Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1922-09-22


ssaose5 the adoption of the report.
~ aceeptance will, engineers say,
.g.astIv influence the general labor
s.,aation and will eventually result in
far.reaehing changes in labor hours
IN the steel industry.
IL Nan Mortimer +. Cooley of the
I.siyersity of Michigan Engineering
Sebool president of the council, urged
the adoption of the report, calling IL
a remarkable contribution of the en-
eineering profession toward the ad-
yancement of mankind.
Most Important Investigation WORK.
Professor Samuel McCune Lindsay
of Columbia University, representing
the Cabot fund, cooperating with the
American Engineering Council, said
the report is THE most important IN
yestigation of any industrial situation
ever undertaken in this country" He
quoted Professor Henry Il. Seager of
Columbia, president OF the American
Economic Association, as sharing his
views generally.
The majority of managers and ex-
eeutiyes of steel industries, with
whom the matter was discussed, be-
Geye. says the report, that the good
of the industry can be better served
h eliminating the 12-hour day than
by increasing dividends, provided by
means of labor saving devices and in
other ways this step can be taken
without serious injury to the industry.
Ii is not expected, however, that
Wall Street will welcome this blow
at the god of profits and dividends
ON behalf Of the good of the industry.
The best engineers, the foremost sEu-
dents of economies, and the most
prominent managers and executives
in the industrial world are on the side
of labor in the campaign for the g.
hour shift. Eventually the 12-hour
day will be matter of history, in
the opinion of the engineers.
Increased Product With Decreased
Hours.
''ln almost every continuous indus
try" says the report, there are
plants which are operating on an 3
hour shifts basis in cemuetition with,
i2-hour shift plants"
In practically every major con-
tinuous industry, plants that
have changed from 12 hours to
eight hours have Increased the
quantity of production per man
up to as much as 25 per cent.
In few cases, the report states,
the increase has been much higher.
In the steel and iron industry, 1t was
found that the change from the IL
to the S-hour day has secured results
sufficient to compensate in whole or In
part for the extra costs"
Other advantages of the S-hour day
in the steel and iron industry are de-
scrbed as increased efficiency, better
morale, elimination of the floating
gang" which is maintained to give
l2-hour men a day off week, and
greater prestige of the industry with
the public.
There are few continuous indus
tries which do not have 12-hour
pantS,o says the report. "Of some
80 or so continuous industries, a
number are overwhelmingly on three
shifts. The majority are partly on
two shifts and partly on three shifts,
with three-shift operation on the pre-
ponderance. There are a half dozen
Industries in which two-shift opera
ton is so nearly universal that it is
difficult to find an exception.
Outside of the steel industry the
NNENsA hhAiAb0i Vi Oh
shifts is no wconsiderably larger than
the total number of employees on IL
hour shifts. Taking into considera-
ton all continuous industries between
one-half and two-thirds of all workers
on the continuous operation are on
shifts averaging IL hours.
5UO,OOO Workers Still Work 12-HOur
Day.
ffK,uf-
Gus Industries operating more or less
completely upon a shift system. They
employ between 100000 and 1,000,-
VOV wage-earners on shift work.
Their families constitute from 1,500,-
VVO to 100000 persons who are de-
pendent upon earnings from shift
work.
There are 100000 wage-earners
working on 12-hour shifts. They and
their families number more than l.
OOO,O00 persons.
The logical alternative to the two
l@-hour shift system is the three s.
hour shift system, and this is the
usual procedure. Nevertheless, other
shift systems have been resorted TO
IA limited way, in changing from
the l2-hour shift.
Inc enect OF the S-hOur as
compared with the 12-hour shift
operation on the quantity and
quality of production, absentee
ism and industrial accidents, has
been satisfactory where good
management and cooperation of
labor have been secured. In
practically every major continu-
Gus industry there are plants
Which have increased the guam
MY of production per man as
much as 20 per cent. In a few
exceptional cases the increase
mas been much higher.
evidence shows also an improve
.aent IN quality of production follow
.ag the reduction in the length of the
Investigation Covered Period of
Two Years.
Dr. H. K. Howe of Washington,
ehelrman of the work-periods COM
lal1tee, presented the report, which
was written as the result of investi-
cations covering a period of nearly
Two years, in the undertaking of
Hmen the Cabot fund-bequeathed
py John Cabot of Boston for pro-
1'ung good relations in industry
eooperated with the American engi-