate many 0
the evils that exist, ins most industrial
, jcentcrs. > His company built n mode
III village Tor its $500 wbrkmen' near Liv
, erpooL Cottages. set well apart. wcr
lbuilt and leased to the workers at 10y
T rentals. The grounds Of the villag
, are beautifully laid out. chestnut an
I elm trees being planted about them /
. profusion. One of the features of tn
l village is n municipal hall. where en-
tertainmen,s and lectures are given.
, Sir William Lever was one of tn
first employers TO install the eight
hour day in England. and ne says c
it: we now know that it is an cs
tablished fac, that more product
= volume and better product in DUAL
= ity can be produced In an eight -hou
working day than was ever possib
in one OF longer hours" But he doe
not believe the eight-ho day repre-
sents the limit that should be sougl
~ in the reduction of working hours.
T., "And now for the joint welfare
employer. cmploye and consumer v
"a are approaching the time when our in
n dustries must be rationalized by
10 further reduction to a six worl
ing day he says. The six hour da
D would develop inventive genius ar
n would admit Of Il continuous operate
N of the mills and factories through Il
d working of four shifts daily. TIL
" an increased output in six hours cou
= be produced over any possible outp1
i in eight hours ! have not the slighte
shadow Of doubt"
s.,