Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-06-18
STEEL DEBATE
is AGAIN RESUMED
Daily Letter by Frederic j. Haskin

WASHINGTON. June 1S:-AIn its
report to the American Iron and
Steel Institute on the twelye-hour
day in the steel industry the Gary
Committee prefaced its recommend
alton against a change to an eight
hour day with the statement that its
findings were not final. The COM
mittee may or may not have been
right in declaring that a change to
shorter hours was impracticable,
not desired by the workers and I'M
necessary for the betterment of the
workers and their families, but 1t
certainly has the correct bunch when
it stated that it had not said the last
word on the subject.
The debate as to the social justice
and economic value of the twelve
hour day has been started a-new
by the report and is waxing hot, and
furious on the side that is opposed
to the Gary Committee. Already
two important pronouncements have
been made public that take issue
with the committee and deny prac-
tically every affirmative assertion
made in the committees findings.
The first broadside to be fired at
tue uENOICa AlCodo "a Ga5C 00A otN
his c~oadjustors in steel came from
a conference of Protestant, Catholic
and Jewish c%hurchmen, represent
ing approximately fifty million
church members and adherents in
the United States. 1t is in effect a
scathing arrangement of the COM
mite. 1t points out that the COM
mittee does not refute a single one
of the arguments that have been
advanced for the abolition of the
twelve-hour day, and declares that
the committee does not support the
stand it has taken with a single word
of expert opinion or testimony.
Moreover, the churchmen say that
if 1t is true, as the Gary Committee
asserted, that the steel workers
themselves are not asking for the
eight-hour day, preferring the longer
hours because of the larger earn
ings they make possible, the only
reason is that the workers fear or
know they would be inadequately
paid on an eight-hour basis. A liv-
ing wage should go hand in hand
with the shorter workday, accord
ing to the churchmen, who say that
Judge Gary and his associates are
apparently more concerned about the
profits of the steel industry than
they are about the welfare of their
employees in particular and of So
clety in general.
Engineers Also Against Gary ,
Naturally these critics of the Gary
Committee emphasize the ethical
and social aspects of the twelve
hour day question and the position
they take is not unexpected. The
churches placed themselves on re-
| cord long ago as fayoring the shorter
workday for steel workers and it is
| not surprising that they are standing
pat, if such an unchurchlike express
sion may be used.
1t might be argued, accordingly,
that the s~pokesmen for practically
all organized religion in the United
States did not base their conclusions
on sound scientific facts and cold &C.
onomic arguments. Their views
might be dismissed as sentimental
rather than practical.
However. no such answer could be
made to the second Jolt which the
Gary Committee received, for 1t came
from the Federated American Eng
ineering Societies. Hard on the heels
of the statement from the represent
atives OF fifty million Protestantsi
Catholics and Jews, the engineers
made public a report of their COM
mittee on work periods which de-
clared that the twelve-hour day in
the steel industry must be eliminated
for the good of the industry and for
the good of labor. The findings oil
the committee it was stated, were in
direct contradiction to the report Of
the Gary Committee.
The significance of this cannot be
over-emphasized. When the engin.
GERS speak, it must be remembered
we are hearing from the experts whit
are familiar with every aspect o,
steel production. They are the mer
upon whom the steel industry de
ponds for the solution of every man.
ufaeturing problem. They may no
have a voice in the financial ad
min~istration of the great steel o
porations, but when it comes to thu
making of steel what they say goes
And when they urged the adoption o
the eight-hour day and maintained
that the change would be for tn
good of the industry there was
marked tendency in personal inter
To date it is to be noted, Judg'
Gary and his conferes have mad
no reply either to the churchmel
or to the engineers.
views and editorial common