The Iron Age 1924-08-21: Vol 114 Iss 8

THE IRON AGE New York, August 21, 1924 ESTABLISHED 1855 VOL. 114, No. 8 Rapid Progress in Shortening Hours Twelve-Hour Day and Seven-Day Week Have Disappeared to a Very Large Extent in Year Since Change Was Inaugurated BY GEORGE SMART NE year ago last Thursday, a start was made in abolishing the 12-hr. day and introducing shorter hours in the iron and steel industry. This departure, which was universally regarded as one of the most important ever made by iron and steel manufacturers, came after long agita- tion and followed the meeting at the White House in 1922 called by President Harding, after which thorough consideration was given the problem by iron and steel manufacturers. It was decided to conform to the President’s wishes and what seemed to be strong public sentiment in spite of the fact that some company officials had serious doubts as to the results, and as to whether the majority of employees really wanted the change. President Coolidge, in his speech of acceptance last Thursday night, stated that the 12-hr. day and the 7-day week had been virtually abolished. This has been the general belief. Some compa- nies, however, naturally moved more rapidly than others in inaugurating the change and it has been charged in one quarter that much remains to be done in introducing the shorter day and that the 7-day week, virtually abolished by the greater part of the industry years ago, has been reestablished. “The Iron Age” Investigation THE IRON AGE has made an investigation at the leading steel manufacturing centers to deter- mine the facts as to what has actually been ac- complished in shortening the hours of labor. The result is that much new light has been thrown on the whole situation. As to the benefits in social conditions, even the critics who complain because all the companies have not fully introduced the shorter hours admit that much better feeling has been created among the men. Their homes are happier and there is little complaint because of reduced pay. It cannot be denied, however, that owing to the slackened demand for steel, with the corresponding decrease in operations at furnaces and mills, the subject uppermost in the minds of the employees now is as to how they can get more work and the greatest difficulty encountered by some of the employers is in having the men work six days a week and less than 12 hours a day. In the Pittsburgh district, among some of the in- dependents, there is a disposition to allow the men to work longer when they are anxious to do so. 427 The independent steel companies may be di- vided into four classes. First, those that tried the 8-hr. system in past years and abandoned it. These are few, but the Lukens Steel Co. is a conspicuous example. Second, the companies of which the Colorado Fuel & Iron Co. is a type, which have long had the shorter hours and have not changed the system. Third, those companies which to a large extent have conformed to the shorter hours, and lastly the few who have done little or nothing in the way of changing their systems. Probably the last-named companies do not turn out 10 per cent of the product of the country. The Increased Cost On the much-discussed subject of cost, it may be stated that Comptroller Filbert, of the United States Steel Corporation, has made a very care- ful analysis of the extra cost due to the change. He says: “During November and December, 1923, it was costing us extra for that period at the rate of $29,545,000 per year. If we were running fully the estimated cost of the change would be $35,000,- 000 per year.” In response to requests from THE IRON AGE for information as to what had been done by the Steel Corporation in establishing the shorter hours, Chairman Gary stated that he wanted to have the public given the fullest possible infor- mation and he thought that the presidents of the subsidiary companies would be best equipped to furnish the facts. He invited THe IRON AGE to send a representative to a meeting of the presi- dents and to ask questions in regard to the change of hours. This invitation was accepted and a stenographic report of the meeting was made. Statements of Presidents The presidents in attendance were: Homer D. Williams, Carnegie Steel Co., Pittsburgh; E. J. Buffington, Illinois Steel Co., Chicago; August Ziesing, American Bridge Co., New York; W. B. Schiller, National Tube Co., Pittsburgh; E. W. Pargny, American Sheet & Tin Plate Co., Pitts- burgh; George G. Crawford, Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Co., Birmingham, Ala.; William P. Palmer, American Steel & Wire Co., Cleveland. Judge Gary presided at the meeting and James A. Farrell, president of the United States Steel ‘ ; 7 it i | i Ora ee + I a A ay Sie hme eA A lege pte. ny agen , en Bintesiate HS FEE Siw a 3 oor ea a ~. 2 SPT SE = ne Rn Se eS ies iD wae ee at ee pee, ee tes ss ranted live on aon ee RPL Sc silage al 8 Aol epee en edn omega cena alte nerfs Ciera oa & seem : “- — op ge ee ee PR EEE =o 428 THE IRON AGE Corporation, also was present. The stenographic report is as follows: Action of the Carnegie Steel Co. Mr. WILLIAMS: On Aug. 16, 1923, we started in as fast as we could to put the blast furnaces on the 8-hr. basis. After we got men, we started every department and ran slack in some depart- ments at times to put the 8-hr. day in. It took us about two months and we increased our forces about 9000 men and we have no 12-hr. men work- ing in any of our departments. The seven-day week was abolished years ago, of course. It was brought in partially during the war and then was eliminated again. We have no 12-hr. men’in any of our plants and we do not work the seven-day week. That covers Youngstown as well as all others. There may have been emergencies arisen due to accident, etc., where a man has worked 16 hr. or maybe 24 hr. to keep the plants running. There may be a case of a man who does not show up, where the man on the job has to work 16 hr. How- ever, this would be an isolated case, and with the man’s consent to work. Such a case happened within the past year. A statement is made that the Carnegie Steel Co. has not abolished the 12-hr. day in Youngstown. I deny that. Change Completed by Illinois Steel Co. Mr. BUFFINGTON: Our case is substantially like Mr. Williams’. What I say is true of all the plants of the Illinois Steel Co.