Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-04
More Workers to Have
Vacations Than Ever
ny HARDEN CoLFAx.

More workers In the United States
will receive vacations with pay In 1880
than ever before. This applies TO the
men and women In industrial jobs as
well as those in the "whits collar"
positions A very decisive trend IN
this direction has made itself apparent
in recent years, according to Govern
ment of1lcials. -t .-e
1.-THE increase in the number Of en-
ployers allowing vacations with pay
would seem to indicate there Is Q IA
vorable effect on the morale and stability
of the labor sources" said Ethelbert
Stewart, commissioner OF labor stats
ties, the other day.
It Is this improvement In morale,
along with other factors, which Is In
fluencing employers. They are not en-
tirely altruistic in granting vacations
with pay. They are coming to view the
matter from q broader standpoint.
It Is now acknowledged pretty gener-
ally that the best customers o producer
can have are his own workmen. En-
ployers feel that vacations insure In
creased efficiency and In consequence
larger profits, an improvement in good
will and loyalty and q better mental
vacation policy unquestionably has cut
down labor turnover, which still costs
American industries billions Of dollars
a year.
It Is estimated also that III health
which might be prevented costs the Ma
ton $4,000, 900 annually.
Employers have come TO believe that
vacations give q needed rest period
and are beneficial to the health OF the
workers.
Failure to provide vacations, they say,
results in absence Of workers for q day
or 50 at a time throughout the year,
with a consequent loss Of production
which more than counterbalances the
salary paid during the vacation period.
Mr.. Stewart points out that the cost
Of vacations, either to employers or
employees, cannot be figured accurately
in dollars and cents because OF the
many factors that enter into the stu
alton. Sometimes the vacations with
pay do not cost the employers any
thing, since they spread out the work
among those who are left. This Is not
always possible, and the added labor
provided during the slack periods OF
the Summer season has decidedly
beneficial effect on the communities
uation.
II Is not possible to estimate this
early in the season Just how many
workers will be given vacations this
year, but at least 100000 public en-
ployes are sure of them, and It Is es-
timated by labor officials that an equal
number Of overall" workers will have
time of with pay. Vacation expense
to the workers. according to the De-
partment of Labor, will probably exceed
their normal expenditures, as many
spend considerable sums on trips or IN
ton. The extent Of the vacation period
usually varies with the length Of service
of the employees.
In some foreign countries legislation
has been passed providing for paid va
cations, and in others agreements ar
rived at by collective bargaining be-
tween employers and labor organtza-
tions provide for such rest periods.
The money spent on vacations flows
freely through the arteries of commerce
and trade and Is beneficial to business
men in practically every line. DR..
Julius Klein, Assistant Secretary Of
viii spend IS, ooo, 900 900 20" this year on
vacations. Last year the American
people spent more than $500. 100000 In
foreign travel. This year the amount
going to other countries will be less, it
Is estimated, but the sum spent in the
United States and Canada will be
larger. At the Summer resorts, stat
isticians estimate that between 30,000.-
900 and 100000 Americans will be
for periods longer than
one day, arl they will spend at the
average of $40 per person per day.
~ this obviously has o profound