The Topeka state journal., 1919-11-25
THE SHORTER WORK DAY.

dency on the part of labor to shorten
the work day. The coal miners in
their original demands asked for six
extent of making it seven.
The length of the work day is a
matter for careful consideration in all
it's aspects. Is it wise to add to- the
burdens of industry at this time? 1t is
not certain that ~hortening the hours
will always reduce the output and in
crease the cost. because that is fact
which can be determined best by ac-
tual test in the different industries. If
I it do not reduce the output nobody will
object to it. and on the other hand if a
/ general reduction of the hours of Ia
Dor reduce the output and raise the
price of every article of consumption,
the laboring people, who are the chief
body of consumers, will find the bur-
den inevitably falling upon them. not
by contrivance or manipulation, but
because they are consumers.
One very large experiment of this
kind has been tried by reducing the
unit day of railway employees to eight
hours. 1t is true that the hours of la
Dor were not commonly reduced to
eight hours, but probably nobody ever
supposed they would be, and however
that may be, railway charges have
gone up 25 per cent. and the increase
enters into the cost of living of every
family in the country.
The effect would be more serious if
~.
been reduced to eight hours, because
then larger labor force would be re-
quired to operate the roads. and men
would be withdrawn from other indus
tries, reducing production and making
other living expenses higher.
In saying this, it is not intended to
pronounce against the eight-hour day.
hours which should be worked in any
industry. We are only stating what
must follow If a reduction of the hours
makes it necessary to employ more
workers to produce given result.
The effect will be distributed over the
entire consuming public. and it will be
the effect of scarcity. 1t may be best
to reduce the hours of labor in spite of
this effect. Perhaps it would be better
for the entire population to get along
with less of the things they want. and
have a shorter ork-day, but will ev-
erybody be satisfied with this result?
The crucial question in every indus
try is not a theoretical or sentimental
one, but the practical one whether the
products of the industry can be sold in
sufficient volume on a given level of
prices to afford employment to all the
people who are looking for work in
that industry. There may be different
theories about it In advance. and the
opinion of the wage-earners may be p S
good as that of the. proprietors; GER
tainly one side has as good a right to
it's opinion as the other. But event
ually there will be a demonstration,
and then it will be good policy for
both sides to conform to the results.
The public Is the final employer and
it doesn't pay anybody to,quarrel with
the public for not buying his products
or giving him employment. The pub
lie buys what 1t pleases to, and the
wise man adapts himself to it's wishes.
and If he cannot attract its patronage
at one price or in one line shifts to
another price or another line. The Ia
Dor organizations are definitely of the
opinion that it is better for them to put
up with part time rather than reduce
a wage rate which has been estab-
llshed. and they may be right about it
IL it takes a fight every time to get
their wages restored. But on the 9TH
er hand if low production and high
prices delay the general recovery of
Industry by causing a reduction of
consumption it is well to remember
that the laboring people of the coun-
try are suffering on both sides of the
deadlock, for they are the chief body
OF consumers as well as of wage
earners.