14

THE FIVE-DAY WEEK

for the increase, the decrease and the maintenance of production.
 Actually, the five-day week has probably had no
effect in some cases, while in other instances, by acting as a
stimulus to both management and employees to ensure its
continuance, it has indirectly been the cause of effecting
economies and improvements that might just as well have
been discovered and made effective earlier. In such cases the
five-day week schedule has become the beneficiary of efforts
that might as well have been inspired by another cause.
OreraTING EcoNoMmiEs
It is somewhat difficult to distinguish between effect upon
production and effect upon operating economies resulting
from the adoption of the five-day week, since the two are
closely linked. However, there are certain obvious possibilities
 for economy that are not directly connected with any
change in production.
The saving from the shorter weekly working schedule most
frequently mentioned was reported by plants operating their
own steam power plants. While no quantitative savings in
fuel were given, the statement was repeatedly made that
banking the fires on Friday night without the need of bringing
 them up on Saturday morning had effected an appreciable
saving in coal consumption each week. This was particularly
marked in the winter months, when heat as well as power was
furnished. Almost equal emphasis was given to the advantage
 of devoting full Saturdays to maintenance and repair
work. The value of this uninterrupted period for a general
tuning-up of equipment is being felt with increasing force, if
one may judge from the reports received. While it had been
the general practice in many plants to make periodic, usually
weekly, inspections and repair of apparatus and plant on
Sundays or Saturday afternoons, this work had often necessarily
 to be performed under difficulties that rendered it next
to impossible to make any but the most obviously necessary
repairs. But when this maintenance work could be performed
 without pressure, it was found that adjustments
could be made and incipient troubles detected and corrected
before they reached an advanced stage, with the result that
stoppage of production due to mechanical failure during the