The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01
Misleading Propaganda Used In
 Twelue-Hour Day Controversy

technical questions and moral ques- tiOns. If industry objects that we churchmen are invading a technical realm when we discuss engineering problems, we must reply that when industry employs men tWelVC-hOurS day it is committing moral tres pass and challenges the churches in their own field
 This pamphlet. however, is not the result of a swivel-chair investi- gation. It is a collection of data from trained investigators. It repre- sents an effort on the part of a church group to furnish the public with facts which the public has been
 encouraged to hope the steel in- dustry would itself furnish.
 "When the manuscript was essen tially complete it was presented to a high official of the United States Steel corporation with the request that any inaCcuracY be pointed cut and that q statement of the manu- lecturers side of the controversy be prepared for inclusion in the pub lished document. The request was courtesouly received, but it was in- sisted that criticism would be sub mitted by the corporation Cnly if it were to be printed without com ment and without opportunity for us to have conference with the steel corporation officials on disputed points. It was the same cid story no conference These conditions we could not accept.
 The problem of the twelve-hour day is' briefly problem of pro Viding three shifts of men to do the work now dCne in continuous opera tions by two shifts.
 No Increase In Cost.
 Ut means more men and it means higher average wage rates, but we have found the steel institutes es- timate that the three-shift system will mean an increase in cost of 15 per cent unsupported by the facts. Experience shows that in general men so greatly appreciate the added leisure that they will compromise on wages. The Colorado Fuel and Iron company raised hourly tonnage and piece rates ten per cent and the presi dent of the company testified that the men were quite willing to accept that arrangement in order to shorten their day The change was actually accomplished without loss for pro duction was increased. A similar achievement is recorded fer other establishments.
 "A major difficulty in the way of installing three shifts would he overcome, as the present report shows, if the steel industry, as a whole, improve it's labor policy. The provision of some method of cen ference and agreement and orderly negotiation over wages, hours and of work would go far to- ward bringing abC ut the cooperation necessary to successful demon stration. So say competent en- gineers and so the experience of the Colorado Fuel and Iron company proves, We hold no brief for any particular type of collective bar gaining machinery but we are 100 per cent avlinst a regime in which the men have nc voice.
 "The data recorded in our bulletin are not complete since we do not know how many men are at the present time working twelve hours q day in the steel industry. The re- port of the American Iron and Steel Institute, given out May %, while claiming credit for past efforts to- ward reduction in the number tf twelve -hour men, was strangely si- lent as to the present tendency in the industry.
 "The Iron and Steel Institutes ex- traordinary defense of the twelve hour day Is very dlsquietinG, Is 1t possible that with the revival of business the Steel corporation has abandoned all pretense at reducing the number of twelve-hour workers?
 "The public is forced to the con clusion that, as has been pointed out before. any considerable reduc- ton in the number of twelve hour men waits on a lessened demand for steel"