Evening star., 1932-10-23
BY ALBIN E. JOHNSON.

\ ADRID-When the Governing
nN Board of the international
wv Labor Office meets here to-
4 i morrow to review the world S
unemployment situation ano
formulate program for reduction OF
hours to be presented to the coming
London economic parley and the 1888
International Labor Conference at Ga-
eva, it will find that more than dozen
countries. including the United States,
now recognize that Unemployment can
no longer be regarded merely as an II
feet Of the economic depression, out
rather as one OF the causes VII cl aggrd-
vate it.
Since the movement for shorten ns
working hOurS-b0th as means OF IN
creasng employment and remedylng
the diSeQuilibrium which exists between
production and consumption was
launched some 10 months ago it has
made great progress. Governments,
economists. employers and laborites now
are following an entirely different rea-
soning from that which formerly mott
waited their efforts in respect to regula-
ton of workers hours. In 1919, when
the international 48-hour week treaty
was drawn up at Washington, the ques-
tion of shorter hours was admittedly a
social reform problem. The main argu-
ment was that such an innovation
would improve the status of workers by
safeguarding their health and giving
them more leisure. Likewise, their cul-
tural and living standards would be
raised Today, with machinery and
naturalization constantly boosting pro-
duction. and with consumption of goods,
which already was sufficient before the
depression started two years ago. stead
lily decreasing it is believed the only
effective means of restoring an eco
nomic equilibrium lies in slowing down
or Stabilizing production while at the
same time increasing the purchasing
power of the millions of potential con-
sumers-the 35000,000 unemployed.
Expect Relief in Spring.
1t is generally conceded, among rep
resentatives of governments, workers
and employers. who are meeting here
for the governing boards siXtieth ses-
sion. that the backbone of the depres-
sion will be broken next Spring. Ohclal
reports reveal, however, that unemploy-
ment is now far worse than it was at
this time year ago Some 20 countries
showed seasonal improvements during
the past Summer, but in Great Britain
Germany, Italy, Holland, Czechoslovakla
and the United States anywhere from
one-fifth to one-third Of the workers
are idle.
AS far back as last January, long be-
fore the Italian government ofhclally
took the initiative and requested the
international labor Office to explore the
possibility" of a reduction OF working
hours. through international action, the
Governing Board had by close vote
of Is to 10, adopted the following reso-
luton:
With a view to redistributing en-
ployment among as large number oi
workers as possible, while at the same
time preserving the satisfactory work
ing of the establishment and maintain-
ing the individual earnings Of the work
ers at an adequate level, it appears that
under the conditions of the present
crisis the best possible results have been
obtained by reducing the weekly work
ing period to figure approxlmating &C
hours, distributed over the week by diff
ferent methods, but preferably dis.
tributed equally over five days where
the technical conditions allow"
Resolution Adopted.
Then, in May. at its annual assembly
the Labor Conference, by 48 votes te
81. adopted the Jouhaux (France) reso-
luton urging the early establishment
in all industrial countries of the A
hour week"
Last month M de Michelis 1talian)
proposed a tripartile conference OF
government, employers and workers
delegates to be held in Geneva in Janu
ary. 1893, for the discussion of tht
technical problems which might artist
through the establishment of an eight
hour flve-day week. The Governing