—Gary, South Chicago and others. The Illinois Steel Co. commenced the abol- ishment of the 12-hr. turn in August, 1923, and about in the same way as described by Mr. Williams I have not in mind the exact number of additional men we have employed to take care of the change. It took us several months to complete the program. I think it ran into 1924 before we had entirely made the changes in all departments. As Mr. Wil- liams says, the abolishment of the seven-day week occurred several years ago. That we are observing. The Illinois Steel Co. has not a 12-hr. job at any of its plants. Our shops have been on a 10-hr. basis in the non-continuous departments. There will arise emergencies where some few men will work over the 10 hr., maybe up to 12, in a breakdown up perhaps to 18 hr. But these are rare exceptions. American Bridge Co.’s Action Mr. ZIESING: Our principal work is structural work. All structural shops were on 10-hr. basis and always have been on 10-hr. basis. Years ago we abolished the seven-day week. We have a mill at Pencoyd which was put on 8-hr. basis either the middle of September or first of October last year, and we have adhered strictly to that schedule. None of our men now work more than 10 hr. nor more than six days a week. National Tube Co. Falls in Line Mr. SCHILLER: We have no 12-hr. jobs in any department in any of our works. We began to change from the 12-hr. to the shorter day on Aug. 16, 1923, and that work was not entirely completed until some time in 1924. We changed even our watchmen and our nurses. We changed as fast as we could secure workmen. The seven-day week was abolished about 1911 or 1912, and as I was the sponsor for the elimination of the seven-day week, I was perhaps more insistent upon that than some others. With very few exceptions it con- tinued throughout the war. The six-day week was August 21, 1924 immediately restored upon declaration of peace. There has been no seven-day week in our mills since a short time after the armistice. We have retained as many 10-hr. jobs as was possible, but have none for a longer period. The majority of our jobs have always been 10-hr. positions. Our attitude with respect to the seven-day week is that no man shal! be required nor permitted to work more than six days a week. I have no doubt that from time to time there are instances where a man may work longer than 8 hr., or even 10, either due to failure of another man to report for duty, or to an accident, but this occurs only in an emergency. So that in principle and in fact the 12-hr. day is eliminated in the National Tube Co. American Steel & Tin Plate Co. Mr. PARGNY: Our rolling mills have ‘been on a three-shift basis as long as I can remember. We were less involved in the elimination of the 12-hr. day in other departments than any of the other constituent companies. At the time the subject was discussed, I think we had about 15 per cent of our men working the 12-hr. day, and in little less than 60 days from Aug. 16, 1923, we had not a man working 12 hr. We have not one working for us 12 hr. today, nor do we work the seven-day week. It was a simple matter for us to abolish the 12-hr. day by reason of the small percentage of men involved. Conditions in the South Mr. CRAWFORD: For many years, even during the war, our steel making department, rolling mills and shops were shut down every Sunday. In the continuous working departments, relief is supplied so that each man works only six days a week. On the 12-hr. day, that has been abolished—a little bit later than the other companies because I was away on my vacation and our company was not ordered to put it down until I returned. But I think in February, 1924, we had abolished the 12-hr. day. Our men work 10, 9 and 8 hr. Occa- sionally a man has to stay on over his regular working period in case of accident, etc. In each case where a man has to work over six days a week or over 10 hr. a day,’ the matter is taken up at our weekly meeting of heads of departments and a good reason must be given for it. Mr. FARRELL: The Tennessee Coal, Iron & Rail- road Co. is the only company in the South that has abolished the seven-day week and 12-hr. day. Also we pay 15 to 25 per cent more wages than the other iron and steel manufacturers in that district. Mr. Palmer Tells Why Men Worry Mr. PALMER: We have not any job that is a seven-day week job, nor have we any 12-hr. day jobs. While this question may bother others, 1t does not bother our workmen. What is bothering them is that they can get only three or four days’ work a week. That point should be emphasized. Mr. SMART: What is the increase in the per- centage of men, Mr. Williams? Mr. WILLIAMS: Nineteen per cent. Mr. BUFFINGTON: The plan that we outlined for making the change showed that we would re- quire 20-odd per cent additional men, and we wound up with 19 and a fraction per cent. Mr. SCHILLER: That does not apply to the Na- tional Tube Co. because the majority of our work- August 21, 1924 men are in the pipe mills, where the 10-hr. day is in operation. Mr. SMART: The increase in the continuous process is about what percentage? Mr. WILLIAMS: All continuous processes are increased about 50 per cent. Cost to the Steel Corporation Mr. SMART: There is a statement that the United States Steel Corporation anticipated the in- crease in cost to the corporation of the institution of the three-shift system would be $35,000,000 yearly. I suppose that varies from year to year in accordance with operations. Mr. FARRELL: Absolutely. If we are working on a 50 per cent basis, the amount is smaller. Mr. SMART: Where has the greatest change taken place? What has your observation been re- lating to the improvement of social conditions by the change? Is there a better feeling among the men? Mr. WILLIAMS: Very much. We are having requests for a garage for nearly every house now. Changes as to Wages and Production JUDGE GARY: Will one of you tell me briefly just what we did in regard to increasing wages in order to meet the decrease in the number of hours? For instance, the 12-hr. men who were reduced to 8 hr.? Mr. BUFFINGTON: