The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1917-09-07
URGES A 6-HOUR
WORK DAY AF TER
WAR IN ENGLAND
Partnership Between En-
ployer And Employe Plan
Of Leverhulme
WAGES SHOULD BE
ON HIGHEST SCALE
Educational Chances Thus
Given Workers, IL
They Desire

IEv Associated Press TO The Banncrl
LONDON, Sept. 5-Adoption of six
hour working day for labor and gener-
al establishment Of copartnership be
tween British employers and working
men after the war are urged by Bar
on Leverhulme, formerly Sir w. H..
Lever, large employer of labor and
formerly a member of the central
Dcard OF control to deal with the drink
problem.
Whatever attempt is made at set
tlement of Industrial troubles" said
Lord Levcrhulme in a statement on
labor conditions after the war, 81
think the wages system cannot be abol-
ished, 1t must continue to be the basis
of the new conditions. But it needs
Improvement and modification. Wages
should be on the highest possible scale
but no change ought to impair the sl-
premacy 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 propose
is the shortening of the days task
from eight to six hours. think six
hours at monotonous work is long
enough for any man or woman. 1t is
a noteworthy fact that in the history
of labor the shortening of hours has
meant not decrease but an increase
in production. The successive changes
from 13 hours in the day to 12, and
again to 10 so resulted. Even more
marked were the results of the change
from ten to eight. Production was
augmented, loss of time from sickness
and inefficient handling of machinery
was lessened. The loss under the old
system owing to absence from sick
ness alone was $50. | count on sim
liar advantages from the reduction of
working hours to six.
How is that saving of hours to be
turned to the workman's advantage?
With a siX-h9ur day he will not be too
weary to take advantage of education
al opportunity. The state should in
s,st 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 80, 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 re-
sources for the good of the nation. The
precious plant of inventiveness is not
grown in a close atmosphere of pro-
longed labor. 1t is the product of
leisure hours, when mans mind is
free from taskwork.
"The six hour arrangement must
not, ! need hardly say, involve any re-
duction 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 | look to
o-partnership as great remedy.
Such a system brings employer and
employed into family relations; it
gives the workman a personal inter
est in his work. Strict care should be
taken that it is not used as device
for reducing wages. so that any ad-
vantages are neutralized. That would
be a fraud and sham. The fierce OBJ
lection men had to the piecework sys-
TEN was their fear of such device.
There are critics who would substi-
tute higher wages for the Dement'S o.
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. 1t is So, | think and
hope, that the gulf between capital
and labor may happily be bridged.'