Evening star., 1932-11-06
Winning War on Hard Times

50 fast that We are sometimes 100 Piolo
to take them as matter Oh course.
Each of these industries not only makes
for the convenience or pleasure OF our
people in general. but AFFORDS addltionai
employment It is hard to realize that
the automobile 80 years ago was little
more than an expensive toy.
Who could have foreseen then that
motor manufacturing not only would
advance to the proportions OF one OF our
ma lor industries in itself, but also would
be the means Of providing livelihood
for millions OF persons in other indus
tries-manufacturing tires, electrical
accessories and filling station equip
ment; building highways, drilling Tor
petroleum?
It would be an interesting problem
in research to analyZe the effect OF new
inventions, even during the last two
decades, in providing employment. De-
velopment of the airplane TO its prS-
ent state of safety and efficiency, Tor
example, is keeping many thousands OF
our people at work II has affected not
only those who are engaged In the
manufacturing and operation OF the
planes themselves. 1t includes also the
thousands who have been employed III
airport construction and the setting up
even many men and women who are
employed in the ticket Offices and res
taurants of airports.
Boys and girls in our colleges can re-
member when electrical refrigeration
in the home was unheard OF. Most
children today have probably never
heard OF air conditioning except IN
theaters. Who would risk a statement
that these youngsters, by the time they
are ready for college, will not expect
their homes and class rooms to be AIR
conditioned" as much matter OF course
as they expect electric lighting today?
1t is not only in the development OF
new industries that We have reason to
be hopeful Que Of the lessons that our
industrialiStS in older fields have
learned is that they too must keep pace
with the times They are constantly
improving their products and looking
to the efficiency of their methods. not
only in manufacturing but also in dis
tributicn Every progressive manufac-
turer is bending his best OnoHt to give
| his customers more for their money
| than ever before Under consumption
OF goods is the principal retarding fac
| tor in the fight to increase pay rolls.
1t will be overcome by increased factory
efficiency. better and more economical
methods of distribution and more in
I tensive research and experimentation
and the purchases of our people based
on our high standards of living. Never
has there been such real endeavor TO
give the consumer what he wants, at
reasonable prices.
1t has oeen noted that one important
feature Of the activities under the direc-
ton Of the B and l. committees IS
the share-tfe-N movement. This
now is of primary importance in its re
lation to the relief Of unemployment. It
is not a five -day-Week movement or an
attempt TO bring about permanent adop-
ton of six-hour working day. Its OBJ
iect is rather that Of providing llVeh-
/ hood to an increased number OF
workers.
Yet an emergency measure such as
| this NAV have a permanently benefl-
! clal effect. 1t is quite possible that IN
! some fields of activity it may result IN
shorter hours of employment. even Wnen
more normal conditions enable the pay
ment of increased wages. 1t is, after
/ all. not so long ago that the usual
! schedule of work in our factories ana
mercantile establishments was as long
as SO hours a week. This already has
been reduced so that in many major
| industries and trades We are operating
on an 8-hour day and As or 48 hour
week
| From a purely humanitarian point OF
view this trend toward shorter work
| hours is desirable But it also Is OF
1 increasing importance in benefiting In
dustries that are to some extent de-
pendent on the leisure hours OF men
and women. How could the motion
picture have become SO important a
| factor in our lives during recent years
! if it had to try to find its audiences
among men and women who had put
| in a 10 or even u hour day in fac
tories? AS We return to more normal
state of affairs, it is inevitable that IN
creased leisure, without curtailed pur-
chasing power. Is going to raise our
standards of living to higher levels than
we have ever known.
American industry is doing its share
/ in the fight the world is waging to
restore prosperity. 1t may be counted
upon, as times improve, not only to
afford a means of livelihood to those
whom it employs. but also to continue
1 to make the world in general, and the
United States in particular, place
where human beings can live richer
| lives in every respect.