Evening star., 1924-06-21
COMPETITION MORE
KEEN FROM ABROAD
Manufacturer in u. S. Anxious to
Get Greater Results From
Eight. Workday.
ALSO SEEK HIGHER TARIFF
Any Marked Wage Reductions at
Present Are Called Unlikely.
BY j. C.. ROYLE.

|
Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, June 21.-Manufac-
turers are yelling frantically in ia.
vor of the eight-hour day. They dc
not advocate, in some cases, the mere
employment of workers eight hours
in twentyfour instead of nine, ten
or twelve. What they want is to get
workers to work eight hours. Fac
tory heads claim there are few indus
tries in which this is actually done.
Economists. bankers and producers
have maintained strenuously that
real prosperity for the manufacturers
of the United States depended on the
recovery of European and other for
eign nations from their postwar de-
preston. Now they contend that in
many lines Great Britain, at least,
has staged partial recovery. AS a
result the English manufacturers and
producers are making it exceedingly
warm for their American compet-
itors. The cause. it is claimed, is that
the British and European workers
really work at least eight hours
Higher Tariffs Sought.
In the last week there have been a
score Of complaints arising from va
rious industries demanding addi-
tional tariff protection. Among these
are the cotton and wooden manufac-
turers, the producers and dealers in
vegetable oils, onion growers steel
makers. the leather industry, paper
and half dozen others. These are
demanding that the tariff commission
examine into the cost of producing
such goods abroad as compared with
their cost in the United States and
fix a tariff under the flexible provi-
sions Of the present law which will
enable the American manufacturers
to compete and still retain the
american standard of living for
workers.
Rap~ "Standard of working
One manufacturer who is more out
spoken than his associates declares
that il is not the American standard
OF living which is responsible for the
high production costs which now are
troubling distributors in this coun-
wort vr4 put the us American standard sn Of
Americans work eight hours, al
though their pay may be based on
that hourly schedule. In conirma-
tion he points to one big manufac-
turer who has cut his office force
and factory force to five-day-a-
week basis and who still is produc-
ing nearly as many goods as on
six day basis.
Economists. factory managers and
even bankers take the viewpoint that
1T is extremely unlikely that wage
reductions can be put into effect or
that 1T would be advisable to try to
make such a move. Labor leaders
including international presidents of
basic trades, have given warning that
IT must not be tried. and have done
so In unmistakable terms.
Wage Changes Unlikely.
New England textile plants admit
tedly are in difficult situation. Yet
even the most hard boiled" of the
factory superintendents there assert
that general wage reductions are un-
likely. in view of the decision voiced
by the head of the American Wooden
Company not to alter wage scales at
the present time. Movement of la
borers from the New England farms
to the cities is manifestly exerting a
pressure for lower wages in that sec
ton, but attempts at horizontal wage
cuts have been met so persistently
by strikes or threats of strike that
manufacturers are determined to
reach the same objective by rear
ranging and reclassifying work in
order to get more done in less time
by the same number of workers.
1t is unlikely that the tariff COM
mission will recommend any changes
at present.