Twenty-five per cent. The 12-hr. men were reduced to 8 hr. and paid for 10 hr. Mr. SMART: What was the general effect on production? Mr. WILLIAMS: In the blast furnace it depends on the amount of air you blow in. JUDGE GARY: That is, three shifts do not pro- duce more than two shifts? Mr, WILLIAMS: No. In some of the up-to-date, modern mills it depends on the motor revolutions. There is practically no increase in output. Mr. CRAWFORD: We have a lot of old mills where hand work is required. When the men are tired and the mills slow up, we have spell hands to relieve them, so that the production is main- tained even though the men are not working 8 hr. but are working 10 hr. Mr. SMART: In machine shops I suppose there is a change. THE IRON AGE 429 Mr. CRAWFORD: We have never worked 12 hr. in machine shops. President Harding’s Letter JUDGE GARY: Just to refresh your recollection I want to read President Harding’s letter to me. He says, referring to the 12-hr. day: “In the hope that this question could be disposed of I am won- dering if it would not be possible for the steel industry to consider giving an undertaking that before there shall be any reduction in the staff or employees of the industry through any recession of demand for steel products, or at any time when there is a surplus of labor available, that then the change should be made.” He said above, preceding that: “I am impressed that in the reasoning of the report great weight should be attached to the fact that in the present shortage of labor it would cripple our entire prosperity if the change were abruptly made.” Then I said to him in answer: “Without an unjustifiable interruption to oper- ations, the change cannot be effected overnight. It will involve many adjustments, some of them complicated and difficult, but we think it can be brought about without undue delay when, as you state it, ‘there is a surplus of labor available.’” That was distinctly understood. Mr. SMART: It is reported that the actual in- crease in cost has been placed at an average of $3 per ton—$4 on sheets and $2 on billets. Mr. WILLIAMS: I think that the records here would be the best to show that. JUDGE GARY: Yes. I think I have kept the public pretty accurately informed from our records. If I make any misstatements about our figures, the Federal Trade Commission finds out pretty soon. Mr. SMART: It is reported that “the data pre- sented by the Department of Labor, for the period Jan. 16 to 31, this year, would seem to indicate that on the blast furnaces less than 8 per cent of the men work 48 hr. or less a week; 6 per cent work 84 hr. a week; 32 per cent, 60 hr. or over, and 54 per cent more than 48 hr. or less than 60 hr.” Mr. FARRELL: They may have gone to Birming- ham to get those figures. Mr. CRAWFORD: A lot of men in the blast fur- nace department have never worked 12 hr., and those men have not been changed to 8 hr. Working Toward the Goal in the Pittsburgh District No Man Now Required to Work 12 Hours, but Many Insist Upon Doing So, Owing to Decrease in Number of Days of Employment PITTSBURGH, Aug. 18.—When the steel industry a year ago began the elimination of the 12-hr. day, it was found that the setting up of three 8-hr. turns in the departments of continuous operation—blast furnaces, open-hearth furnaces, Bessemer converters and coke plants—grooved nicely with the change. Because of that condition, the impression was created and has increased since that the industry had definitely embarked upon a plan of establishing the 8-hr. day. While there is little question that such a working period was and is the ultimate goal of the movement and indeed elimination of the 12-hr. day had made some progress before the formal inauguration of the scheme on Aug. 16, 1923, it should be borne in mind that the elimination of the long workday and that alone was what the industry set out to accomplish. In the Steel Corporation and some other companies, the 7-day week had been eliminated. Judged strictly on that premise, the endeavor has been marked with success, in that there are few, if any, men in the Pittsburgh district plants, except by their own expressed desires, who are working longer than 10 hr. daily. The fact that business has been slack and that today even in the face of increased orders the industry is not more than 50 per cent engaged, explains such lapses, which have been and still are more fre- quent in the independent company plants than those of the Steel Corporation. Attitude of the Employees From the beginning of the movement, the abolishment of the long working turn, so strongly opposed by the z fester ny Marans een cosa “3 Mite: fue She Se : ‘ > Pa 4 ers Pies -_ —— oe a Sem meeps cainene tm a ay PORE tomy Meer ne cat reine oe ete pep omgyleg oe Ser aT so > « “ — ollie a phere Fs math ed a eS aah a SRS ett at A a 430 reformers and welfare workers, though strangely enough not so offensive to the men themselves, has been a serious matter with the Steel Corporation officials and plant managers, who after painstaking and laborious efforts to evolve workable plans, resent suggestions con- tained in a report recently made by an investigator employed from a fund left by a wealthy Bostonian, that the men employed in the continuously operated depart- ments still work a 7-day week and that “the three 8-hr. shifts, 6-day week schedule does not prevail in any Steel Corporation district visited.” The plan worked out and successfully put into oper- ation at the plants of the Steel Corporation was very specific. It provides that no man employed in the blast furnace, open-hearth furnace, Bessemer converter or coke oven departments, who formerly worked 12-hr. turns, shall work more than six consecutive alternate turns without a day’s layoff. This plan once announced and applied then became a rule and such violations as occurred were to be the subject of a detailed report, giving the reasons for the violation by the foreman to the plant superintendent. There are some instances at Steel Corporation plants where there was not a single violation of the rule during the entire first year of the shorter day movement, and in most cases where they have occurred it has been due to confusion or misunder- standings