The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1920-06-25

emplovment suited to his abilities, to fur
nish incentive and opportunity for improv-
ement. to provide proper safeguards for his
health and safety and to encourage him in
all practicable and reasonable ways to in
crease the value of his productive effort"
Let us restate this remarkable clause in our own
language; "We think that the workers should be
kept alive Indeed, we would like to see the work
ers keep on living. But, in order to remove any
doubts on this point we call the attention OF our
employees to the fact that they must hustle to
beat hell if they expect to get enough wages enough
Of the time to keep on living. We are also willing
to help the worker to improve himset-to increase
the value of his productive effort. But we are not
saying anything about who is to get this increased
value"
How about hours of work?
''7 The number of hours in the work
day or week in which the maximum out
put consistent with the health and we'll
being of the individual can be maintained
in given industry should be ascertaned by
careful study and should never be exceeded
except in case of emergency, and one day
of rest or it's equivalent, should be pro-
vided The reduction in working hours be-
low such economic limit, in order to secure
greater leisure for the individual, should be
made only with full understanding and ac-
ceptance of the fact that it involves a COM
mensurate loss in the earning power OF the
workers, limitation and shortage OF the
industry and an increase in the cost OF the
product, with ali the necessary effect OF
these things upon the interests OF the COM
munity and the nation"
Never was more inhuman proposition con-
ceived by the mind of man. The owner of the chattel
NJ oh1 atnd tO
and marketable; he could not consider it aus open
to question whether or not the slave could keep
himself alive by his contribution to industry Nor
did chattel slavery ever undertake to regulate the
hours of labor by an exact mathematical calculation
of the limit of efficiency, not minute more nor
one minute less than the point of maximum use
of the sum total of the slaves life energy
Not the eight-hour day, not the six-hour day
not the ten-hour day, but the number Of hours
which the worker, calculated as piece of machin
ery can stand the strain. For every minute less
than this calculation, reduction of wages. Taken
together with the wage clause, this means re-
ductotn of wages below the doubtful level Of 6
'sproper" standard of living whatever these benev
client employers may consider proper. Go the limit
of the use of your muscles and nerves or starve
that is the size of it.
One day rest out Of seven, maybe; there is tht
qualification of an equivalent" for the one day
of rest. Think of the generosity!-at time wher
organized workers are demanding the five-day week
At time when the workers Of the world are begin
ming to see as reality the possibility of an industrial
system where the siX-hour day for the five-da.
week may easily supply living which includes
not only the bare needs of life, but recreation
education travel, every substantial enjoyment whic
the Chamber of Commerce considers appropriate t.
the individual life of it's members!