The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-05-26
GARY PLEADS FOR TURNING TOWARD BIBLE PRINCIPLES
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work and increased production are the aims of the new regime, Prince Caetini said.
 Added to these ambitions is Italys desire to be faithful to her engage ments, particularly her obligations to the United States, he said, adding that Italy only asked that America give her facilities proportional to those given England, taking into consideration the great difference in the respective economic conditions. Gary Is Optimistic.
 Fresh from a Mediterranean cruise, which took him. among other paces, to the shrines of the Holy Land. Mir Gary pleaded for greater turning toward the Christian religion as d cure for the worlds ills.
 Disclaiming any intention to preach a sermon" MT. Gary declared religion was simple, plain business sense"
 Tt is in accordance with our in stincts and judgment" he said, as frequently proclaimed, to say that 1t pays a nation or an individual to follow a Christian course"
 MT. Gary reserved his analysis of conditions in the steel industry for the end of his address, when he as serted, optimis cally, that there IS nothing in sight to indicate that there will be a subs tantial dimlnu- tion of the demand for finished steel in this country during the next SIX menths to say the least
 He warned steel manufacturers, however, not to permit prices to go above level which is fair and reasonable.'
 Hughes As Arbitrator.
 Touching on the Ruhr situation, which he declared was unsettltng all Europe, he suggested that Secretary of State Hughes be named as an impartial arbitrator to settle the international difficulties between France and Belgium and Germany
 Of conditions in the United states Mir. Gary said that the present bus mess outlook is good.
 All this is said in the face of very heavy burdens of taxation, unneees- sary and unreasonable political ana social agitation, precipitated byethose who have nothing financial at stake the unfortunate troubles pending m foreign countries, and the bugpear of politics. he added.
 "There has of late apparently been | deliberate and persistent attempt to create an impression that there will be in the near future, sup . stantial recession in business actlNi- | ties" he asserted. Business men generally understand his. Tn propoganda is inspired by few short | sighted persons who do not seem to understand that if they could sue ceed in wre2liing the business slruc- turA they would themselves be bur jed in the ruins"
 Mills Are Busy.
 In discussing business conditions MT. Gary said that furnaces and mills of iron and steel manufacturers are now operating nearly to luli ca pacity, limited and modified only py inc lack of sufficient working forces The producers find it difficult to satisfy the demands of consumers. ne said. adding that the unified orders of steel manufacturers are not tesS than fifteen or sixteen mllllon tohs, and the new bookings and shipments ot fished materials per day for the whole industry are eighty or ninety thousand tons.
 The report on the 12hour day was the first public statement Of the com mittee named by MT. Gary with nm self as chairman after dinner With President Harding at the hite House, where the subject was the chief topic of discussion.
 O O o
 For 12-Hour Day
 Apparently the underlying reason for the agitation which resulteu II
  was based on a sentiment not created or inlorsed by the worFm men them selves that the 12-hour day was an unreasonable hardship upon the eih :, , ployes who were connected With IT, the report began. " hateVeI Wlil ., po said aeainst the 12-hour day in the steel industry, investigation has con vinced this committee that the same has not of itself be n an lnJury to lhe omployes, physically, mentally or morally. Whether or not Tn the larse majority of cases 12-hour day men devote less time to thelT Ian ia ss, ,s than the employees worklhe ie'9 hours. is perhaps questionable:
 "Recause the steel industry is largely continuance process. there must be three Ieight- hour shifts or two twelVe-h no UT shifts. the committee believes Inc worllmen as a rule prefer the longer shift because 1t means more pay, thev find. And there is less phy- sical work as total per day and less fatigue from the work of l2-hour day in the steel industry than per tains to the large majority Of eight hour men,
 Increase Production Costs. | The committee asserts that no con cern connected with the iron ana 1 steel industry would urge or wlu- | ingly permit emploEeS to eAeit .iiSiii selves to point where they would De injured physically, mentally or morally" .o,
 The committee found that eff the 1o-hour day" should be abandoned at present it would increase the cost of production on the average 10 per cent. and there would be needed al least sixty thousand additional em ployes. If labor were sufficiently plentiful to permit the change It would be necessary to add to the sell l. | ing prices certainly IS much as the l increase in cost.
 But it would be impossible under the existing conditions to obtain q | sufficient number of men to operate 1 the plants on a three-shift basis ul to capacity, which would supply the present encessities of the purchasing | public. There are not now under the | two shift practice at the furnace | enough men to meet the demand for | iron and steel"
 "The responsibility for the mum bers of employees is partly with the l American Congress. because affected by immi grafton, the report said '.Under present conditions, in view of the best interests of both em- ployes and employers and of the gen. eral public, the committee cannot al this time report in favor of the tota abolition of the 12-hour day." the re-