A Six Hours' Day.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16325, 24 September 1918, Page 6

A Six Hours' Day.

A correspondent who writes to us asking about what he calls the "Lever- . " hulme Report," and a suggested six-hours-day, probably has in mind a paper contributed by Lord Leverhulme to the book entitled "Labour and Capi"tal After the War," published by , John Murray, and reviewed in "The " Press'' on Saturday. It is an eloquent plea in favour of greater consideration : for the human element in productive enterprise, and makes a strong point of the inefficiency and resulting waste that is produced by fatigue. It refers to recent reports of the Departmental Committee under the chairmanship of Sir George Newman ; 1 M.D., as to tho effect of industrial ' fatigue on efficiency. These reports show that where fatigue has been avoided, the production ha 9 been increased ' in the week by from 50 to 100 per cent, i or over; also that the increased productive capacity of the workers can be assured when their work is varied, and their interest maintained, as well as their fatigue avoided Lord Leverhulme then goes on to say:— From ttiis it is obvious that when our modern industries are run on a less fatiguing system of, say, two shifts, each of six and a half hours, with half an hour off for meals (making six working hours in all per dny), the efficiency of the worker by thus avoiding fntiguo can be increased by at, least S*3i per cent., and consequently that as much work can readily bo done in six working hours as under present conditions is done in eight. . But in addition to the ability of the employee to produce as big an output in six hours as is now produred in eight, there would be tho added advantage that the plant, machinery, etc., would be running for 50 per cent, longer time, viz., twelve hours instead of eight, which running of machinery would reduce tho "overhead charges proportionately and increase the output enormously. Lord Leverhulme—who, we need hardly say, holds a pre-eminent position ; n England as a great captain of industry —thinks that Great Britain -will be in a unique position to try this experiment as a nation after the war. It is obvious, however, that two, if not three, things aro necessary to its success. There must be enlightened and broadminded employers, organised Labour must divest itself entirely of tho idea, that it can be benefited by diminished! production, and there must be cooperation and sympathy between the, two. There is no room in such a scheme for the shortsighted employer who, when ho has succeeded in getting the rate of production increased, thinks he may fairly reduce the piecework rates J of pay. On the other hand, organised , Labour must Welcome th«f adoption of , improved machinery, and scientific j methods of workshop management, the | objects of which_are to,increase tho rate of production whilst at the same tima

lessening the industrial fatigue of the individual employee. If the worker is able to do in six hours what ho formerly did in eight with less fatigue than before, and if he still receives as much as he got for eight hours' work, he ought to be very well satisfied. If he wants eight hours' pay for six hours' work, and produces no more in six hours under improved conditions than he did in six hours of the old eight-hour day, then the proposal is doomed to failure., and we should bo as far off from an industrial Utopia as ever. Another point) on which Lord Leverhulme lays stress is that the six hours' "working day does not mean some hours gained for loafing. He points out that if the additional time -were wisely employed, it wouliS give young working lads and working men an education both of mind and body superior to that attained by the average of students attending Oxford, Cambridge, or any other of our universities. The present war will have been fought to a large extent in vain if out of it does not emerge a bettor understanding between classes, better social conditions of labour, greater efficiency of production to enable us to hold our own against the foreign competition wo shall have to face. There is no more important subjcct calling for immediate and careful consideration, not only by Parliament, but by the associations of employers and the members of trades unions throughout the country.