Evening star., 1931-12-13
Guaranteeing Workers Jobs

bling the amount which goes into the
| fund. In the event that these re-
| sources are found inadequate the Board
Of Directors will be asked to authorizs
! further payments by the company,
with no increase in contributions by
the employees.
1t is interesting 10 know that this
! program was submitted TO the workers
themselves before adoption OF those
eligible to vote 89.5 per cent cast their
ballots and 81 per cent of these were
in favor of the plan
Beyond question one result of the
depression will be the more general
Use Of staoilization programs, the best
preyentives of unemployment the Ma
tion has yet seen, A notable expo
nent OF this method is an Eastern con-
Germ, Ten years ago lay-offs ran as
nigh as "a per cent. During 1880 they
were 2.5 per cent only slightly more
than in normal year, which averages
2 per cent Sales forecasts, careful
planning, scheduling Of production,
building up inventories in slac. sea-
sons, educating the public against sea
sonal buying, diyersification of prod
uctS, price concessions in off seasons
these are the ingredients Of which this
company's plan is made. And this
plan enables the firm to protect the
jobs OF some 10000 workers.
Guaranteed 4s Weeks of Work.
A similar system Is flnctionine hap
PLY Tor the 10000 employees OF a Gin
clnnau concern, who are guaranteed 4s
weeks OF work every year, and have
peen Tor the last seven years. In pre-
vious slump years, before this plan
was in effect, 1t was necessary TO
close some OF the factories. But in
Is29-3o not one hours time was lost
During this period the company ex-
pended S2OO, 900 to keep the 48 weeks
work schedule in effect--yet this was
saving, compared TO the loss from
stoppageS and replacements which a
shutdown would have made necessary.
SIaoillzatlon not only guaranteed these
eilousafaS OF jobs; IN this case it ac-
Cu9!iy saved money for the company.
because OF this assured security. at
time when others are worried these
employees can continue TO buy houses
and automobiles, groceries and furni-
lure and go normally about the busi-
ness OF living and spending.
In Michigan another system is busiIy
~ work protecting the pay envelopes
OF thousands of workers. LOAD I'm
Inc plant. Full speed on production'E
that was the order which put the fac
tories on a 24-hour-a- day operating
schedule, with four shifts of hours
eacn. There are no stops for lunch
ana the cafeteria, which had operated
at loss, is closed. thus saving a con-
SIDERABLE sum. No cuts have been
maze In hourly wages and in some in
creased. IA
Of all the many various forces which
are helping 10 stabilize employnnent
Ideas, perhaps. are the most imnortant
Never before has there been q greater
need Tor constructive thinking and
productive ideas.
Such an Idea was recently put into
spIehoia effect by the president of a
1000 procucts company, and it came at
Time When II was most needed De-
spite all efforts, sales and profits had
laI!en on IN 1880. II looked as though
some trimming would have TO be done
the pay roll cut. workers thrown out
OF jobs, others put on short shifts and
reduced wages. 1t was a gloomy out
iook, Something must be done
Tne president studied his products
as ne hao never studied them before
ne surveyed the market. his competi-
tofs wares, the changing buying mood
OF the pubic. And at last he concluded
that the one thing that would meet
the need was a new product. Not lust
another item to add TO his line. but an
entirely different kind of food that
would create its own market.
Has Increased Force.
Eventually he created such a product
ano put II on the market. No need
70 quote sales figures, although they
scared; measured by the yardstick Of
guaranteed employment and lob conf
dence, 1t was striking success since
January he has increased the number
OF his employees by 33 per cent.
Here, also, is demonstrated the wild
enlng influence of really productive
lnea. For this new product required
new type Of machine, and machin-
cry manufacturers have been working
DAY and night to keep up with their
orders. Makers of cartons for the new
product, photographers, printers and
othehs have been able to safeguard the
jobs OF their workers.
Like murder or scandal depression
and unemployment have in them the
sensational elements which make them
news. We hear about them constantly
ana have lived with them more than
two years now
No one would wish TO minimize their
Importance; no one would wish to avoid
doing his share toward rehabilitating
the unemployed. Still, it is a grateful
thing to know that business, In many
cases, Is determinedly and courageously
carrying on; that nearly $4,000 900 of
us are at work, that we have s28 000,-
600, 900 In the banks, and that, more
and more, our Jobs are being made
safe.