Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-08-21
BY ALBIN Z. JOHNSON.


7 countries, of a four -andhalf
~ or five-day week, based upon
eight working hours per day,
with abolition of overtime" as a
means of overcoming unemployment, Is
an idea which is gaining ground with
startling rapidity all over Europe these
days. From strictly national question
between workers and employers in vari-
Gus countries, the working hours reform
has become an international issue Of
considerable Importance.
In almost every circle-induStrial
governmental, economic, social and po-
litical-reduction of working hours is
being recognized as imperative in COM
batting the growing unemployment
menace. The pre-war system has
broken down before postwar rational
ization and decentralization of mod
ern industry. Furthermore, it is ad-
mitted that unemployment today is by
no means entirely the result of the de
preston"
May Be Chronic Issue.
While the economic and financial as
poets Of the present depression will be
temporary, the consensus Of most econ
omistS and labor authorities is that I'M
many countries until the industrial sys-
tenn is reorganized. If attempts are
made to perpetuate the existing rela-
tionship between workers and employ
ers the United States (for the first
time), Great Britain, Germany, Bel
GUM, Italy, France, Poland and other
lndustrialized countries will have to
cope with a social group known as the
permanently unemployed" economists
declare
Could an international agreement be
reached there are at least a half-dozen
governments which would put into
effect Immediately a four-and-half or
five-day week. In Italy England and
Germany scientific studies are being
made to determine the actual effect of
such reforms. Where these INQUIRIES
have been completed they point to GER
tain alienation of unemployment and
the depression. Although it is consid-
cred as Instantaneous for any one
country to successfully compete for world
traoe with neighboring states which are
not on the same basis, some countries
Czechoslovakia, Germany. Austria and
Italy-nevertheless have adopted short
er working days with gratifying results.
British Mine Situation.
In Great Britain. perhaps more than
In any other country, the necessity of
working-hours reform is realized. Eng
lands greatest industry, coal mining.
Is completely disorganized because in
the past the workers and EMPLOYERS
have failed to get together on the in
PRODUCTION OF labor-saving machinery
and reduction Of hours of work. The
miners, fearing unemployment and
loss OF political power through decrease
In their numbers, insisted upon man
power over machines, with the result
that now British coal cannot compete
IN the worlds markets unless the cost
OF Professionalism means wages
largely-is reduced to the starvation
point.
In another key industry, engineer
ing, % per cent Of workers are I'M
employed. Reduction of wages has
failed to bring improvement and fur
ther cuts, according to w. H. Hutch
inson, president of the engineers or
ganization, will be suicidal. Careful
studies, on the other hand, indicate
that with the introduction of a 40
hour week Give eight-hour days. en-
plOyment would be available for every
idle engineering worker.
Br1ta1n'S unemployment-and eco
nomic-Situation continues critical de-
spite heroic. and in some cases dan
gerouS, financial and social innova-
lions by the national government. Ac-
cordtng to George Lansbury, leader of
the parliamentary opposition, unem-
ployment increased by nearly 100000
during May and June and the real
number of unemployed now exceeds
three million. The official Labor min
eff
OF whom are in receipt Of insurance
benefits or transitional payments from
the public treasury. Although reduced
by 10 per cent, "doles" still cost the
taxpayer around $500, 100000 annually.
Public Works insufficient.
Public works, instituted as a relief
measure, have not proved a remedy
for unemployment, according to Sir
Henry Betterton, minister of labor.
The number Of workers thus absorbed
has been infinitesimal, ne says, despite
the fact that the government has eX-
pended 1895, 100000, and local au--
thorities have increased their indebted
ness another s2,500,000,000 on such
construction since the war.
Germany is tackling the problem of
reducing hours scientifically. Follow
ing the governments recent emergency
decree which authorized a 40-hour
week In certain industries (mines, salt
works, breweries and malt works;
stone, chemical, paper, printing and
building industries) an intensive in
quiry was started by DR.. Jacoby, Ber-
lin court official. Statistics of 1925
were taken as normal for comparison
with the situation in March, 1882.
There are now 2,452,935 "occupa-
tional workers" employed on full time,
DR.. Jacoby finds. BY reducing their
hours from 48 to 40 per week the in
dustries concerned would need 100000
more workers, thereby increasing their
wage earners by 20 per cent Shorten
ing of the working week on railways,
public administrative departments and
the building trades, which now employ
928 900 workers on full time, would put
approximately another 100000 men at
work.
German Labor Market.
The report concludes that the greater
the improvement in the general eco
nomic situation becomes, the greater
will be the benefit derived from 40
hour week. Congestion of the German
labor market is phenomenon which
will not pass with the depression. Be
cause Of the extent to which rationale
zation and mass production are prac-
ticed in Germany radical reforms will
be necessary to correct existing condi-
tions, it is held
An idea of the problem can be gained
from official statistics which show that
increased output in Ger
many between 1925 and 1928 from 16
per cent to 100 per cent per man. In
coal mines it increased production "a
per cent. Training of workers has in
creased their output from q per cent
to 200 per cent, according to the in
dustry; chain work has boosted pro-
duction per man from 40 per cent to
EGO per cent.
Britains plight, in the coal mining
is more easily understood
when one considers the strides made
by continental countries. Hollands coal
output increased 54Ha per cent and
Belgium's 16 per cent while Germany
was making the aforementioned prog
ress
I'm the othor hand ~, ErU1o~l