The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1938-10-27
Workers Creofer
(Cortinued From Page One)

nomists who warn us that if hours are
shortened and wages are raised our
living standard must be lowered" Mr..
Andrews said. "This warning, they
present in the face of the fact that
millions are unemployed; that our sup
lply of workers is greater than ever
before, and that the productivity of
those workers has increased tremend
ously.
"Their argument is based on the
| theory that if hours are shortened and
wages are raised the labor-costs of
what we all must buy will be so high
as to be out of the reach Of most con-
sumers. They also contend that our
capacity to produce is not so great as
to give each of us decent living.
Workers Do Not Get Fair Share of
Goods They Produce
Zone might think that in demand
ing higher wages and shorter hours,
labor was asking for more than it's
fair share in the goods it produces.
AS matter Of fact, labor asks moth
ing more, and the Government of the
|
more, than a just proportion of the
wealth which it has helped create.
Throughout recent years, labor has
been denied this share.
"For example, in New York State,
labor's share in value added by manu-
facture after increasing from 37.1 per
cent in 1919 to 1877 per cent in 1921,
showed an uninterrupted decline dur
ing the following years, dropping to
3l.4 per cent in 1888. The net decline
from 1921 to 1888 in the proportion of
value added by manufacture which
went to labor amounted to 81 per cent.
There is the story of the depression
in capsule.
"The amount of value added by man
ufacture per wage Garner in New York
State factories showed a steady in
crease from $3,l99 in 1919 to $4 ,497 in
1929, gain of 40.6 per cent. The an
nual money wage per wage Garner
also showed gain for 1919 to 1929
but the increase, amounting to 25.6 per
cent, was not as great as in value add
ed by manufacture. Moreover, the de-
cline in average wages since 1929 has
been greater than the decline in value
added per wage Garner.
"'rhe decline in value added by man
ufacture during the depression years
has been to a large extent the result
of decreases in the prices of the manu-
factured products. When economists
warn of the peril of higher wages, ar
guing that higher wages inevitably
mean higher costs Of the goods pro-
duced, they ignore the fact that the
labor cost in any article is combina
ton of two factors. 1t includes not
only the money wages paid the work
er, but it also must take into consid
eraton-and this is most important
that workers productivity.
Justice Demands Larger Purchasing
Power For Labor
with the tremendous increase in
the productivity of the American work
er during recent years, labor has
right to demand an increase in its
real wages; that is, in its purchasing
power.
THAT increase in productivity, to-
gether with the influx of women work
erS and other factors which have in
creased our labor supply in proportion
to demand, is the reason why the
standard workweek in this country
must be shortened
"No matter what economic theory
may evolve, the fact remains that we
have already shortened our work-week
in many industries, while at the same
time increasing the production of those
industries.
Higher wages and shorter hours, it
is becoming increasingly evident, pay
for themselves in greater efficiency,
better health and improved morale.
"Such benefits for all wage earners
is the goal Of the Fair Labor Stand
ards Act of 1885,