New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-28
Manufacturers Commit
tee to Recommend, Use
of More Men Less Hours
at the Same Labor Cost
Will Ask Factories
To Adopt Program
Steel Mems Plea for Cut
Wages Opposed; City
Projects Held Necessary
rror, tht Trihune's W,oshinaton Rnreau

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.--The man
ufacturers' committee OF President
Bsrdiag's unemployment conference.
sharged with devising emergency
means for relieving unemployment, to-
morrow will recommend these meas
ures:
Putting of two shifts of men to
work in factories where only one is
now employed.
Reducing the number Of hours in
] . mans working day.
Reducing the length Of the working
! week.
} The Tribune learns authoritatively
! that the committee, which will not
make public the details of its conclu-
sions until tomorrow, will appeal
J limmedistely to manufacturers through
cut the country to assist in solving the
unemployment problem by the adoption
sof these measures. Other suggestions
kwil1 be brought our by the committee
Jas the conferences here progress.
/ These proposed measures for "stag-
,gered employment"-the use of more
linen fewer hours at the same labor
cost to do a given amount of work
constitute the frs. recommendation to
be developed at the meeting.
Public Hearings Opened
The second day of the conference
vas devoted to public hearings in the
morning and meetings of sub commit
tees in the afternoon. The public hear
employment, and the first witness ex-
smined was Russell F. Phelps, director
Of statistics from the Department of
Labor of the state of Massachusetts.
In the manufacturers committee, of
which Charles NJ. Schwab, Samuel
Gopipers and other men prominent in
,ndustrlal circles are members, there
was some evidence of a difference of
winion in the days discussions. The
zen representing the iron and steel
fade are said to have suggested gen
'ral wage reductions as the best
nethod OF combating the situation.
os.ef snssnhe IS sof thes committee in
sisted that the unemployment situa-
ton was due in the main to the gen
sral Ineffic ency in selling which pre-
fat.o WI ObShOQI tlc COunjEN. w e
sAouid sell now and sell cheaply," said
one merchant who is we'll known to
The country. There was no meeting of
sae minds of the members in regard
% such program, however, and a ma
lorlty Endorsement was not to be
found
Sees Real Issues Evaded
1t was felt by the members OF the
e0Un1ttna fnuf .-c
should be determined upon to-day as
an evidence of good faith. 1t is under
stood here that many members of the
committee are frankly dubious con-
eerning the practicabiity and the
Utility of the measures to be recon-
mended, and feel that the country at
large will not greet them with en-
ausiasm. To-day's session was de-
scrIbed by one committee member as
one wherein the members for the most
part evaded the real issues and took
refuge in platitudes and observations,
hone Of which contributed toward a
soution of the problem. The commit
zee is to continue its meetings.
another important committee which
met to-day was that on emergency
ssaSe and municipal measures and pub
II works. Mayor Andrew j. Peters OF
sposIon was CHOSEN chairman. Fd~ar
= olark, former chairman of the Rail
way Labor Board, was named chairman
The committee on emergency meas
usss in transportation.
The first named committee took up
plans 70 obtain figures from the De-
pitment of Agriculture concerning the
'mount CT road work and other state
sad municipal work which remains to
se accomplished throughout the coun-
ay. Former Police Commissioner Ar
lar Woods, Of New York City, mem
osf cf the commission on municipal
aeasures, advocated employment of
.ss. numbers of men on municipal
sl0lects. Mayor Peters outlined the
swt0gfess being made in Boston and in
Asssachusetts in this direction.
employment Service Up To-day
.ilos-morrow's session will deal with
ssOc employment service. in public
sassfing at which DIR. John ]. Jack
~ lcrmer Commissioner of Labor of
~e State of Pennsylvania, will speak
tcontnucd on pses thrse)