The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-07-03
THE WAGE-HOUR LAW AND DEFENSE

CONDENSED from Look)
SEVEN MILLION people are said to be out of
~ work in the United States.
Meantime, are straining every muscle to
produce necessary goods for defense
Put the unemployed to work, and we would add
320 million man-hours Of labor every week to our
productive effort--one billion 280 million man
hours every month.
Not only these millions of people are idle; we
still have some idle factories Plants that could
be adapted to defense production are operating at
half capacity or less. Some are operating on one
shift when they could use two-on two shifts
when they could easily operate on three or four
Despite this situation, some editorial writer's
are saying that the 4O-hour week OF the Wage
and Hour Law must be relaxed. They say that
people already employed must be allowed to work
longer than 40 hours week in order to get out
the defense production.
But let's get this straight. There is nothing in
the Wage and Hour Law or any other federal law
to prevent a mans working AZ hours week, 6O
hours week any other number OF hours. All
the law requires is that, if he works more than 40
hours, he must be paid time and hall Tor the
overtime
1t should be noted that complaints about the
Wage and Hour Law are not, Just now, coming
from the defense industries. ! have invited en-
ployers building airplaneS, guns, ships and tanks
to tell me if they find the law obstacle to pro-
duction, have promised that If it can be shown
the law is interfering with the defense effort, |
will recommend that the law be appropriately
modified by Congress-
Yet have received not more than half dozen
complaints
Another thing Suppose it should become
necessary to relax the overtime requirement IN
the interest of defense Should it be relaxed for
everyone or for only Il few key men in true de-
fenSe industries?
There is said to be shortage OF tool and die
makers. If employers cannot hire more of these
workers. perhaps the time may come when the
law should be relaxed as far as they are concerned
But why should it be relaxed also for girls IN
hosiery mills and candy factories? How would
that promote defense production?
OF more than l3,OOOOOO persons entitled to-
the benefits Of this law, by far the greater mum
bcr are employed IN Industries which have MOTH
ing to do With defense
Since most Of those who want the law relaxed
ask this not merely for few but for everybody,
the conclusion is nescapablc that they are lar
more interested in getting cheap labor than they
are in national defense. For the most part they
are the people who don't want the wage ana lloui
Law at any time.
Actually, the law is working out just as Con-
gress intended it should. 1t is providing an m
centive for employers to hold the work week with
in reasonable limits and to hire more workers..
Moreover, the lO-hour week approXlmates the
standard Of maximum labor efficiency.
The unthinkng may assume that, II a man
can do so much work IN one hour, he VIII 90 oo
times as much in 60 hours. But 1t doesn't turn
out that way. When men have worked to the
point of fatigue, they start to rest ON the JoD.
Or else they accidentally spoil about as much work
as they are able to complete satisfactorily
In other ways, too, the law is working rs Con-
gress intended that it should. The 3O-to-le-
ccnts-an-hour minimum wage is protecting the
fair wage employer from sweat shop competition.
This year the law will put $lOO,OOO,OOO IN the
pockets Of the nations workers. This money VIII
90 to the lowest paid-thc one third who are III
fed i-clad and ill-housed-thoSe who but tor the
law, would be working Tor as little as ~ or ID
cents an hour.
This extra money will be quickly spent for
food clothing and other necessities and small
comforts Of life.
Thus more goods will have to be produced and
transported And thousands Of men and women
now idle will find new Jobs.
Some time ago II manufacturers, found to be
violating the Wage and Hour Law, were required
to make restitution OF $250,OOO to 10000 home