The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-06-03
PRESS ON TwELvE.HoUR DAY

ident declared himself in favor of the
eight-hour day and expressed the hope
that the steel industry would conduct
an inquiry into the situation. The in
dustry appointed committee, of
which Judge Gary's address was the
report. The opinion, which is ex-
pressly described as being neither
final nor conclusive, is that the insti-
tuition of the twelve-hour day, be-
cause of labor shortage, is not feasible
at this time in the steel mills.
At this the Chicago Daily News ex-
claims, "No wonder the rather lame
document is not deemed by its au-
thors conclusive or final. Evidently
the committee, as well as Mr.. Gary,
feels that it has proved-or claimed
too much, and that the argument will
fail to convince anybody. If the
twelve-hour shift has not injured and
cannot injure anybody physically,
mentally or morally, why bother about
the subject and talk of change? The
answer is, of course, that the COM
mittee is not satisfied with its own
findings or its own reasoning. Many
persons who agree with Mr.. Gary that
the Golden Rule is the cure for the
worlds ills will apply his general con-
clusion to the special case and con-
tinue to urge abolition of the twelve
hour and the seven-day week in the
steel industry"
The president is reported as much
disappointed over the committees re-
port, and perhaps premonition of
that emotion caused the committee to
qualify with the statement that its
conclusion was not final The New
York Herald will not find much edi-
torial support for its opinion that the
shortage complained Of by Judge Gary
is due to our faulty immigration laws
which bar out the very type Of labor
the industry needs, and concludes .
$50 the case is up to congress and
its handling Of immigration. President
Harding is reported as expressing dis
appointment over the unfavorable re-
port of the committee. He might well
discuss the basic causes of this failure
with congress"
AS if in answer to the Herald, the
Philadelphia Public Ledger says:
There is a shifty casuistry in the
steel industry's stand. It's reasons are
made to fit the hour. Looking back
over the record of twenty years, how
are we to avoid the conclusion that
the twelve-hour day will be abolished
only when and if it must be abolished?
For two decades it has been under
savage criticism, some of it SO ill
advised as to defeat the purpose of the
critics and as far back as 1912 stock
holders of steel were damning the
twelve-hour day and urging that steps
be taken now to end it. President
Harding was disappointed by the Steel
Corporations stand. He had right
to be. So has the rest of the coun-
try" The Washington Post is inclined
to accept the portion of the report in
which "Mr. Gary explained that to
make the change suggested at least
10000 additional employees would be
needed. In the existing state of the
labor market there is no prospect of
finding number even approximating
to that total and to attempt diminu-
ton of working hours in such circum-
stances would only have the effect of
creating an acute situation. There is,
however, no denying that the senti-
m mt of the country is in favor of an
Industrial day not exceeding eight
hours, and it is a safe prediction that
sooner or later the steel trade will
have to conform to that standard"
As to Judge Gary's remark that the
workers themselves do not want the
eight-hour day the New York World
rejoins; "Pat to that point comes a re-
port from the children's bureau of the
United States department of labor
upon the infant death-rate at Gary,
Indiana, the steel city, as affected by
income, sanitation and housing. Some
of the housing is of fair quality; in
this the child death-rate was found to
be less than in the poorer houses.
When the minimum pay Of the man
was $3.50 the infant death-rate was
1914 per thousand; when earnings were
between $1,000 and $3.50 the infant
death-rate was 1877 1; it rose to 1877.
when earnings fell below $1,000. No
wonder the father of children pre-
fe1'ed the longer hours for the money
they brought, if he could not get it
by shorter hours! More pay meant
for the children better chance for
life"
AS to the intimation that an eight
hour day would mean greater cost of
production, the Cleveland Plain Deal
er declares: Gwen that contention
cannot be taken at it's face value, for
certain steel Independents and hum
dreds of manufacturing concerns in
other fields have observed decreased
production costs with the shorter
working day. But without regard to
cost the eight-hour day ought to be