by the men as to the turns they were to work. Some Hard Nuts to Crack It was not a simple matter for the plant managers who were charged with the work of evolving a workable three 8-hr. shift, 6-day week schedule and it was not easy for men long accustomed to working 12-hr. turns to accommodate themselves quickly to the shorter work- day. It was natural, therefore, that some confusion should result before the plan got working smoothly. Nine men in ten, if given a choice, would take Sunday as the day off, which of course would not be feasible. The number of men in a crew determined the schedules, and since crews varied as to numbers, no such thing as a standardized schedule could be worked out. More- over, schedule juggling has been necessary through the inability or failure of one or more members of a crew working a given turn to come out. In a case where a man has given notice that he cannot report, it is the plan, particularly if the man to be absent has an impor- tant place in the operation, to select the man from the crew at work best suited to fill the vacancy. This has caused trouble, because the man taken out of his regular turn to fill in for another in another shift loses half a turn and usually has to lose another half turn to get back to his regular shift. Definite Progress Made There is not a company in the Pittsburgh and nearby districts which operates blast furnaces, steel works and rolling mills—in other words, a fully contained plant— which has not made very definite progress in the elimi- nation of the 12-hr. day. With the Steel Corporation plants, the effort has long since been completed, and at not one of its plants are there today or for some time past any 12-hr. turns. There may be some night watch- men or yardmasters whose turn of duty runs 12 hours, but even such cases are few and even the policemen and welfare workers now are on 10-hr. turns. Taking in the independent companies which for one reason or an- other have made rather slow progress and those which have done practically as well as the Steel Corporation, it is a fair estimate that about 60 per cent of all the men who prior to Aug. 16, 1923, were on 12-hr. turns, now are on either 8 or 10-hr. turns. The blooming mill crews, who after the inauguration of the shorter work- day also were placed upon three 8-hr. turns, in not a few plants, even some of the Steel Corporation plants, lately have been working two 10-hr. turns. But that is be- THE IRON August 21, 1924 AGE cause the plants have not been running full for want of business. There is no question in the minds of steel company plant officials that if business had continued at the gait of the fore part of this year with its attend- ant high rate of plant operations, the establishment of the three 8-hr. turn day and 6-day week would have made much more progress than it has. But as is wel! known steel business slumped in March and has not been really good since. To have been able to put across the 8-hr. day and 6-day week, two things would have been necessary. The first was an ample supply of labor and the other was a good run of orders. Economic wisdom is lacking where plants are operated more turns than are war- ranted by the orders. Actually, there has been a sur- plus of labor for the past few months and with business very slack, it has been something of a problem to give all a share of the available work. At the beginning of this year, THE IRON AGE in a canvass found that the long work day had been eliminated in the Pittsburgh district to the extent of 70 per cent of the men who had formerly worked that long. There is no reason now, one year after the inauguration of the movement, to modify that estimate, and as stated before, the dull times, rather than any other cause, stood in the way of further progress. Effect on Production As to results of the change in working hours, the notion that there was more production because the men did not have to work so long is not supported by the checkups made by several plant superintendents here. It has been found that rolling mill crews working on 10-hr. turns have turned out the same amount of ton- nage as done on 12-hr. turns, but that calls for explana- tion. Most steel plants have an excess of rolling over steel-making capacity and by using the extra capacity and letting the repairs accumulate, the 10-hr. turn has worked as satisfactorily as the longer one. But when it comes to blast furnaces, open-hearth furnaces and Bessemer converters it is the size and the capacity of the unit and not the number of men nor the number of shifts per day that govern the production. The folly of claiming greater production on the ground of shorter work periods for the men must be apparent to those who give the matter a little study. Incidentally, it is a little difficult to figure much real change in the actual working hours of the men in continuously operated de- partments. An observer who made the test in an open- hearth plant when the working turn was 12-hr., found that the men in the crew were actually on their feet only 3 hour and 15 minutes. In the 8-hr. turn they are probably actively engaged fully as long. Increase in Men Required Increase in the number of men required in effecting the change from the two to the three-shift system is not measured by 10 or 12% per cent. It is at least 20 per cent, although there are some cases where the change was made with no increase at all in the number of men required. In some instances, where the attempt was made to make three crews out of two, there was early grief, since accidents disclosed there were not enough men to keep the unit going and make repairs. It has been found the safer course, therefore, to have a larger crew than was absolutely necessary, to be pre- pared for emergencies. The idea that the men would not return to the 12-hr. day is not well supported and there is no doubt in the minds of plant managers in daily contact with the men, that if the employers were willing, there was no public objection and the same hourly rate as is now paid was paid for 12 hours, 90 per cent of the men now working the short day would seek the longer day. It is useless to deny that the men never took kindly to the reduced August 21, 1924 daily income and it is likewise idle to attempt to con- ceal the fact that in many instances the men have tried THE IRON AGE 431 in recent dull times to work a second turn in a day in an effort to swell their incomes. Twelve-Hour Day Gone at Youngstown—Some Work Seven Days YOUNGSTOWN, Aug. 19.