"MUST BE EARNED"

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 22, 27 January 1938, Page 10

"MUST BE EARNED"

THE 40-HOUR WEEK

MANUFACTURERS'VIEWS

. The -New Zealand ■Manufacturers' Federation heartily concurs in ■ the views expressed by Mr. CM. Bowden in an article on the forty-hour week published in "The Post" yesterday. He has pointed out very, plainly,, says a ■statement by-the federation, that if tne standard of living is not to be reduced, a country wanting a forty-hour week must earn it. -

This is just ordinary common sense. It is national production that sets the limit for what can be distributed in wages, and rio amount of talk or theory will change the real position. This was fully realised by the Labour delegation at: the National Industrial Conference of 1928, when it stated as one of the objects, "to increase national wealth, and provide for a steadily rising standard of social life." The national income is a heap of goods and services. . If the heap grows smaller the standard of living drops.

Social legislation is an excellent thing provided that industry can earn the money to pay to the workers the higher wages and to provide the better conditions granted by such legislation. The most that can be said is that wages and • conditions should be fixed at the highest point consistent with avoiding unemployment. If service costs are pushed' higher than industry's ability to payf unemployment will certainly follow. It has followed the recent legislation in certain industries, because imports .from low-wage countries came "pouring iiito. New Zealand, and put the New Zealander out of work.

Under the 40-hour week both employers an"d workers must do their share. The employers must continue to aim at greater efficiency, and the workers must endeavour to increase man-output.

Provided the employer and employees co-operate and do their part, they are entitled to demand from the Government protection against the lower wage, longer working, countries, and the Government has, in. such a case, no excuse if it does not protect them.

The question all Who are concerned must consider is: Do we want a 40----hour week to be a benefit, or do we want it' to • put ■us out^ofa job?—lf we want it to .be a benefit master and man must co-operate, each giving his maximum output of forethought and physical effort, whilst the community in general will be wise indeed to recall that greater benefits relate to greater purchasing powers.