Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 1941. WORK AND THE WAR.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 June 1941, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 1941. WORK AND THE WAR.

(J( INTENTION in general terms over the forty hour week is engaging' a good deal of attention at present, hut much of it seems to be serving no other purpose than to provoke and intensify angry and bitter feelings. The remedy, no doubt, is to get down to a frank examination of realities and Io act upon the results of that examination. Al a time when the Dominion, as casually lists appearing from day to day bear witness, is purchasing continued freedom ami security at the cost ok death, injury or captivity to the pick ol its manhood, it is certainly not unreasonable that any individual or section ol the community remaining at home should be asked to make sacrifices. The position will not be met and dealt with by talking in generalities, however, but rather by determining in what particulars increased productive efforts may be made, in the first' place in furtherance of the war effort and in (he second place in making good shortages of useful and desirable goods aild services. Virtually all of us, presumably, arc agreed that in the existing conditions of stress ami emergency a maximum elfort is demanded of all who are in a position to make an added contribution either to the prosecution of the war or to the satisfaction. of legitimate community needs. There are industries in which the forty hour week has been set aside lor the time being and in. some instances a shift system has been instituted in order that the fullest possible use may be made of available plant. There is everything io be said for building to the greatest practicable extent on what has been done in this way, but the basis of effective advocacy ami action evidently must be a visible opportunity of adding to war production or to production which stands only second to that in importance and real value 1o Ihe community. Plenty of scope undoubtedly exists for increasing various kinds of production in furtherance of the prosecution of the war and in minimising the effects of the war on national economy, but the right course to pursue seems to be to open up additional branches of production and to make to that end all necessary and legitimate calls upon labour and upon other resources. Apart from Hie fact that the forty hour week has already been departed from to some extent in this country, it would be preposterous to attempt to defend it as a war time standard in any instance in which the opportunity appeal's for a useful and desirable expansion of production. As showing that we have a margin to work upon where average hours of labour are concerned it should be sufficient to compare our current practice with that of Britain, where if was recommended recently by a select committee that the hours of munition workers should be reduced as soon as possible to an average of sixty a week, with the aim of a further reduction to 55 or 56, which experience had shown to be the optimum standard. An increase in working hours where it is warranted will best be recommended, however, by showing in explicit terms where production might be and ought to be increased.