Evening star., 1932-08-28
FIVE.DAY WEEK APPEARS
PROBABLEFOR THE WORLD
international Labor Office in Geneva
Looks to New Era-Many Countries
Desire Reform.

of capital. The economic phases deal
with production and interchange OF
commodities, tariffs, importation and
expectation, trade barriers, quotas, pro-
ducers' agreements, etc.
Labor-Industry Relations.
A third and vitally important aspect,
however, is the relationship between
labor and industry and involves social
as we'll as economic consequences. Since
the war, time-Saving devices, rationale
zation, maSS-production and other in
novations have changed the face OF in
dustry completely. Machinery, in some
instances, has supplanted at least 50
per cent of the man power needed IN
pre-war industry. Thrown out OF work
these millions of families no longer re-
main consumers, and overproduction-
or underconsumption-i inescapable.
Twelve years ago the International
Labor Off1ce, at its washington con-
ference, sponsored the 48-hour week,
which many countries have adopted as
part of their national labor policy. A
few months ago, at its sixteenth as
sembly, the labor Office raised the ques-
ton of the international 40-hour week
five working days of eight hours each).
Since then" says Signor de Michels,
in the Italian governments communi-
cation, "the crisis has grown worse, and
in spite of the favorable time OF the
year the armies of the unemployed are
rapidly growing. 1t Is impossible to
foretell with any precision the pace at
which their ranks will inevitably in
crease during the coming Autumn and
Winter. 1t is, however, obvious that
the social consequences, which are al
ready serious, will become intolerable."
De Michelis points out that under
the pressure Of the crisis the rediStri-
button of labor upon the different ma
tional markets is affected, to a large
extent, by legislative measures or labor
agreements. This redistribution, now
carried out haphazardly and ineffec-
lively, can only be insured by inter-
national agreement, which, he believes,
would guarantee national industries
against foreign competition, and would
thus, by forming a solution to the
crisis and permanent improvement in
the standard of living, lead to the only
practical result, namely, decrease In
hours of work without a consequential
decrease in the standard living condi-
tions Of the masses.
Problems to Be Covered.
The program which the governing
board Of the labor office will submit to
the World Economic Conference will
cover:
(a) Technical Problems.-Reductio
of the working day, or preferably the
working week; maintenance or increase
Of existing wages.
(b) Problems of Procedure Whether
it is desirable to start with general
measures, or, specifically, with GER
tain industries, or by collective agree
mentS.
Although the United States is not a
member of the International Labor Of
fee, it will participate in the World
Economic Conference, and the findings
of the group summoned to meet in
Washington to discuss the five-day
week question will influence that con-
ference,s decisions. Adoption Of a 40
hour week by American industry would
add impetus to the movement inter-
nationally, since the greatest compe-
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