Show I I EFFECT OF SHORTER DAY ON INDUSTRY No Schedule Suited to All AH Boar Boards Board's s Report Says BOSTON May 5 In 5 In a summary report Issued today on the hours of work problem problem problem lem In five major Industries cotton wool silk boot and shoe and metal manufacturing manufacturing manufacturing man man- the national Industrial conI conference conference con con- ference board reaches the conclusion that no single schedule of ot hours Is equally adaptable for all Industries from the 0 standpoint of production The evidence is ming that maximum efficiency cUt effi cannot be obtained in all Industries industries industries indus Indus- tries with any single specific work day In general says the report the ability to Increase hourly efficiency and thus make up either wholly or in part for Tor reductions in hours was largely de determined determined de de- by the amount of handwork as distinguished from automatic machine work which is iw performed in any given process Thus those industries characterized characterized characterized charac charac- by a relatively large amount of machine work as a rule showed a marked decrease In output when hours were re reduced re- re INSTANCES GIVEN The report includes a number of tables giving relevant data based on the experience experience experience ex ex- of a large number of plants Conditions peculiar to the industries Included in included In- In eluded In the Investigations are discussed dJs dis dis- dis cussed In the Northern cotton industry reductions re reductions reductions re- re to less than six fifty-six hours per week involved a loss In output in more than 90 per cent of the establishments and in a majority of ot cases this loss was approximately proportional to the to the reduction in time In the wool manufacturing Industry a reduction to a four fifty-four hour schedule schedule schedule sched sched- ule resulted In a loss In output though this loss was somewhat less pronounced than in the cotton Industry In the silk Industry a considerable proportion proportion proportion pro pro- portion of the the mills reported that output output output out out- put was maintained after shortening schedules to less than four fifty hours per week and in a number of of cases In Indeed Indeed indeed In- In deed to fifty hours per week In the boot and shoe Industry It was found that maximum production could be maintained on a schedule substantially substantially substantially less lees than four fifty-four hours per week FAVOR HOUR 50 WEEK Analysis of or the evidence submitted by mental manufacturing establishments Indicated in indicated indicated In- In that while a universal reduction reduction reduction tion to a hour fifty-hour week would involve loss in production nevertheless a fifty- fifty hour week could be Le De rather generally In Introduced Introduced introduced In- In without seriously curtailing out- out put nut l ut In n a number ed of establishments production pro pro- auction was reported p as s maintained e with ith a forty-eight forty hour schedule put out it a appeared ap ap- p- p that a general reduction to a 1 forty-eight forty hour week week In the metal manufacturing manufacturing manu manu- Industries would result in a a decided loss in n output I The evidence did not indicate that mere size Theof of of an establishment was an Important I P tant taut factor bearing on the efficiency se secured set se- cured under a given IV schedule I WAGE INCENTIVE E The five investigations investigations' revealed between no I I clearly clearlY seta established relationship between changes in wages and the rate of production production pro pro- dottier though te there was some evidence nce that bonus paying tended to increase hourly efficiency The eve evidence em a aIs Isy y indicates that t the piece rate cyst system Is more e conducive to tot efficiency Efficiency than the day rate system IThe I II I The proportion of women en thou though large larg I In the textile and boot sot and shoe i Industries industries Indus Indus- tries Ties did not appear r to have a sig significant significant cant bearing beating on n efficiency under the Indus different dif dlf- different ferent forent schedules studied |