Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-06
IRREGULAR WAGES
HELD WEAKEST LINK
INECONOM|CFA BR|C
Gerard Swope, General EIeC-
trio Head, Says Steady
Work Is Depression Cure.
INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER
HEARS PLEA FOR PEACE
Steel Cartel President Advocates
New Living Cost Scale-Free
Trade Policy Is Discussed.

Regularized employment, pay that
is governed by living costs and con-
fidence in peace among nations To-Day
were held out to business men from
MANY lands as the aims which must be
followed to rescue the world from de-
preston.
In succession leaders from this and
European countries presented tnelr
arguments before the international
Chamber of Commerce in behalf OF the
measures which they see necessary Tor
the permanent betterment OF the lis
which universally affect their LANDS.
Hitting at irregular employment as
~trasic and demoralizing, Gerard Swope
Of New York, president Of the General
Electric Co., said that this weak INK
in the economic fabric must be
strengthened
Aloyse Meyer Of Luxembourg. president
~ the F,uropean Steel Cartel calIeo
for real" pay. governed by nVlng cosS,
-,atber than "nomlna1' pay which DOES
not take into account the standard OF
living.
Makes Plea for Peace.
THE nlea for maintenance Of peace
and for the upbuilding OF peace sentl-
,nent came from OSkar Sempen OF 6eI-
lin, industrialist, and Sir arthur oalIeL,
-,--tii racentlv director of the economic
and financial section Of the League OF
Nations secretariat, on whose behalI IN
his absence a paper he had prepared
was presented to the congress.
problems in production discussed py
eeunell who defended the German IN
dustrialization program, also formed Ine
theme of wallace B. Donhan, dean OF
the Graduate School Of Business Al
ninistration Of Harvard University;
In taking I'D the question OF employ
1nent Swope said: 1T Is only compata-
lively recently that management mas
recognized the responsibility OF coLs.u1
erine Ia addition TO the fundamental
~ an ade0llate wage. hours OF labor
and Conditions Of work, that there are
other considerations also, such as con-
finuity and Repatriation OF employ.
Inent THE desirability OF continuity Oh
ennnlovment was recognized some years
ago by the introduction OF pension plans
for the retirement OF superannuateo
employees, life insurance, etc. Inc odsS
for the introduction Of such plans mas
that way reduce costs.
TT is only recently that industry mas
bagun to consider other aspects OF tnlS
problem. Never before in economic
crises has there been such an awakened
ci,yic consciousness, not only from the
standpoint of the community, out alSo
industry, in the recognition OF TINS
responsibility, which makes one nope
full that as a result OF all this tnougnt
and experiment, better metnooS OF
study, analyses and approach, anu
finally. the solution OF TINS serious ploo-
lem will be found.
Mr. Never told the congress that the
general tendency may and should pc
directed toward high. real pay ne
added however. conditions IN european
countries differ from those IN the
United States, and to introduce the
American system of high wages IN most
of them would be IAN extremely GAN
gerous undertaking.
Say Limit Reached Here.
Never agreed with the report OF Gino
Ollvetti, Italian delegate, that the hnlt
~ ,ioh vaoes has been exceeded in the
United States and that this explains
the attempt on the part OF lnaustrial
interests to obtain an increase IN Gus
toms duty"
Citing the cases of England ana Ger
MANY since the war, Meyer said their
policy Of high wages although in mlti-
gated form compared with those IN
America has not given satisfactory re-
without pretending that their DE-
preston Is the exclusive result o. mgr
wages" he said, "nevertneless ~ can an
not be denied that they have been I'M
r1ortant contributing factors.
He blamed part Of Great Britain
troubles on the fact that while she has
free trade the cost of living and wages
are high, and added: Free trade ano
Inv cost of living must go side by sioe
one without the other leads 70 ols.
turbance in the economic equilibrium.
Great Britain, he said, had been con
sdering abandonment OF ner Iree kIaae
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