Evening star., 1937-01-12

should not be 4
unreas ably D.v,a 1.wr.re.
heightened.
The Presidents exact words on this
point are important as showing his
attitude toward the regulation OF
hours in industry:
The tendency toward longer
work week has had an extremely i'm
portant effect on unemployment.
Hours of work in manufacturing in
dustrieS, as shown by the Bureau of
Labor statistics index, averaged 1873
hours per week in September, 1884.
That average has increased by 20 per
cent per week in October, 1886"
Averages, of course, are taken with a
variety OF industries and variety OF
local problems. The seasonal factor
Is probably not the same in any two
industries, nor Is demand as easily
estimated in the future as it is lei
surely measured in retrospect by the
statistician.
Variation of Conditions.
The crux of the problem is the va
ration of working conditions thus ex-
pressed by the President himself:
While among most industries and
most employers, the maximum hours
established under the national indus
trial recovery act have not been greatly
increased it is worth noting that in
some industries and among some en-
ployers the former maximum hours
have been unreasonably increased.
Every action of an employer along
these lines obviously tends toward the
stepping up of production without an
equivalent stepping up of employment.
1t Is not unfair to say that these en-
ployers who are working their employees
unreasonably long hours are failing to
cooperate with the Government and
their fellow citizens in putting people
back to work
The President is absolutely right
about this, from his standpoint but
the chances are that not one employer
in 100 has any such choice as might
be inferred from the above statement
Take the case of company which
uses skilled workmen that cannot now
be obtained because there is an ad-
mitted shortage.
All Industries Jumped.
The demand is there. The orders
have come in. What shall the en-
ployer do? Turn back the orders or
meet the situation by lengthening
hours? In some instances where the
labor unions require that apprentices
of only a certain number shall be
employed there is little opportunity
to train the additional employees need
ed Likewise it is perfectly human
and natural for employees to want to
see their pay envelopes increased by
the overtime or by the higher pay
total for the longer work week.
Yet in the matter of averaging work.
ing hours the statisticians take all
kinds of industries and lump them to-
gether irrespective of whether they
have shortage of labor in them that
causes longer work week.
Where there is no labor shortage
involved-and the facts ought to be
easily determined by the local cham
bers of commerce throughout the
country - the National Government
might undertake policy of moral sua-
sion. 1t is not unlikely that many
employers would appreciate letter.
from the Department of Commerce,
for example-asking them to employ
additional men rather than lengthen
working hours. Such letter, when
shown to the employees on the job al
ready, might tend to soften the irrita-
tions that arise when employees are not |
given the additional earnings but the |
pay roll is spread to other workmen.
Spread the Work Opposed.
The matter of lengthening hours is
frequently mere question of spread
ing the work at the same total pay
roll or paying overtime to the same
number of employees already on the
pay roll. If this is what the President
has in mind then his chief task is
with labor union chiefs who are abso-
lutely opposed to the spread-in-work
movement which started in the Hoover
administration.
If it Is a question of spreading the
work by increasing the total pay roll
by adding new employees rather than
increasing the earnings of the exist
ing employees then the employers often
have problems with the labor unions
and contracts with them that have to
be taken into consideration. And
where no labor union complications
exist, there still is the matter of fair
ness to the employees who want to
work longer hours so as to increase
their pay.
If shorter hours are to be stipulated
with the same total pay, then the
question is simply one of adding ex-
pense to the cost of production. Some
employers may be making sufficient
margin to permit them to do it, but
many of them are forced by COM
petitive situations to hold down their
costs or go out of business, in which
case the objective Of more employ
ment is defeated by the result, namely
more unemployment.
Mr.. Roosevelt's message while not
discussing all these difficulties never
theless is restrained in tone and in
dicates desire to bring the matter
Of avoiding heightened hours to the
attention of industry There is much
the Government can do to help if it
would penetratingly delve into some
of the broader aspects of the ques-
tion, which the statistical averages
naturally do not encompass.
tCopyright. 1897