New-York tribune., 1918-02-15
4 Six-Hour Working Day
An lnteruie1u With Lord LeuerhuZmc
Chairman Of Lever Bros, Ltd.
in LIE Journal
By Rhode knight

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question "a modern factory is equipped
with expensive and elaborate machinery which
usually requires constant and careful super
VISION. When in regular use it tends, Of
course, to deprecate, and its up-keep is an
important item, which must be taken into ac-
count when calculating working expenses and
cost OF production. But suppose an employer
whose factory is now working only eight
hours day in shift were to introduce
two shifts of six hours each a day-one, say.
from a. m: to 1880 p. NJ, with half an hour
preak Tor meal, and the other from 1 p. m.
to 3 p. m., with half an hour break for tea
what would be the result? His engines and
machines would run for twelve hours instead
OF eight hours day at proportionately in
creased cost for coal and wages; his two
shllts OF Workmen would work in the aggre-
gate twelve hours instead of eight hours a
day. but his producton-ma this point!-
would increase by at least so per cent. with
out, however, anything like a pro rata in
crease IN the cost of production. AS matter
or fact, it has been found in some cases that
production has increased under these or
somewhat similar conditions by as much as
80 or more per cent? But, even with the
lower percentage of increase, it is obvious
that the employer we'll as the workman
would profit by the change.
In Alternate Shifts
Let me mention in passing that in the in
terests Of health, efficiency and equity the
two shifts would work alternately week bv
week IN the morning and afternoon That is
to say, shift would work from a. m. to
l:5C p. m. one week and from 80 o. M to
p M the next week, while shift would re-
verse the rotation. Thus, every alternate
week the members of each shift would have
every afternoon as we'll as every evening at
their disposal.
Side by side by this reform in our work
ing hours Lord Leverhume continued "a
reform winch advocate on the ground of
eAlciehcy, hygiene and humanitarianism as
we'll as sound economic policy-side bv side
with it l would place the principle of CO.
partnership. l believe in raising the eco
nomlc and social status Of the worker. in in.
creaslng his sense of responsibility by giving
MIN direct pecuniary personal interest in
tne conduct and output of the factory and in
the profits accruing from his work. much
prefer copartnership to the bonus system In
the former case the worker feels he is mart
ner In the firm and is receiving his due soma
snare that he has fairly earned as a copart
ner by his Skill and industry; in the latter
the bonus partakes of the character of an
eleemosynary grant, charitable dole. which
the employer is under no obligation to make
and which may 1uctuate in amount at his
Whlm or caprice without any relation to tho
actual profits earned or the Workman,s sL;1,
and industry.
Wars Farreaching Effects
unfortunately, as l think" Lord Lever
hulme added, "the copartnershin svs+en, No.
not been widely adopted either in this conn.
try or the United States, notwithstanding
what seem to me to be its great and obvious
duVanlageS. More than century has elapse
SINCE ROBERT Owen first introduced the nrin-
clple, but so slow Gave EMPLOYERS been 70 roc-
ognize It's value that at the present time orl,
traction OF l per cent of the workers in +bs
United hlngdom enjoy the benefits of nroft
sharing. N-''
frmiy believe that the war will have i'm
mense and far reaching effects on tho ;ndrs
trlai conditions of the near future" were
LORD Leverhulme's IS closing words "The com.
radeship of the trench ann fob+;n, -;
where men meet men, where social die
tihctlons nave been largely annulled by the
system Oh conscrlptlon, and where men have
iearned to understand and respect each other
-'nls comradeshlp will have great, perma-
nent and beneficial consequences. The com.
'hihe'ihg OF the races, and especially the
meeting Oh the two great Engls speaking
iaces' mas done much and will probably still
W 40 lar more TO widen their horizon, clarity
.heii 'n'has' sweep away prejudices, remove
MISUNDERSTANDING and pave the way to a
higher conception of life in all its bearing,
and phases Labor will be gamer bv this
intercommunion,' this interchange of IDEAS
and this close association in the great war Of
right against might. These influences will,
not be transltory. They will be felt and felt
very strongly, IN the ranks of capital as we'll
as or labor and believe it would be wise
l.ose o" 'he part OF employers of industry to
velopments of the future and he nrenarsa -
meet the workers in spirit of frank ana
friendly fraternity" "N ana