The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-06-18

to keep Gary, the town. subservient
In all things to the demands and de-
sires Of Gary, the chairman of the
board of the United States Steel Cor
poration.
What is the effect of the twelve
hcur-day on the business life of the
town." I asked John Warner. secre-
tary of the Gary Chamber Of Com
merce.
Very bad" was the immediate re-
Spouse.
The result is that they have oppor.
tunity for neither home nor conmun-
ity life. They have no time for rec
reation. They are merely slaves to
their jobs 1t is bad for them men
tally physically, morally. It is not
only bad for them individually, but 1t
is bad for the town and the whole
community"
Gary with its population of $1,000,
made up of 25 nationalities, might be
expected to demonstrate something of
the possibilities Of the melting pot"
in which diverse races are supposed
to be blended into Americans.
Oary a urnac6
Bur Gary is not melting pot. Il Is a
furnace which burns men out. not a
crucible in which they are blended
The difference, sociologists insist. Is
chiefly due to the daily 12-hour heat.
After a 12-hour day in the mills,
man has just two desires-to eat, then
sleep. Recreation? Study? Interest
In community or civic affairs? Social
contact with other menu First the
ability then the desire for these are
burned out Of him by his 12hour
wOrkday. Food. then rest, then back
70 the mills again. That is his life.
The result is a minimum Of rningling
between the diverse groups and ma
tionaHties that make up this super
industrial city. A community Of more
than a score Of distinct sections" the
inhabitants Of which soon lose all in
terest in or desire to know better the
other groups or individuals which
make up this city Of slaves to steel.
The workmen." Judge Gary stated
in his report, prefer the longer hours
because it permits larger conpensa-
ton per day"
That point of view, so far as I
coud learn. somewhat distorts the
attitude Of even those men who do
acquiesce in the twelve-hour day.
AS they put it, they prefer the twelve
hour day because at the present
hourly scale for unskilled labor they
could not earn enough TO support
their families on an eight or ten
hour day. They approve the twelve
hour day not because 1t gives them
larger compensation" but because It
gives them enough to live.
An eight-hour day at the present
scale, all agree. is impossible. What
is desired is an eighthour day at a
living wage.
"The twelve-hour day" man
closely in touch with the situation in
the big Illinois Steel Companys plant
here. declared. results in a tremen-
dous loss through inefficiency and la
Dor turnover. The men enter the
mills to serve a twelve-hour sentence.
There IS no enthusiasm and little
loyalty.
Must Take 1t Easy
IIlSLCdu VI Il y4IlS ~ pIOQQCG Luo
+ best and most that is in them, they
try to get by with a minimum. They
say probably with truth. that they
cannot work at full speed for twelve
hours. They must slack, take It easy.
kill time, In order to hold through
their long tricks. The loss of pro-
duct1veness through that one factor,
In my Judgment. alsost Il not com
pletely offsets the added output OF a
tweve-h hour as against an eight-hour
day"
But as a social problem the twelve
hour day IS even more important than
as an industrial one. Judge Gary
seeks TO lower the immigration bars.
to let in more immigrants, while the
city of Gary is finding that the
twelve-hour day he imposes in his in
dustry is the greatest single barrier to
the Americanizauon of foreigners al
ready here.
Steel. says Gary, the man. cant
be produced on an eight-hour day."
Steel says Gary, the town. can
be and is being produced on an eight
hour day."
Which sounds very Ike a child
giving the lie direct to its parenti
A second story on Gary, dealing
with the immigration situation, VIII
be printed Tuesday.