Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1921-04-22
AZ HOUR WEEK
IS ENDORSED
BY A. FOIL,

.~ir, 5 committed 10 the eight
- dav and Saturday half holiday.
=. ne last convention OF the Amer.
Federation OF Labor a report to
r. effect was adopted and the A. F.
executive council was instructed
lad It's assistance in the fullest
&c 10 any organization seeking
=, establish the shorter work day"
the main points of the conventions
declaration follow:
reasonable hours of labor promote
49,. economic and social well-being Of
,bs toiling masses. Their attainment
ND he one of labor's principal and
sssantial activities The shorter work
a. and a shorter work week make
tor a constantly growing. higher and
ho,tsr standard of productivity, health,
longevity. morals and citizenship.
The right of labor To fix its hours
- york must not be abrogated.
sbridged or interfered with.
The days working time should be
limited to not more than eight hours.
win overtime prohibited. except un.
der the most extraordinary emergen-
cies The weeks working time should
he limited TO not more than five and
oue-haf days.
In giving consideration TO a shorter
workday at this time there are many
things TO be taken into consideration.
In the first place. il must be realized
thar during the war five million of the
most active young men in the country
we're taken from industries for war
service In spite of this production
NJ the country during the war period
was greater than IL had been at any
other given period in history.
Labor organizations for many years
have been lighting to secure the eight
hour day. once known as the shorter
workday. This eight-hour day meant
AZ hours of labor per week. Because
of the changed conditions brought
about by the war a number of indus
tries have been able already TO intro
Once the 4I.hour week, continuing the
eight.hour day with a half holiday on
Saturday.
Only Il years ago the international
TYPOGRAPHICAL union expended more
than four million dollars in securing
for its members the 4S-hour week in
the printing industry. The garment
working trades have succeeded in
securing the 44-hour week. Other in
dustries have done or are doing like
wise Your committee believes II
will be but a short time till the eight
hour day with half-holiday Saturday,
meaning 44-hour week, will be the
universal hours of labor and adopted
in all industries.
While this is most desirable, and
your committee recognizes that the
executive council has used all its
available power for the purpose of
assisting In bringing about A.
hour week in all of the crafts. it
advises this convention to go even
further than this.
There is at the present time large
volume of unrest among the working
men on this continent There can be
no doubt but that there are two rea-
sons for this unusual conditions
first. the high cost of the necessities
of life; second, unemployment
Until wages are so adjusted that
the earnings of labor will buy the
same amount of the necessities of
life that could be purchased by the
earnings previous to the war. this
unrestful exhibit by the working peo.
pie has a foundation for its existence
that cannot be set aside. Previous
W the WAT The uOlldT tdIHtu ny
Dor would buy certain amount OF
certain quality of food and clothing
The dollar earned at the present time
will also buy certain amount of
certain quality of food and clothing,
but 1t will not buy the same amount
that the dollar earned previous to the
war would buy. Until this gap is
bridged and the wages increased so
that the same amount of the same
quality of goods can be bought with
the dollar of today as was possible be-
fore the war, the condition of the
laborer will be less desirable than in
the prewar period. Manufacturers and
employers of labor should recognize
thls fact and increase the wages to
thls point without any controversy.
Your committee. therefore, recon-
mends further that the executive coun-
eli lend its assistance in the fullest
degree to any organization seeking
10 establish a shorter work day that
VIII provide for the employment of
all Its members. The organization it
sen must necessarily be the judge of
what should be the length of the
Workday in the industry over which
mas Jurisdiction. When it has de-
clded and established its claim to
shorter hours, no matter what they
may be. then the American Fedora
uon OF Labor should lend its fullest
assistance, and your committee so
recommends.
mere is much propaganda being
put forth at the present time that has
ior its object the making of people
oeheve that organized labor is seeking
10 eurtail production, and it is fire.
yuently suggested that the hours of
Iaoor should be increased for the pur-
pose OF insuring everybody against
life.
Inc words increased production
nave a magic sound to the profiteer-
hs manufacturer. but only for the
reason that its realization will in
Srease his profits and place him in
Tyeler position to control industry.
lour committee believes that the en-
pioyer should have a fair return from