—Operating managers of dis- trict iron and steel properties declare that the 12-hr. day has been abolished by independent interests in the Mahoning Valley, with the exception of a few men em- ployed in safety departments as watchmen. Such in- stances represent but a negligible number of the total workers employed. Very few, if any, men employed in production processes in the Mahoning Valley, are still on 12-hr. shifts. One independent employs a_ small number of mechanics and millwrights on 12-hr. turns when occasion arises. Skilled and semi-skilled workers in sheet mills, which comprise a considerable percentage of the finish- ing capacity of the district, have long worked 8-hr. shifts. The practice in the Valley for common labor, work- ers in shops attached to the mills, and for employees of the tube mills is to work 10 hr. per day, alternating one week six days and the following week five nights. Under this arrangement, affected workers are employed 58 hr. per week on day turn and 50 hr. on night turn. Employees of blast furnaces and by-product coke oven plants work 8 hr. per day, seven days a week. The practice in manning open-hearth furnaces is much the same, except that such departments more frequently suspend one day over the week-end. Employees in these three departments are privileged to take one day off in seven; coke oven workers avail themselves of this oppor- tunity more than blast furnace and steel department men. Men in the Bessemer converting plants are rotated in the same manner, except that such departments usually suspend over Sunday. It is the practice of one large independent to stop its Bessemer plant at 3 p. m. each Saturday afternoon and resume on Sunday after- noon at 5 p. m. The operating executive of one of the principal in- dependents in the Mahoning Valley states: “We do not have a 12-hr. man on our payroll except a few watch- men.” This refers to one of the largest employing in- terests in the Valley. The assertion, therefore, in the report submitted to the Cabot Fund that large numbers of men are employed 12 hr. by the leading iron and steel companies is erroneous. Mill managers generally state that steel workers are not satisfied with the 8-hr. day, because it has reduced the compensation they receive. The majority of em- ployees, it is contended, except where the work is arduous and requires considerable physical exertion, prefer the 10-hr. shift because of the larger compensa- tion it affords. One of the leading independents, whose pipe mills represent an important part of its aggregate finishing capacity, estimates that half of its men work on 10-hr. shifts and the rest on 8-hr. turns. The matter of de- creased compensation arising from introduction of the shorter work-day has been the subject of discussion at meetings of workmen and officials, in the Representa- tion Plan of a Valley interest. There would be no complaint, say the managers, if the men were paid on the basis of 10 hr. for 8-hr. work, but this is declared to be impossible under present con- ditions. There is some discussion to the effect that workers may formulate wage demands along this line, but operators of properties are in no mood to discuss such a sweeping advance at this time. The estimate of $3 per ton increase in the cost of producing finished steel, through introduction of the 8-hr. day on a larger scale and abolishment of the 12-hr. day, is not out of line with ideas of Valley producers on this subject. On more highly finished steel products, the estimate is declared to be too low, the advanced cost in some cases running up to $4 a ton and more. One interest states that its payroll has been in- creased 10 per cent as a result of the shortening of the work day. Producers here say there has been no appreciable effect on production and that 8-hr. men do not produce proportionately more in 8 hr. than they previously did when working 10 hr. To offset this loss in production, it has, of course, been necessary to add more men, which has helped increase the payrolls. Almost Complete Change at Chicago CHICAGO, Aug. 19.—Independent iron and steel plants in this district are operating largely on an 8-hr. 6-day week schedule and have entirely abolished the 12-hr. day. Steel corporation plants are also operated on about the same schedule and have entirely done away with the 7-day week work. One independent company operates entirely on a three-shift basis in the coke oven, blast furnace, open-hearth and rolling depart- ments and runs its mills on a 6-day week schedule, with a small amount of 7-day week work irregularly at the ovens and blast and open-hearth furnaces. Other independent mills also adhere to the 8-hr. day at coke ovens, blast and open-hearth furnaces and the 6-day week, except at the open-hearth furnaces, where some work is done on a 7-day week schedule. In the latter class of plants there is a considerable amount of com- mon labor work on the 10-hr. day basis. Where shifts were made to the 8-hr. day the increase per hour in wages has been 25 per cent. The shorter day has advanced costs of production, as steel executives declared it would when the move- ment was instituted at the White House under the di- rection of President Harding. Officials, however, de- clare that these figures have not been analyzed suf- ficiently as yet to indicate clearly what the greater costs are. They expressed surprise at statements made in the report to the Cabot Fund, which they declared were entirely inaccurate in a number of important re- spects, especially as they applied to the number of hours and days per week steel workmen are engaged. They also would not discuss what effect, if any, the shorter day has had in the way of increasing efficiency and morale or social conditions of employees. All but One Company at Cleveland Adopts Short Hours CLEVELAND, Aug. 19.