Evening star., 1937-04-07
D|SC0UNTSFEAR
OF 4(EH0UR WEEK
Gardner Reassures Dele.
gates of Foreign Nations
at Textile ParIey.
BY BLAIR BOLLES.

Alarm OF certain governments ana
manufacturers that universal 40
hour week would be too costly and put
them in a poor competitive position
today prompted o. Max Gardner.
former Governor of the large Textile
producing State of North Carolina,
to explain to the World Textile Con-
ference, at which he is Americas en-
ployers' delegate, that their fears are
unfounded.
Tracing the course of the textile in
dustry in this country under the N.
r. A., which reduced the work week
from an average of 48 hours to 40, set
minimum wages and banned child
labor in all mills, Gardner told the 200
men and women gathered in the de-
partmental auditorium.
II think am expressing the point
of view of the entire textile industry
of this country when I say that the
industrys profits-in the years when
there were profits-were not curtailed
as q result of this universal action on
its part" Gardner declared.
U. S. Silver Purchase Cited.
Kanyo Nieh, Chinese employers
delegate, said the American silver pur-
chase program was one factor which
made it difficult for China to shorten
hours and raise wages.
Earlier, the delegates were advised
by the representative of the French
gov ernment to offer inducements to
! L. 1,,t hO,I chOrtay11nD
the work week.
This suggestion of Charles Picque-
| nard, honorary director general OF
labor at the ministry of labor OF
France, was viewed as an invitation
| to take cognizance Of the protest
of Japan against tariff barriers and
to admit goods from Japan, 54-hour
week country, at slightly Lowered
duty Japan sent word to the con-
ference it would consider reducing
hours of work and raising the rate
of pay when foreign markets were
made more accessible.
J. Kitaoka, japanese governmental
delegate, greeted the Frenchman's
proposal politely but unenthusiasti-
cally. He said:
II feel I am not in position to
commit myself on behalf Of the Japa-
nese government to any such concrete
proposal at the present stage. l am
prepared, however, to listen further to
the views tt other delegates, II any,
and consider the practicability of the
proposal"
Japan, however, was roundly be-
labored yesterday by Arthur Shaw,
British labor representative at the
meeting in the departmental audlto-
rium who astonished the conference
by directing all his fire at the Far
Eastern country instead Of replying
directly to the view put forth by
British governmental and employers
delegates that the English would not
tolerate 4O-hour week.
Kitaoka asked Shaw to investigate
the findings of careful observers OF
the japanese textile industry, all OF
whom, he said, have found that If
the monetary earnings of our textile
workers seem low from the interna-
tional standard it does not mean low
standard of living. and certainly not
in the least sweating or exploitation
of the workers"
Shaw and his British fellows were
assailed by R. B. Bakhale, workers
delegate from india who, in resent
ment at slurs at Eastern labor con-
ditions, said:
Criticizes European Nations.
II should like to know what advance
European countries such as Great
Britain have made with regard to
these matters Improving wage and
hour conditions? 1t seems to me
that as far as their law is concerned
they are today where they were some
10 years ago, and l should like to
give them very friendly and respect
ful warning that If they want progress
to be achieved in the East, the West
must move.
Unless the West moves. there Is
no hope whatever of the purchasing
power of the people of the East being
increased to the extent to which they
would like 1t to be increased"