Evening star., 1923-08-03
IMMEDIATE 8-HOUR
DAY, GARY'S PLAN
Announcement Means $45,-
o0O,0OO Increase in Pay for
Steel Workers.
b..

20 by ehe Associated Press.
"a. NEW YORK, August S.-Executives
. ,ltafs.United States Steel Corporation
pnss,rysi tliar!es and independent steel
. eaThparIfes represented in the Ameri-
q cam Iron and Steel Institute sped
{, = ho1neward today to take Immediate
st9ps TO eliminate the twelve-hour
- day in the industry as decided upon
: 1T meeting here yesterday OF
~dlEectcrs of the institute.
---sH bert H. Gary, president of the
Mrtute and chairman of the United
states Steel Corporation, said that an
eight-hour day would be put into
effect as quickly as possible and
that wages of men whose hours are
will be. raised so a" to afford
- d. ~ per cent increase in hourly and
.--hsaSe rates.
- .The shorter day had been urged on
the industry by President Harding
q In making the formal announce
--Hent at the conclusion of today S
--penferences. Judge Gary said the
-zcbinge would be effected as rapidly
IsaS the supply of labor would permit.
---I4es said it was impossible to say
---Nehen the changes would be COM
.-Ineted, but declared there would be
:-no unnecessary delay on the part OF
cr is estimated that the shorter
-Yorking day viii necessitate the en-
- pioyment of between 10000 ana
$4,000 additional laborers and will add
ap approximately $45,000,000 to the an
--n0sl pay roll of the industry.
Slight Cut in Wages.
- s1cmployes in the continuous process
--df partment who now receive S4So LOT
--ss twelve hour day Will receive 81
tor' an eight hour day under the plan.
al other workmen. it was announced,
will be on ten hours or less and their
-s7Sresent hourly and base rates VIII
-h6 continued.
s0ficials OF both the independent
-sR. hapipS THnrRSppfpd the
Institute and of United States Steel
---IjoTporat ton subsidiaries departed for
their homes today to begin at once
--ss& work of effecting the shift in
hours.
- -Todays action by steel officials
representing substantially the entire
--hRdustry in this country brought to
E--s% favorable conclusion a series of
--cpnferences and study of the industry
Wh5ch began when President Harding.
.~--sI IA White House dinner. requested
Nj Gary TO undertake an investi-
-satfon to ascertain the feasibility of
= -eIIninating the long hours
80 Is committee, appointed by Mr..
Gary. reported at the May meeting
of the American Iron and Steel In
stitute that it would be impossible
to reduce hours in the Immediate fu-
ture because of the shortage of labor.
President Harding publicly expressed
= his s-disappointment at the report ana
President that the industry would
begin the elimination of the much
criticized twelve-hour shift "aS soon
as praCtlCd BILE.
The first formal conference on the
s4bject was held I'm in New York K, last "a
featuring subsidiaries of the United
States Steel Corporation. met with
Chairman Gary, and on the following
day directors of the American Iron
and Steel Industry took up the matter
for the industry as whole.
Lot act
week end, to permit the presidents of
the various companies to return TO
their homes to learn, if possible. the
attitude of the employees who would
be affected. Presumably officials
found d majority of the employees
agreeable to the changed rate of pay
for the shorter hours, although no
announcement as to that was made
today.
1tne formal statement by Mr.. Gary
follows:
tween President Harding and the
steel institute, and as result of
the most painstakinG investigation,
manufacturers OF IRON and steel,
industry of the country Will now be-
gin the total elimination of the
twelve-hour day and will progress as
rapidly as the supply OF labor VIII
1T is impossible to say when the
changes will be completed. 1t VIII
depend upon LABOR COHulllOhS dC AS-
spective plants. There will be no un-
necessary delay on the part OF any
one. ,-
..Uhere the hours of employees con-
nected with continuous process are
reduced from twelve to eight hours
their wage rates will be so adjusted
as to afford earnings equivalent TO
a. 25 per cent increase in hourly ana
base rates.
"AIl other workmen will be OIL
ten hours or less and their present
hourly and base rates will be con-
Tinued, but whenever it is practical
bic by promotions or changes III DO
sitions the daily earnings Will be
adjusted
Ofhcials differ as to the effect of
the change in hours "n the total
production cost. Estimates range
from So to S4 ton. Ror the industry
as d whole it has been estimated the
shorter hours will add approximately
ont to the cost of the finished
pr'ou' Of the ssmailer companies
allo4uy have established the eight
hour day. but the changes have not
been effective over long enough q
period TO furnish definite data, it IS
said.
Eugene G.. Grace, president of the
Bethlehem Steel Corporation. stated
recently that his company was max
ing progress on plans to eliminate
tht. long working day. In that COM
pany the plans are being evolved
through a series of conferences with
-, r1n