—The 8-hr. day has been estab- lished for continuous operations and the 12-hr. day has been entirely abolished in all steel plants and blast furnaces in the Cleveland territory except in the plant of the Otis Steel Co. Blast furnaces operated by Cleve- land interests at Lake ports and other points have adopted the 8-hr. day for continuous operations. With the one exception noted, men formerly employed for 12 hr. in the steel plants and blast furnaces for certain work other than continuous operation are now on a 10-hr. day. While the Otis Steel Co. has not generally put the 8-hr. day into effect, this company has made vari- BS ee * neon to ~ 432 THE IRON AGE ous reductions in working time to 8 and 10 hr. so that a small proportion of its force is now employed more than 10 hr. This company has not adopted a three- shift plan for continuous operations in its blast fur- naces and about 25 per cent of its furnace employees work 12 hr. per day. Steel plants and blast furnaces operating on the three-shift 8-hr. day plan include those of the American Steel & Wire Co., the McKinney Steel Co., the Upson plant of the Bourne-Fuller Co. and the Cleveland Steel Co. Warren, Canton and Mas- sillon steel plants are also on the 8-hr. day. In no case have the steel plants or blast furnaces increased the working week from six to seven days. Conditions in respect to seven-day employment in blast furnaces are exactly the same. as before the shorter Highly Satisfactory Results in CINCINNATI, Aug. 15.—The 8-hr. day is practically universal in the iron and steel industry of southern Ohio and northern Kentucky. The three-shift day has been in effect at the plants of the American Rolling Mill Co., Middletown, Ohio, the Andrews Steel Co. and the Newport Rolling Mill Co., Newport, Ky., for a num- ber of years, and the results have been highly satisfac- tory. The Ashland works of the American Rolling Mill Co., acquired two years ago, is also on the three-shift basis, and the blast furnace plant of the company at Columbus is also working on the short turn. Results in all cases have been satisfactory to both management and employees. In August of last year, merchant furnaces in south- ern Ohio eliminated the long turn, and all are now working the short turn. The change was accomplished without adding greatly to the number of men employed, though it was necessary to add a number of men at furnaces to fill out the three shifts. A better division of the working forces cut down the number of men re- quired for the long turn, and it was found also that the men could work more efficiently on the shorter schedule, thus doing away with a number of relief workers on each turn. Discussing the Cabot report, officials of steel com- panies in the district maintaining open-hearth plants, where the process is continuous, report that the state- ment that the men work eight hours a day for seven days a week is erroneous, in so far as their plants are concerned. In the open-hearths very little Sunday work is performed, the heats generally being held until the regular night turn reports. When it is absolutely nec- essary to tap heats, this work is done by what is called a “floating crew,” that is, a crew to relieve regular turns, so that each crew has one day off each week. In the rolling mills, the 8-hr. shift is universal, and no Sunday work is performed. The men formerly em- ployed 12 hours a day are now employed eight, and it is only in isolated instances where a man works over August 21, 1924 working day went into effect. Men employed on con- tinuous work in blast furnaces are required to work only six days. Some independent furnaces have a regu- lar seven-day schedule and the employee must arrange to have some one do his work when he wants to take a day off. As many as possible are let off on Sunday, but a sufficient force must be on hand to keep the fur- naces in operation. The American Steel & Wire Co. requires every employee, whether on continuous work or not, to take one day off out of the seven. In some of the independent blast furnaces a large share of the men on continuous operations want to work the seven days because of the increased earnings and this ten- dency appears to have become somewhat more pro- nounced since the shorter working hours were adopted. Southern Ohio and Kentucky eight hours per day. One company in this district, em- ploying nearly 6000 men, reports that there are not over 10 men in its employ working over eight hours per day. At both steel works and merchant furnaces, it has not been found practicable to keep a floating crew in order to give an entire turn one day off each week, but sufficient extra men are kept to enable the regular workers to take one day off in seven. Of course, where a worker elects to work the full seven days, he is privi- leged to do so, but officials of the company discourage this as much as possible. When the change from two to three shifts was made last year, wages were ad- vanced, so that though the men work four hours per day less than they used to, they receive practically the same remuneration as for the longer day. There is no information available as to costs of pro- ducing steel under the old and new system, as steel makers in this district have been working three shifts for a long time, and costs at the time of making the change would not be an accurate gage of present condi- tions. However, in the case of pig iron, cost of produc- tion has increased at some furnaces with the installa- tion of the three shift plan, though figures are not avail- able from all furnaces. The increase is estimated from $1 to $2 per ton, depending on the output of the fur- nace, though some reports are at hand where the cost has not increased, the reason given for this being that a better division of the working force, combined with increased efficiency on the part of the men, has enabled the furnaces to increase outputs, thereby cutting down the cost of making iron. There is no question as to the beneficial results of the three-shift plan of operations. It has been found that employees work steadier, are more efficient and generally are happier under the new order. They have additional time for recreation and rest, and are better satisfied generally than was the case when the long turn was the vogue. Report to Cabot Fund Claims Much Remains