Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1923-06-08
TWELNE-HOUR DAY AND
IMMIGRATION.

TNELbE-HOUR DAY AND
IMMIGRATION.
The nations steel employers will
not abolish the 12-hour day. They
say congress has stopped immigra
ton, and they can not find G0.000 adj
ditional workers if the three shift sys-
TEN is adopted.
This is propaganda for free immi
grafton.
With its present force the steel in
dustry is producing ingots at the rate
of 50.000,000 tons a year. This is the
highest figure ever attained and
smashes all previous records.
No one claims that the market can
continue to absorb this terrific output
for an indefinite period. and yet the
steel barons would use the universal
protest against their 12-hour day to
open the flood gates of southeastern
Europe that working standards may
be lowered.
Even were these employers correct
in their claim, their plea is an indict-
ment of their boasted capacity and in
genuity.
Let them read "Waste in Industry"
by committee of 10 engineers APP
pointed in 1921 by Herbert Hoover.
This committee lists the astounding
loss of life and property that EN-
ployers are responsible for.
Millions upon millions of dollars are
lost, as are millions upon millions of
work days because of preventable
causes.
The steel industry contributes to
these losses and yet steel employers
announce that one of the reasons why
they retain the 12-hour day is because
they would be short 10000 workers.
As exploiters of human beings, the
steel barons are past masters, but
they have no talent or capability to
conserve life.
They make no suggestion that lives
be saved or that new systems be
evolved in their mills to meet present
day social requirements.
Instead, the demand for an end of
their inhuman 12-hour day is capital
lied by them to secure more cheap
labor that present low working stand
ards may be reduced.
. This flinty plea for immigrants who
would make conditions worse is typi-
cally Steel. 1t comes from Industrial
autocrats who are interlocked with
ore mines, coke ovens, blast furnaces,
and other industries that resist the
eight-hour day.
The keynote to this resistance is
Steel. II Steel abandons the long
work day, the entire long work day
structure colIapses. Then these work
ers would have time to think of other
things than sleep and rest.
The need for 10000 does not exist.
A short time ago there were 6,O00,-
600 unemployed in this country, but
the l2-hour day continued.
If steel barons did not have their
present excuse they would invent an
other.
Logic is not expected from employ
ers who say it SIS perhaps question
able" that 12-hour employees devote
less time to their families than en-
ployes working shorter hours.
When men reject a physical inn
possibility like the above, they are
lost to reason and argument.
The worker in their infemos is but
commodity, a thing that should
think and act automatically, as water
flows when the faucet is turned, or
light comes when the electric button
is pushed.
There is but one answer to then
steel barons ~ the weather-beaten,
stormtossed trade union that is in
vincible when 100 per cent organized.
Public opinion is Haunted and the
president of the United States is ig-
nored by industrial kings, who must
eventually bend their stiff necks be
fore the unity OF labor and an in
creasing social conscience.
If steel employer any other
workers-believe there is compassion
or humanity in Steel, or that these
autoerats will listen 10 reason. let
them read their report.
The steel barons clearly indicate
that ;hey viii not abandon the 12-hour
day until they ere compelled to.
Agitate. Educate! ORGANIZED