New-York tribune., 1920-02-29
Meyer Such Opportunities Now Says Henry l. Doherty
oung Mans Chances for Success Better Than Ever Befo

forty-eight hours week. My first
work was in gas house. We all
worked at least sixty hours week.
Tho stokers and coal wheelers
worked eighty-four hours a week.
I worked sixty-six hours week.
We were all healthy. happy lot,
with less dissatisfaction than you
can find anywhere now.
Once when I was working as .
superintendent a group Of saen
came to me and demanded an eight
hour day. I said: Fellows, before
We discuss this matter / want to
know II there is man among you
who In married and has children
whose wife does not have to work
moro than eight hours a day #
there Is, want that man to hold up
his hand and will show you either
Q remarkable man or a damned
liar." Not a hand went up. We
talked it all over in a friendly and
good-natured way, and they with
drew their request. No, the truth Is
that AZ Pas hours have gone down
from ten to nine, Mas have gone up
from fifteen to sixteen, and when
Pas went to eight Mas went to
seventeen. The greatest hardships
from overwork fall upon the nom
wage earning mother. AS every
body else shortens his hours and de-
creases production, the problem Of
clothing, feeding and caring for chill
dren becomes heavier and heavier
burden to the mother.
Not for Long Hours
Now, this does not mean that
am for long hours. am against the
evident plan Of some to go from
eight to seven, and from seven to
six, and from six to five, until work
becomes Joke. There is some point
of maximum efficiency for every
kind Of work and some point of
maximum benefit to the workers
health and usefulness. Let's try
and find this point.
How about production? Here Is
where you have hit at least two
thirds Of all Of our troubles. High
cost Of living is represented, we will
say, by per cent profiteering, Is
per cent increased wages and 70 per
cent decreased production, due to
shorter hours, incompetency and
absolute sabotage. An honest and
efficient days work, without any in
crease in hours, would cure 70 per
cent Of our troubles.
The disorganization Of industry
duo to the war means that the men
now filing jobs that they are not
really competent to fill must make
themselves competent, and this could
be done very easily in most cases
if it were not for their dissatisfac-
tion and Indifference. They do not
seem to realize that the lack Of an
honest days work on their part is
running up expenses for somebody
else, while the lack of an honest and
efficient days work on the part Of
some other person is making their
food, clothing and everything else
cost them more.
I would like to see a movement
started by some one with sufficient
influence to do it whereby we could
impress everybody with what an
honest and efficient days work would
mean in reducing the cost Of living,
and as this movement secures con-
verts each of us would wear but
ton to show that we stood for and
were pledged to do an honest days
work ourselves.
1t is the dissatisfied people Of this
country who, in turn, are punish
ing themselves and others.
Wealth's Increase
The first time we see an authentic
statement Of the increase In wealth
of this country during the last few
years we will all be astounded. I
would not be bit surprised to find
that it had doubled.
Few workingmen have ever
stopped to think that when they de-
mand more wages and shorter hours
and then see how little work they
can do that they are gratuitously in
creasing the wealth Of many Of the
people of the country. For instance,
let US assume that Jacob Strauss In
the owner Of an apartment house
built ten years ago, in a community
where more and more apartment