The New York herald., 1922-10-28
8 HOUR DAY URGED
BY ROCKEFELLER, JR.
Condemns IL Hour System as
Unnecessary, Uneconomic
and Unjustifiable.'
CALLS MAN HUMAN FIRST
Member of Industry After
ward He Writes-Favors
Change as Better Business.

John d. Rockefeller. Jr.. takes per-
sonal stand for an eight nour day and
six day week in industry in a state
ment in the November issue of the
Graphic Su,rey. advance sheets of
which were made public yesterday.
Mr.. Rockefeller condemns the twelve
hour, seven day system as ''unneces-
sary, uneconomic and unjustifiable.' -
and says IT should no longer be toll
Grated in industry.
In the same issue is an arraignment
of the long hour system in the oil fields
by r. S. Lynd, which, the Graphic Surrey
explains. called forth Mr.. Rockefeller's 8
statement.
All Parties should Favor 1t.
II believe" says Mr.. Rockefeller,
that generally speaking the twelve
hour day and the seven hay week
should no longer be tolerated in indus
try, either from the viewpoint of public
policy or of Industrial efficiency; /
believe that both have been proven TO
he unnecessary, uneconomic and un-
justifiable. AS a matter of general
policy, subject only to the demands OF
occasional emergency, modern industry
is justified In accepting the eight hour
standard toward which all the parties
interested should steadily press.
Even in those Industries where the
continuous process is an inevitable
feature, the routine should be SO ad-
1usted that the employees can have at
least one days rest in seven and can
obtain that share Of leisure for self
development which accompanies the
work day of approximately eight hours.
While the adoption of these stand
ards may and doubtless will at frs. en-
tail increased costs Of production, am
confident that in the long run greater
efficiency and economy will result, and
that from the outset public opinion will
support any industry which installs
them. The same sentiment will even
tually bring into line the less scrupulous
and less enlightened elements in every
competitive industry.
Almost Always Possible.
with regard to living conditions
there can be even less room Tor argu-
ment or division of opinion among men
of clear vision and humane mind. Even
in isolated locations like mining camps
IL Is not only possible but necessary
that reasonable provision should be
made for the health. comfort and con-
tentment of those who may labor there
in,behalf of the entire community.
THE oil fields, to be sure, suffer diff
culties even greater than the coal mines,
being not only temporary but specula-
tive In their output. Even with this al.
.owance the environment is certainly
subject to amelioration and to such pro-
vision for home and recreational lie as
will promote the well being of all those
concerned
81 have never believed that these
things should be provided for working
men and women either as result OF
chance generosity or deliberate pater-
nalism. Quite aside from the fast
that, in my judgment they represent
The soundest economic policy, they are
due the employee as a matter of COM
mon justice, required by the basic fact
that man is human being first and a
member of industry afterward.
las a private citizen and individual
stockholder 7 have never hesitated 10
state my position on these points with
all the clearness at my command.
have not Willingly lost an opportunity
so far as minority stockho.der may
do SOTO reinforce my position on the
general policy with action that would
be most concrete and adequate."S