The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-04-08
TEXTILE MEN
SEEK 9-HOUR
WEEK FOR ALL
Secret Maneuvering Begun
With Japanese Leaders
for Basic Hours
BY CYRUS L. SULZBERGER
(Copyrisht 1887 by United PresD

Copyright 1887 by United PresS)
WASHINGTON, April s. CUP
4 series Of acknowledgements ma
ncuvcringS was begun last night
10 induce the Japanese govern
mcnt to support an accord for Il
world wide MIRA i'm the teNtil" IN.
duStry based upon international
agreement TO establish a 4O-holT
week for lI.000.OO0 mill workers.
Secret conversations were iui-
tiatcd by government delegates to
the international textile confer
cncc of 81 nations shortly after
the official representative OF ia
pan, JuitSu kitaOSa, had given
yelled indication of how SUCH sup
port could be won.
However. it was strongly indI-
Gated that no concrete develop
mentS would take place before the
meeting Of the international la
Dor office in June at Geneva,
Switzerland. Private talks be-
tween Japanese diplomats and
Spokesman for the American and
British governments are looked
To for an understanding on the
question before the June confer
cncc places the issue on the Ia
bic for a vote.
At present there Is no mdlca-
tiOu whether Japan can be swung
into line with the United States,
France. Belgium and Mexico ia
favor of the short week. However,
KitaOka limited Japan'S readiness
To improve workers conditions II
IL can obtain Il lowering of inter
national trade barriers. he said:
without committing my gov
crnmcnt To definite promise, |
may state that n way Is before
us to establish some concrete
practical relations between the
liberalization Of trade and the
raising Of working conditions.
IF this is done this conference
will have achieved historic mis-
sion not only in international la
Dor legislation but also in inter
national trade"
II was learned from high Off
Gals that a way has already been
preached for securing such an ar
TangcmCnt.
This would be ~ obtain larger
markets for Japanese goods IN
sectors controlled by American
and British interests, particular
~ the Philippines, India and Brit
ISL crown colonies.
Japan would look upon large
quota i'm the Philippines as an
induccmcnt To- concessions on her
part. II was indicated there would
be stiff opposition TO opening OF
Indian markets from Indian tex
tile interests. Neutral officials
said the crown colonies might be
opened To- Japanese imports. Ma
tive consumers cannot be cheaply
supplied by Lancashire SpmnerS
and Great Britain might be will
ing to grant quotas there IN re-
turn for the equalization of COM
pctitivc conditions in Japan.
KitaOka, replying TO attacks 10y
British workers delegate, Arthur
Shaw, who said that Japan was
Sweating" its workers, said that
the yen had relatively high pur-
chasing power and that social
aids granted labor as well as the
additionally simple life on the is
land made monetary statistics dill
ficult for comparison.
Former Governor o. Max Gard
ncr Of North Carolina, American
employers delegate, told the con-
ference: "In the United States
there are certain fundamentals
upon which most OF the affected
partieS-govcrnme employers
and employeS-arc in substantial
agreement.
/. eve have adopted and We
maintain as a national policy the
40-hour week.
=. "All parties agree upon the
principle of collective bargaining.
>. 1--WE are united in opposition
to child labor.
{. During the NRA days and
since. the industry as a whole
has opposed the operation OF the
third shift for productive machin-
cry"
There was some questioning
among labor delegates as to the
accuracy of these statements.
They pointed out that hours were
well above so in some southern
mills and that collective bargain
ing is now being sought by the
Committee for Industrial Organi-
zation.