to Be Done Philip Cabot, one of the trustees of the Cabot Fund, the other trustees being Paul U. Kellogg and Edward T. Duvine, has made public a summary of a report of an investigation made by Miss S. Adele Shaw, formerly a member of the editorial staff of the New York Evening Post and a frequent contributor to the Survey and other magazines. The summary of the report is as follows: “Following a report on the Technical Results of the Three-Shift System as in Force in American Steel Plants in 1920, prepared for the Cabot Fund of Boston by Horace B. Drury under the direction of Morris L. Cooke, consulting engineer of Philadelphia, a report by the same author on the Technique of Changing from the Two- to the Three-Shift System in the Steel Indus- try issued by the Cabot Fund in 1922, and the Report of the Committee on Work Periods in Continuous In- dustry of the Federated American Engineering So- cieties, issued in 1922 as a result of investigations carried out under grant from the Cabot Fund, the trustees of the fund early this year decided to make a rapid check-up of the extent and results of the change to three shifts put into effect in the industry beginning Aug. 16, 1923, following the orders issued by Judge Elbert H. Gary, chairman of the board of GUKUeNetUNNNADAHUO ONE UneeeReRROMNRN ONT TOTER ET ieuUtsatctenteenennN (Continued on page 481) August 21, 1924 Tools for Standardizing Fire Hose Fittings An assortment of tools for converting and maintain- ing non-standard hose coupling threads to the Amer- ican (national) standard which recently was approved by the American Engineering Standards Committee and sponsored by American Society of Mechanical En- gineers and other organizations has been placed on the market by the Wells Corporation, Greenfield, Mass. Two sets are available, the No. 1 for standardizing fittings from 2t# in. to 3% in. outside diameter, and the No. 2 for keeping fittings in proper condition and for inspecting new fittings. A feature emphasized by the makers is the method of supporting the die while Fire Hose Coupling Standardization Tools. Two com- plete sets are available, one for resizing the fittings and the other for maintaining them and for inspecting new fittings threading the male fitting. Heretofore it has been difficult to start the die true on the end of an over- size thread but with the die guide shown at 13 in the accompanying illustration the danger of producing a thread out of line with the coupling is said to be eliminated. The cutters cr lands used in the taps and dies may be changed and sharpened conveniently. The roughing tap shown at / is finished red and has a tapered thread about % in. under standard size at the end to permit it to enter easily and catch the thread on undersize female fittings and hydrant caps. The roughing die shown at 2, also finished red, is for use on male fittings having an outside diameter over 3Ye up to 3% in. It is used in connection with die guide 13 for removing the excess metal on oversize male fittings. Cutters are fitted in the back of this die for removing the part of a thread on the end of the fitting to produce the Higbee cut. At 4 is shown the finishing die, which is painted black. It is used in connection with the die guide, and after the application of the roughing die. It is for finistiing to size male fittings larger than 3% in. outside diameter. On fittings less than 3 in., the expander shown at 7 should first be used to expand the fitting slightly oversize, the finishing die then being used without first using the roughing die. The self feeding roller expander will enter a 2;% in. diameter hole and expand it to 244 in. The flexible expanding ring gage shown at 1/2 is slipped over the top of the threads on male fittings when using expander THE IRON AGE 433 7 and shows when the fitting has been expanded to proper size for re-threading. The finishing tap 5 is to be used after the rough- ing tap 1 on female couplings and hydrant caps which are undersize. It is painted black. This tool may be used without the roughing tap on 7- and 8-thread fittings which are nearly standard size. At 6 is shown a field inspection square ring gage for use in check- ing male fittings which have been resized, and also for inspecting new fittings. The field inspection plug gage shown at 14 is employed in checking the size of female fittings which have been re-threaded, being used also to inspect new fittings. “No go” plug and ring gages are available for the No. 2 set of tools. The handles furnished with the taps and dies are solid bars of steel which will not bend or break. They can be easily slipped into place after the tool is started on the work and locked with a thumb screw. A ratchet die is said to be unnecessary for use on hydrants near obstructions, as the handle may be slid through the die and operated from one side. The vise is of steel and may be used either in a vertical or horizontal position. Two vises are provided. A hardwood box fitted with handles and padlocks is available. Spot Welders for Production Work A new spot welding machine designated as the type N and intended for continuous service in produc- tion work has been added to the line of the Taylor Welder Co., Warren, Ohio. Three sizes of the ma- chine are available, the smallest being the N2 for welding 30 gage up to two pieces of % in. sheets, and the largest, the N3, for work from 30 gage up to and including two pieces of 3/16 in. material. The ma- chines are available with overhangs from 6 to 30 in. The upper horn, which is adjustable in and out as to length, permitting the use of what is known as goose-neck welding points with one of the regular points, is a feature. The upper and lower horn may also be revolved in either direction to permit of weld- ing in corners and inaccessible places. The lower horn is adjustable up and down, also sidewise in either direction. The N2 machines are equipped with 10 kw. trans- formers, the other sizes having 15 kw. and 20 kw. transformers, respectively. An eight-step self-con- tained regulator is provided for adjusting the current to take care of the lightest work up to the heaviest within the capacity of the machine. The switch is designed so that it cannot close until