The Washington times., 1935-11-30
.SIX-H0UR DAY?
inefficient,
SAYSHANEY
BY LEWIS HANEY
professor Of Economics, New York
University

professor Of Economics, New York
University
A Detroit reader wants to know
why the factories could not em.
ploy more men working six hours
q Gay
The answer is that for while
they could, but that it would ruin
the country and soon reduce en-
ployment for all. This is true be-
cause it would increase the cost
" production and thus force prices
up. The result would be that con-
sulners could not buy so much
and the volume of production
would have to be reduced.
Even if wages per hour were not
raised, the employers expenses
would be increased. Factory oper-
ating schedules would have to be
altered, and this would reduce ef-
ficiency. Less efficient laborers
also would have to be taken on.
But the idea of this reader, and
laborers in general, is that wages
per hour would actually be in
creased. They want the same pay
per day for less work.
Some factories could employ
more laborers on a Six-hour day
If wage rates were reduced, but
nobody wants that.
The plain fact is that it is cheap
est to produce with maximum ef-
ficiency so as to get the largest
net earnings, and then give tenn
porary doleS to those in need with
out mixing relief" with business.
This is also the quickest way to
get a sustained expansion in busi-
ness so that all can find really
productive employment.
One of the greatest evils of the
scheme of payirS so-called wages
that are not justified by what
laborers produce is Illustrated by
the present WPA mess. If fac
tories were forced to pay high
wages for short hours, it would
come to the same thing. This evil
Is the right to work" idea.
HIS LuCd 10 q OOS1d11oO VI NOhA-
munist slogan which is thoroughly
illogical. Nobody has any right
to work" except as he can pro
duce something which consumers
are able and willing to pay for.
And then his wage must depend
upon what the product sells for,
making due allowance for costs
other than labor.
How the thing works out is
illustrated by a handbill I have
received from Rochester, N. Y. It
announces that STRIKE IS ON
COME OFF JOBS NOW-PRE-
VAILING WAGE AT STAKE
DON'T BE MISLED BY PWA
OFFICIALS" This is signed by
Rank and File Relief Workers,
Central Trades, and Building
Trades.
This Rank and File Relief
Workers has .Communistic connec-
tions. understand that its
leader "a Leonard Costa) was a
candidate for public office on the
Communist ticket in the Novem-
ber S election.
These people called a strike to
compel the Government to pay
them regular wages without re-
gard to what they were doing.
This is contrary to all economic
principles. 1t represents one Of
the worst parts Of Socialist doc
trine.
Incidentally, I note that they
are affiliated with certain unions
which are members of the A. F.
Of L. It is high time that Mr..
Green followed up his talk against
the Reds with action.
This Detroit reader attacks the
profits being made by Ford and
others. In this connection, two
points should be noted. Cd The
profits system is the only way to
insure economically productive
employment, and prevent political
boondoggling. (2) It is necessary
to let some companies make rela-
lively large profits, because they
are more efficient than competi-
tors. A good many automobile
manufacturers have not been
making any profits.
Anyhow, the large profits are
very heavily taxed, and big part
goes to the Government.
-
Again, he argues that he paid
more for cigarettes in Hoover's
day than now. Maybe he did. out
if so it wasn't because of taxes.
The price could be cut in half now
II it were not for heavy taxes
He also argues that wages nave
been raised since 1888 as an offset
to higher living costs. But his own
figures show that food has gone
up much faster than wages.
At that, he mentions only wage
raises made by Ford! (And then
he turns around and attacks Ford
for not employing more menD