The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-04-07
STRAW GRABBING BY THE CONGRESS

STRAW GRABBING BY THE CONGRESS
Nostrums are still being proposed and
used for what ais the country. In facr,
we count that day lost in which no Quack
remedies for national application are III
troduced to the public.
Most of these proposals for saving the
country, for enticing Prosperity around the
corner, and smashing the depression. bob
up In Congress; and there is feveriSh haste
to consider them and enact some of the
worst and most impossible into law.
With the most Impractical and foolish Of
these proposals may be classed the effort
to limit by law the number of days in the
work week and the number of hours to be
worked each day. Enthusiastic dreamers
assure us that this measure will solve the
unemployment problem, at least in large
measure. They propose tive-day week,
with a work day of six hours. Probably
before these ines reach readers of The
Times-News the United States Senate will
enact some such law. 1t is reported that
the measure may have difficulty in getting
the approval of the House; but it is prob
ably too much to expect that common sense
will prevail and the bill get what it de-
serves in that branch Of the national legis-
lature.
With large majority of the cOuntry'S
industries operating less than five days a
week now, and most Of them losing money
i
is somewhat difficult to understand how
they are going to run five days. If the
work week be limited to thirty hours Ii
will be found that many industries are
working less than that number Of hours
already.
Let it be supposed that an industry is
working six days of eight hours at present.
1t is an exceptionally fortunate industry It
it is not losing money. The chances are
that it is losing or not doing better than
breaking even. Cut the work week from
As to 80 hours, for example. That cuts
one-third off the time of its operatives, and
if the industry finds ii necessary to operate
AZ hours per week, that means the en-
ployment of one-third more men, or an in
crease in labor costs Of One-third, provided
the men who are already employed are
not willing to accept a reduction Of one
third in their wages. However, the en-
thusiastic promoters of this plan expect
the employer to pay present wage scales
for two-thirds time and put on one-third
additional men and pay them also, or pay
full force of men for one-third time.
The proposal is entirely impractical, not
to say impossible. 1t is doubtful if any
manufacturer in the country can add at
this time one-third to his labor costs with
out bankrupting his business.
If a plan can be worked out whereby
men now employed will divide time with
the unemployed. the situation may b.
helped; but that would have to be done on
q basis of a division of present wages II
men now employed desire to give part
of their time and wages to men who are
unemployed, there will be few employers
who will refuse to cooperate with them,
although some hardships would necessarily
be imposed on employers by this arrange
ment. but it is absolutely impossible to eX-
meet an employer who is operating at a
loss, or breaking even on his operations, to
undertake to absorb an additional loss
amounting to one-third of his labor costs
An effort to compel manufacturers tc