Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-01-30
HOURS AMI PRODUCTION


When British miners first ad-
vanced their seven-hour day program
their leaders insisted as much coal
would be mined by the same number
of men in the shorter day. And on
July 16 an hour was taken off the
miners day.
In the three months before the
seven-hour day was proposed it took
1,106, 900 miners to produce $780,
900 tons of coal. For the quarter
ending June 80 (while the fight for
the short day was being fought)
1,141, 900 miners dug 5~S.SS6,o00 tons.
But for the first quarter of the seven
hour day it took 1,147,0 0 miners to
produce 81, SOS, 900 tons.
Before the short day went Into
effect the average production per
man employed amounted to 61.61
tons. After the hour was cut off the
output fell to 45.S3 tons per person,
or a decline of 11.3 per cent. as COM
pared with the preceding quarter.
These figures are taken from a state
ment. u%ndisputed by labor, made IN
the House of Commons by Sir Auck-
land Geddes, British minister for ma
tional service and reconstruction.
While this seems to indicate that
there is a close connection between
amount of production and hours OF
work. and the fewer hours the less
produced, it does not d~lsprove the
miners contention that the short day
IS better for the workers. 1t does
prove that the shorter day will give
employment o more workers and
more work days per year to those
employed. That is what the miners
hoped for.
But In these abnormal times when
there Is a great shortage in labor and
when the greatest need is increased
production It would seem to be a
short-sighted policy for labor to
press the short day program now.
Until the world Is settled once more
and conditions are as they should be
it Is the duty OF everyone to render
every assistance possible in getting
things Strengthened out and such as
sistance can best be rendered by
helping to increase production.
The shorter hours in the mines
means more men to produce the
same amount Of coal. But If more
men are not to be had 1t means less
produced and this means a
scarcity hat affects every industry
tending to keep up prices.
On the other hand. IL through
shorter hours more men are employ
ed at the mines, when. II the
miners were doing a full days work
they might be engaged along other
lines. industry in general Is crippled
and production is curtailed.
This Is no way to face the present
world crisis. Labor Is only defeating
its W object by taking such a
hort-sighted view of the situation.
Let us put our house in order, get
things running smoothly again and
the cost Of living somewhere near
where it ought to be and then we
will Join heartily with n move
ment, whether 1~nstigated by b or
not, that will better the conditions OF
the workers and make life easier for
their families. Fewer hours with
moro men employed at adequate
| wage would be very desirable. 1t
would make us all more contented.
But for the present. anything II a
tends to reduce production is to be
deplored. We all must be willing to
sacrifice and work without stint untii
things are running smoothly again
II will be some time before this is
accomplished, but such a selfish atti-
tude as the English miners have as
sumed is only going to make 1t long