the electrodes have made contact properly with the work, and adjustment is not required for different thicknesses of work or because of wear of the electrodes. The switch is pro- vided with a lever for changing the trip quickly from automatic to non-automatic. The automatic trip is used for welding work that is buckled, the non-trip position being for wire work and clean sheets where rapid operation is desired. Pressure on the welding electrodes is controlled by hand wheel. In addition to the usual water circulation in the upper and lower electrodes, the machine is provided with a water-cooled transformer. The foot operated machine is equipped with a foot treadle which may be adjusted in or out or swiveled 30 deg. either side to suit the convenience of the operator. The travel of the upper electrode and foot treadle may be varied by means of a lever at the front of the machine. Mechanical stokers sold in July as reported by the Department of Commerce numbered 115 of 37,759 hp., the reports covering 15 establishments. The rating is slightly higher than in June or May, but is not much more than half the 61,000 hp. average of 1923. The figure for July of last year was 52,518 hp. Table published in Tue Iron Ace, Aug. 7, last page, 335, showing furnaces in and out of production as of Aug. 4, listed the Adrian furnace, DuBois, Pa., as not in production. This is an error, as the furnace was, on Aug. 4, and still is making iron. ee ee eee a) AME, a te mata balan - wy we Pe, ap eee net Nee aren ER ger ee ete ~ a ae a t i ; ee ee We Edin a ite OM tba aap e ine Taal chet ee ed ti tl tht a i sats ln I Tg is ih SW scala, a ae ne nee ne net ~ mn nin ctiaaaln tome ee ae ileal Lubrication in the Steel Industry Special Attention Needed for Rolling Mills and All Their Subsidiary Apparatus—Gears and Pinions a Problem— Plate Mills Subject to Unusual Conditions BY ALLEN F. BREWER* NGOTS usually are handled to and from the soaking | pits by means of specially constructed overhead traveling cranes equipped with a nipper grip capable of holding an ingot rigidly and without danger of dropping it. This grip is operated by toggle joints. As this entire part of the mechanism must be lowered into the intense heat of the pit, every time an ingot is to be inserted or removed, it involves one of the most serious heat conditions which the lubricating engineer is called upon to meet. When the nipper takes hold of an ingot ready for rolling, the temperature of the latter is in the neigh- borhood of 2000 deg. Fahr. The toggle mechanisms are naturally subjected to perhaps even higher tem- peratures than this, though they do not have to remain in the pit for any extensive period. Their lubrication is, nevertheless, a most difficult problem. Oftentimes it is met by application of an excess of the cheapest lubricant available—black oil; in other cases, a lighter grade of more adhesive, heat-resisting gear compound is preferred, especially as the temperature involved keeps this product sufficiently liquid to lubricate and yet does not cause it to drip off prematurely. Elsewhere at soaking pits lubrication is confined to necessary bearings, etc., with which the covers are fitted. As heat and operating conditions are akin to those in the open-hearth furnace, black oil and a heavy gear compound generally are used, with perhaps a graphite grease for the hydraulic plungers. Ingot buggy lubrication is a similar proposition, though it involves the added item of wire rope lubri- cation. This can, however, be handled adequately by careful and frequent application of the usual gear lubri- cant at hand. While lubrication of these buggies often may seem to be but a trifling matter as compared with more important equipment, it should never be neglected, for a hot 5-ton ingot is certainly not conducive to the most favorable pressure and temperature conditions. As a result, the bearings and other wearing parts may suffer considerably. Rolling Mills From the viewpoint of lubrication, conditions in the rolling mill are different from those discussed hereto- fore. In fact, lubrication of blooming mill gears, roll necks and steam engine cylinders involves probably more difficulties than any other phase of industrial plant operation. When the ingot has been delivered to the ingot buggy and carried to the approach table of the bloom- ing mill, it is automatically transferred to the rolls of the table. The approach table carries the ingot to the roll table, the latter working in conjunction with the rolls of the blooming mill. This mill consists essen- tially of two or three heavy cast steel rolls, gear- connected to a reversible steam engine or electric motor. The power rating of the driving element must be high, in extreme cases 35,000 to 42,000 hp. being necessary. The finishing mills in turn embody the necessary finishing stages wherein rails, plates, strips and struc- tural shapes are produced. A typical arrangement comprises three stands of rolls, similar to the three-high blooming mill. In such a mill the billet is directed by guides through the proper passes in the first and third stands. It is then elevated automatically and dropped 4 *Mechanical engineer the Texas Co., 17 Battery Place, New York. The article is abstracted from an article in the July issue of Lubrication, which was based on research work in the field. into other guides which direct it back through the second set of rolls. The construction of these guides is unusual and their type of service is severe for, of course, they come in direct contact with the hot metal. To enable the latter to slide easily and rapidly over them, they should be painted with some lubricant which will stick despite the heat, and not gum or dry up. For this purpose a mineral gear compound of from 2000 to 5000 seconds Saybolt at 210 deg. Fahr. has been found effective in many mills. Mill Lubrication The rolling mill, therefore, involves a certain num- ber of rolls, shears, saws, transfer tables, electric cranes and driving units. In their operation, gears, roll neck and journal bearings, steam cylinders and miscellaneous guide and shaft bearings constitute the usual frictional elements. In the blooming mill, for example, the most important parts requirin