The Rangitikei Advocate. TWO EDITIONS DAILY. THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 1919. HOURS OF LABOUR.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 11850, 5 June 1919, Page 4

The Rangitikei Advocate. TWO EDITIONS DAILY. THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 1919. HOURS OF LABOUR.

IN these days of labour rebellion against long hours of labour and demand for a six hour day instead of eight it is a matter of more than casual interest that some employers are>ctually anticipating what might soon be demands on the part of their work people. Recently Lever Bros., the great soap manufacturers, held their annual meeting, and Lord Leverhulme, who preisded, announced a policy—it was proposed to put into operation which, not many years ago, would, in the opinion of many persons, have qualified the whole of the Company for a lunatic asylum. Perhaps it will yet, though the Levers, owing to their tremendous manufacturing success, may be credited with the utmost business sagacity, and with having calculated with the greatest nicety the ;■resul of their unparalleled generosity. Hitherto the employees of Lever Bros, have worked eight hours daily. It is now proposed to shorten the day’s labour to six hours. Instead of one shift there are to be two. The first will commence at 7 o’clock, and, ‘ ‘after a break of a quarter of an hour from 8,45 for some light refreshment they will continue to work until 1.15 p.m. ” The second shift will commence at a quarter past one. There will be a stop of half an hour for refreshment, and labour will be over at 9 p.m. There are other regulations for piece workers, but it will all be arranged so that the total of the hours worked will not average more than six hours daily. The wages remain as for eight hours. That, however, does not exhaust the benefactions of the company to their work people. Lord Leverhulme goes on to say: “Now, with regard to the light meals. We propose t provide these at the firm’s expense—free to the workers. We feel that it will save enormously in timekeeping | and actual running,' and will simp- ! lify the catering. The light refreshments will be tea, coffee, cocoa, bread and butter, and sandwiches, entirely free, at counters adjacent to where the men are working. Neither men, boys, nor girls will require to walk further than is represented by getting out of a railway train and going to the refreshmentroom. I have tested what yon can take at a refreshment-room in a quarter of an hour, and I find, if I tried, I could eat more than is good for me. (Laughter). So that tnere ;

is ample time for refreshment. The rate of wages will be exactly the same for a 36-hours week as for a 48-hours week. This is obviously essential, but it is equally certain that the staff can accomplish the work without adding any expense to the company by so organising the carrying on of the work that no increased expenditure will fall on the company. The staff freely recognised in all our discussions that t add to the cost of making soap would be to handicap us not only with firms in the United Kingdom, but with firms all over the world whom we meet in competition in the export markets, so that the determination of all of us is that the same wages will be paid and increased leisure obtained w T ithout adding to the cost of the article or making prohibitive the expense on the business. As to

payment of wages, we want to introduce a different method. Instead of our men crowding round the wage office and waiting their turn, each man should have a little private banking account in a bank near his own house —not the firm’s bank, but one of his own selection. We would advise our bank to credit each man from the pay sheet with the amount of money he is entitled to receive for his wages. Under this system a man will draw out of his bank what he wants for his household expenses, and what he does not need will rest in the bank. The amount left as deposit with the bank will be supplemented by an addition from the firm—we are favourably considering this —and this will give a man 5 per cent, on his money left in the bank; so that, instead of the money lying at home earning no interest, by adopting this system it will earn interest. Further than that, the tendency will be always to leave a little more each week in the bank; and I feel condfieut that if we can get this system universally adopted it will not only raise the working man’s position, but add to his dignity, because, instead of crowding round a little pay office, ho will be led to become a saver, having money to invest in the business he is engaged in or other busi-

nesses. ’ ’

There mnst, of course, be a very definite and quickly reachable limit in this reduction of the hours of labour. Messrs Lever Bros are confident that the employees will do as much work in six hours as they now do in eight. And it is possible they may. There is plenty of evidence to prove that the reduction of working hours from twelve and ten to eight lias not seriously affected the amount of work done nor the volume of pro'’ 3 ductiou. There is a more or less clearly marked maximum of individual effort from which, in the long day, physical exhaustion rapidly impairs efficiency. It is a matter of individual experience as well as scientific observation, too, that the needed physical and mental regiliency—the freshness required for the commencement of the new day’s toil—is always lacking in the worker of many hours daily. A horse can do more exacting work in six days of the week than it can in the seven, and it seems that there is nothing organic or inorganic under the heavens that does not tire since metals reach that stage and a modification of structure in time if worked continuously. It is, however, a question for serious doubt, whether even the Lever Bros, could safely extend the six hours’ principle to many industries beside soap making In the almost infinite variety of the forms of industry there are many that cannot be hurried—and farming is one of them —in which it would be impossible to obtain the same results. If it were not for that we should be justified in regarding the eternal struggle between master and man, the latter for reduction of hours and the former for lengthening the day of service as one continuous, unnecessary tragedy. The Lever experiment will be eagerly watched hy employers and workmen alike.