The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-03-21
NEED One
DAY IN 7
FOR REST
The New Legislative Move
ment Began With Little
Country Of Switzerland.

Under the caption of "cne Days
Rest in Seven" John Andrews, secre-
tary of the American Association for
Labor Legislation, says in part in a
recent number Of the Living Church:
"An overtired person is literally a
poisoned person, poisoned by his own
waste products"
Due to the monotony of labor, the
speeding up. and the long hours preva-
1ent in American industry. it has been
noted that frequently the ordinary
nights rest is insufficient to repair the
waste of the wage earner's day. Thus
the man goes back to his lathe, the girl
to her loom, little less capable on
Tuesday than on Monday, much less
capable on Saturday than at the be-
ginning of the week. The fatigue
products have accumulated in their
systems; a longer break from accus-
toned routine is necessary to restore
the normal tone. This respite is fur
nished by the Christian Sabbath, and
one of the unwise Innovations of the
French revolutionists was that they
put their rest days ten days apart in
stead of seven.
In many American industries, how
ever, the weekly rest day has been
neglected. In steel mills. paper and
pulp mills, powerhouses, telegraph and
telephone offices, hotels, restaurants,
railroads, trolley lines. drug shops, con-
fectionery stores and many other es-
Establishments which will readily recur
to mind, thousands of men and women
are toiling week in and week out. with
never a days intermission until heart
and body rebel and the worker is forced
to report sick" The number of such
seven-day workers in the United
States is not accurately known. but in
Minnesota the men alone were found
to number nearly 100000. or about IA
per cent of the total number of males
gainfully employed. In Massachusetts,
a special legislative committee on OBJ
servance of the Lords Day estimated
cent of the entire population of the
state. were engaged in seven-day labor.
In New York 1913 per cent Of trade
union members reported themselves as
working seven days a week.
In addition to the physical effects
upon the wage-earners Of this unre-
hitting toll, the moral and social eff
fects are equally marked. BY unre-
lieved fatigue Jack is made not only
a dun. but a vicious boy as we'll The
craving for excitement and strong
stimulQnts replaces all that is best in
recreation. Family life is destroyed,
the cultivation OF worthy friends and
interests is hampered. and intelligent
exercise of the duties of citizenship is
frustrated. A democracy can not af-
ford to continue the production of such
a type of manhood or womanhood.
Even on the basis Of dollars and cents,
its most frequent excuse. seven day
labor does not pay for itself. Under
stress OF world war. Minister of NUM-
tions Lloyd George was forced to urge
British munition makers to abolish
Sunday work, as the loss of a complete
day of rest tended to reduce rather
than to increase the output.
Many employers, of course. have al
ways succeeded in avoiding seven day
labor in their establishments Through
out the history of the country, how
ever, legislators have been moved to
enact laws in the hope Of restraining
those who could not. or would not, re-
strain themselves. These laws for the
most part proved futile. Their authors
apparently forgot that the Sabbath
was made for man. not man for the
Sabbath. They essayed to prohibit on
Sunday work which our growing tnv-
ilization required. Stop the trains and
street cars. the heating and lighting