New Britain herald., 1923-06-06
CHURCHES CONDEMN
 TWELVE.HOUR DAY.
Say Schedule in Steel Mills Is
 'AOrally Indelenslble'

New A0Fks June b-=-Assftt6As tAa1
 the isrheuF day In the steel mills is
 morally indsfsnsible statement oi
 oreanisatians sad te represent hAr-
 fA0. h0A PFotsstants, Catholics and
 Jews made public yesterday, attacks
 the recent report Of Judge Ebert H,
 Gary's committee 70 the recent meet
 ine of the Iron ani steel institute
 The statement was issued Tn the
 rame of the commission on the
 Church and Social Service Of the
 Federal Council af Churches, the sar
 eial Action Department Of the Ma
 tional Catholic Welfare council and
 the Social Justice Commission of the
 Central Conference of American Rahr
 lns Here Is the statement,
 The report of the committee on
 proposed total elimination Of the i2'
 hour day appointed by the American
 Iron and Steel insiitute skaters the
 public confidence that was inspired by
 the creation Of the committee q year ago al the request O. the president of
 The United States it is a definite re-
 jection of the proposal for the abell- . ton of the long day, The public de-
 mDnd in response to which the com
 nittee was appointed 10 set aside as a 'sentirsent which was not created or endorsed by the workman them selves The testimony Of competent Investigators. including eminent en' gineering societies, Is ignored. and the conclusion is put forth without supporting data that the i2-hour day sl 1s tpf fl the employees, physically, mentally or morally This statement Is made in the face of the fact that the commit tee of stockholders of the United States Steel Corporation. appointed in 1912 to investigate this matter, ex- pressed the opinion that a l2-houi day of labor. followed continuously by any group of men for any con siderable number of years means decreasing of the efficiency and les sening of the vigor and vtrility Of such mem |: Eteea Argument Called Unworthy
 "Objection to the long day because of its effect on the family life of the l2 hour workers Is disposed of in the report with the complacent comment that it is questionable whether men who work shorter hours actually spend their leisure time at home. This s an unworthy and untenabe argu- ; nent which will be bitterly resented oy the millions of home-loving work ng men in America.
 "The steel institutes committee contends that the workmen them 2 loubtedly there are those who will work long hours to their f wn hurt. but the committees con :, ention is chiefly significant as show ng that workmen whose only choice !, 5 between abnormally long hours of . abor and earnings that are insuffi- !, tent to maintain a family on a level ( f health and decency, naturally! ra dopt the more arduous alternative. m
 "The plea that a shortage of labor III lakes i'm practicable the change from xo to three shifts of workmen, af- = ords but meagre defense. The hortage of labor was not the reason or the failure to abolish the long ay two years ago when the public ysited expectantly for such a salu- ary step on the part of the United tates Steel corporation. At that me there was appalling unemploy lent which could have been in large leasure relieved in steel manufactur- lg districts by introducing the three hift system in the steel industry The ask may be more difficult now than
 would have been then. but past affords no release from
 present moral obligation.
 'The Steel Institutes committee nds that the entire cost of change , the eight hour day would have to c paid by the consumers of steel, dis agarding the possibility of some pro ortionate contribution out of the arnings of the industry. Thus the afeguarding of profits becomes a superior to that Of ages and hours of the workers and le willingness of the public to pay igher prices Is made a condition of le accomplishment of a fundamental ,form.
 The Steel Institutes committee ads that there are questions of high nportsnce involved in this whole alter, which, they assert, have no oral or social features, They are say the steel manufactur- s; they affect the pecuniary inter [ of the great public, which includes It is not confined to employers and nployes' This divorce between the oral' and social elements of oblem and it's economic aspects ms counter to the teaching of re- ion. It exslts misconceived law
 supply and demand to q position
 equal authority with the law of stice. II excuses inl1umanities in 2 name of economic necessity Fur ermore, if overlooks an important lies of demonstrations within the Ael industry and elsewhere, of the and superior advantage the three shift system These dem stations confirm in practice what no nest mind can question in principle that bad morals can never be good ononics,
 The one redeening feature of the nmittees report ia the intimation # it is not final The public has ited long for the fulflllment of q