FORTY HOUR WEEK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 June 1939, Page 8

FORTY HOUR WEEK

PREMIER SAYS IT WILL NOT GO. NEED OF BALANCED ECONOMY. "The forty-hour week will not go.” This emphatic declaration was made by the Prime Minister (the Rt Hon M. J. Savage) when commenting on a statement made by Mr M. G. C. Me >' Caul, of Wellington, that “if we wish to 'save out’ standard of living we must sacrifice the forty-hour week,” reports the “Standard.” The problem facing the ' Dominion, said Mr Savage, was an external one. Governments in the past had balanced the London trade position by borrowing. He ad always thought that was a curious way of doing it, and predicted that a time would arrive when it would not be’ possible to borrow in London for that purpose. Su(sh a position had been inherited by the present Government, and it had to do something to keep the manu • facturers going and also to be able to pay the money that was due overseas. To bring that about it was necessary tc transform the economy of New Zealand from a primary producing basis to a better balanced position. The Government was doing now what should have been dene twenty years ago. RELAXATION URGED. VIEW OF NATIONAL PARTY LEADER. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, June 14. “It is nearly three weeks ■ since I made a suggestion that the Government should consider slightly increasing hours as a temporary measure in industries where the public demandcould not be satisfied by the retention of the forty-hour week,” said the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Hamilton, today. "I mentioned the building industry as an example in which my suggestion was worthy of consideration, since community hardship is acute because housing demands so greatly exceed the supply. “At the time the Government did not concede any virtue in my suggestion, but I notice that this month the Minister of Labour, Mr Webb, indicates lhat he agrees with the principle underlying my appeal. Mr Webb said: ’There might come a time when the Government might ask the workers to work longer hours to produce thethings we need. I would be the first tc come out in support of such a proposal.’ “Today the Government is callin'' for more production ” continued Mr Hamilton, “but it is not allowing the people to use methods by which more production can bo brought about. Tnc forty-hour week whs not a now thing, aiuh even today, all union workers de net enjoy it apart altogether from farm workers. Like many other things, it can be done to death, and it tends tc lose its virtue as it becomes overdone. “It is extremely important to review this subject in its proper perspective. [' is the Government’s duty to review, it.”