South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-08-19
HEALTH DEPENDS
ON WAGE EARNED
British Industry Investigated
to Get Welfare Basis for
u. S. Workers.

An interim report on Industrial
Efficiency and Fatigue recently is-
sued by the health OF munitiOu
workers committee OF the British
ministry of munitions. has just been
reproduced in bulletin $50 of the
nuI eau of labor statistics of tie
United States department o. labor,
with the exception &C a portion of
the report consisting Of two mem
oranda (Nos z and - already re-
printed iu bulletin 22I This is the
fourth OF series OF bulletins pub
lshed by this bureau at me re-
quest Of the council OF national de-
tense. in an EFFORT 20 make available
reports of the British health of
munition workers committee inso-
far as they may zoe applicable 10
conditions I'm the United States
rhe interim report considers the
comparative eHiciencies of day-Work
and nght-work. the causes and
conditions of lost time. and incon-
tites TO work with special referenoe
;o wages. presenting detailed med-
ic5l Studies ON the health and phys
zeal conditions OF both men and
Women in munitions factories.
Night-Work Undesirable.
Ou the whole night-work is re-
-arded AS undesira BILE. although
there is no significant difference be-
tween the rate of output iu night
and dsv shifts names ed on the dis
continuous system which is prefer
red to continuous uisht-work the
latter being productive of definitely
less output
Grouping the causes of lost time
a- coutrcllsblc and uucOutrOllIble.
tTc report discusses the question of
tire extent 70 which lost time may
ar attributed 10 sickness. considers
the relation Of lost time 20 overtime
showing that hours gained by over
time may bc counterbaldnced by
lost time. and suggests the un-
Economical and Improbable result
f,IIovm. the employment of work
ans before breakfast AS illustrating
u,V considerable a proportion of
rbe time gained by extraordinary
houre may Doe lost BOO normal hours,
Gwen iu a velI-manased factory, the
,r4uccrn- department of a firm
,u-aeed ou heavy work are cited. IN
which with normal day-shitt
wees cot hours and a uight-shift
..ccs of go hours. 5@ per cent of tic
time GAINED los overtime work I'M
-ncu four weeks i'm may, 1916. was
lost bv bad time keeping and sick
ut.- while 56.G per cent was lost Ir
% -i,en two weeks iu june, 1916.
Health Depends On Earnings
Boo its report con- incentives TO
work. with special reference to
ua-e~ 60 is stated that health. @.
..b~encc OF sickness. physical and
meutal-ard efficiency of WORKERS
are influenced by the earnings and
tnat output which has been closely
Investigated as am indication OF
t4.isue. may Doe Influenced by the
ua-c system iu force. Generally
speaking. payment nv time alone
has mo- direct influence in slim
plating the inclination 90 work
while uavmeut by the piece does
have such influence. Thus Don one
factory 10 girls drillius fuses art
uprkiut ON tine piece-rate basis. in
.he week increased their output 81
"A per cent Un the dIy-shift and us
900 per cent ON the uisht-shItt over
their output when W0rNns ou %
thine vase basis.
The medical examination obi.
1.545 men. 1909 BOYS and 1895
women and girls. while revcaliu-
Evidence OF strain and fatigue.
showed less iU health than was ave-
ioipated Among the men sleIp-
mess on a., rirht-shift headache.
footachc and muscular pains. to-
.ether With nervous symptoms. are
probably -Ee most common signs of
oterVork Ei-hty per cent OF the
lost time among the has men was
one To- sickness and 20 per cent 20
.ccideut.
Consideration OF the health and
welfare OF muuiuon workers outside
tne factories as shown in mem
rtu I'm the foIIoViUg statement by the
health of munitiou workers com
mittee BY the agency of tie
state women and zirls are being eN-
ported from their homes and i'm
ported into munition areas By thu
s-tncv OF the state the liberty Of
me individual 20 throw up her
"a ork and TO take her labor else
where is restricted ON the state,
therefore. the responsibility lies not
ONLY for suitably housing these
transplanted workers. but also TO.
securing the safeguards ueedful for
their health and morals the main
tenance of which Is essential 10 the
nation.