Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-12-09
IM'ADOO ORDERS
SHORTER HOURS
FOR RAIL MEN
Shop Employees Begin Forty
Eight Hour Week
After War


ployes in this city and vicinity start
ed their first eight-hour day to-day. A
forty-eight hours weekly schedule
was inaugurated.
the company, as rapidly as it is pos
sible to obtain men, and as work
warrants the introduction of this
plan. Day workers at the machine
and car shops reported for duty at
a. IN. and Will cease tolling at 4
p. m. Night forces will start at 4
p. m. and work through until 12
o'clock midnight.
FOundrymen Not Affected
Because of peculiar conditions eX-
isting at the foundries of the
Iennsy, men working on heats" will
continue on the same basis as at
present, and their time will run nine
and ten hours.
But employees in other foundry de-
partments, such as pattern-ma akerg,
machinists and laborers will observe
the eight-hour order. The heaters"
! cannot arrange their tasks as easily
4 dS lilGU III DlIleT CdDdtlIleS anu lutN
| will be compelled to follow the pres
ent method of attending to duties.
Same Hours Saturday
! At the Offices of the Pennsy. it
/ was stated that the new order stip-
! ulates that six eight-hour days shall
| constitute the revised schedule. That
provides for working the same hours
on Saturdays as on the previous five
| days, and the usual weekend half
holiday will be eliminated.
Six eight-hour nights for the night
workers are also noted. and the usua
| idleness on Saturday nights is there
! fore to become a thing fthe past, at
| various departments where night
forces are necessary. The total num-
her of employees on duty at night is
| not great. compared to the army of
men working on the day schedule.
| 1t is anticipated that considerable
| objection will grow out of the with
drawal of the weekly half-holiday.
| II has been a custom for many years
and when plans to do away with ii
| last summer were broached as result
| of the spreading need of car and en-
| gine repairs, workmen asked for the
! opportunity to make up the equiva-
| lent of time lost on Saturdays, by go
; ing to work earlier and quitting later
! each day. Whether any steps to OBJ
serve such a method under the eight
hours plan would be taken, officials
! could not say.
Have No Lunch Hours
| In accordance with the shortened
| schedule, night workers will have no
! special hour for lunching, as at pres
| ont when those working from p. IN.
| =. t., .
| a lunch during the night.
! 1t is pointed out that beginning
tonight, these men Will have to
snatch a bite whenever their job per-
mits. While it has one benefit in al
! Lowing them to get home an hour
| earlier, instead of taking time for
lunch, some workers may object and
declare the rest and temporary re-
| taxation are more valued than the
! privilege of reaching home sooner.
Day workers will have the usual
noon hour period for dinner. NoticeT
were placed throughout the shops
yesterday afternoon. The order was
! received here on Wednesday, but az
| il was not effective until next week,
! two days notice was thought sutii-
/ dent for the men.
Work Plentiful Now
With winter approaching and no
apparent decrease in the use of cars
and locomotives. the local shops have
! plenty of work ahead. The repairs
continue to be heavy and the scarcity
| of engines has been noticeable for
some time, although the car shortage
Is not so acute.
News of the change in orders came
! as a surprise to shopmen. Several
| weeks ago il was announced that the
eight hour plan would be inaugurated
/ on December .. and that the shop
! hours would be reduced on November
| 26 to nine hours and thus pave the
way for the still shorter schedule.
! Resembling of that order by the fed
eral manager. promptly followed, VITA
! the explanation that ther" was
much work ahead to let the eight
hour plan become a reality.
~ EnglHehOuses Later
While me order applies to shops
chiefly. it was stated that the new
regulation of working time viii
eventually be observed at all engine
| houses as well.
That the order will be extended to
/ these forces as promptly as feasible.
was the statement of motive power
| official 1t may be in vogue next
| week at smaller houses where the
| operation is of lesser proportion
and fewer employees are required. The
| general establishment of the three
| forces will probably be deferred sew
| eral weeks yet, until a sufficient
group of men can be obtained
| Unsteady workers are going to be
affected undoubtedly by the eight
| hour schedule, They may not take so
much time off and affect the produc-
tion of their departments to such a
vast degree hereafter, for their earn
ings will be considerably curtailed
| and working on every working day In
every week will probably prove no
velty to many of them. Abstenteeism
is unquestionaly destined to receive
! ii knockout blow through the medium