The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-07-06
Steel Industry
Promises toDrop
Twelve-Hour Day
M Manufacturing Officials
Pledge Support to Shorter
Hours, in Correspondence
With Harding.

Tacoma, WI asn., july o.-fresiueni
Harding made public here today the
correspondence between himself and
the directors of the American Iron
and Steel institute and, in a state
ment incorporated as part OF his adj
dress here. said 'the large majority
OF the steel manufacturers of Ameri
ca have undertaken TO abolish the
12-hour day IN the American steel in
ment that the additional labor requir.
ed shall be available
The pledge" OF the steel manufac-
turers. the president said. would be
welcomed by our people as whole
and would be received as great boon
by American workers"
The letter TO President Harding,
signed by Ebert II. Gary. John A.
Topping. w. A. Rogers. W. II. DON
ner, w. J. Filbert. E. A. S. Clarke.
James A. Farrell, L. G. Grace, Willis
l.. King. James A. Burden, l.. Z.
Black, Severn p. Ker, J. A. Campbell,
A. G. Dinkey and Charles NJ. Schwab,
Steel institute. follows:
Careful consideration has been Civ.
en- to your letter OF June IS by the un-
dersigned directors Of the American
Iron and Stel institute. comprising all
of those whose attention could be Sc
cured at this time.
Pledge Shorter Day.
Undoubtedly there IL a strong sen.
timent throughout the country In IA
for of eliminating the 12-hour day.
and this we do not underestimate on
account Of this sentiment. and espe-
cially because IL IL in accordance with
your own expressed views. We are
determined to exert our influence for
shorter day at the earliest time
practicable. This means the employ
ment OF large numbers OF workmen
on an eight.hour basis and all others
on a basis of 10 hours or less. with
out an unjustifiable interruption to
operations. the change cannot be ef
fected over night. II will involve
many adjustments. many OF them
complicated and difficult. but we
think 1t can be brought about without
undue delay when. as you state II.
there is a surplus of labor available
The iron and steel manufacturers
generally OF the United States. out
side OF the directors referred TO. are
expected 10 concur In the conclusion
reached by the directors as above stat.
ed
Text Of Harding's Letter.
President Harding's letter. address,
ed to Judge Gary. follows:
Il have now had an opportunity of
reading the full report Of the com
mittee OF the Iron and Steel institute
the 12-hour day in the steel industry.
As | have stated before, | am. OF
course. disappointed that no eonclu-
sive arrangement was proposed for de.
termination of what must be mani
festly accepted as a practice that
should be obsolete in American indus
try. ] still entertain the hope that
these questions Of social Importance
should be solved by action inside the
industries themselves. for it is only
such solutions that are consonant
with American life and institutions.
II am impressed that IN the rcas-
oning OF the report great weight
should be attached to the fact that
in the present shortage OF labor It
woud cripple our entire prosperity II
the change were abruptly made In
the hope that this question could be
Of. I am wondering IL IL
would not be possible for the steel
industry TO consider giving an under
taking before there shall be any re-
duction in the staff or employees OF
the industry through any recession
OF demand for steel product or at
any time when there is a surplus OF
labor available. that then the
change should be made from the
two-shift 10 the threeshift basis.
cannot but believe that such an un.
dertaking would give great satsfac.
tlon 10 the American people as a
whole and would indeed establish
pride and confidence In the ability
of our industries themselves to
solve matters which are so con.
clusivelv advocated by The public"
Refers to Merchant Marine.
The chief executive also referred
TO the merchant marine. The Ameri.
can school system and the social
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