The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-11-06
Fleming Hits Any
(Confinmed From Page One)
mum wages, industry by industry

mum wages, industry by industry.
Committee Gets Fact
"The industry committee is COM
posed of representatives of the public
and of the employers and the en-
ployes in the industry for which it is
appointed. 1t meets around the table
and studies the bedrock facts. 1t in
quires into the existing wage struc-
ture, the price of raw materials, Of
transportation, and the cost of living.
And as a result of it's knowledge of
the facts it recommends the highest
minimum wage which it finds to be
feasible and which will not result in
substantially curtailing employment.
eff wage m;nima can be fairly set
in this way, as we have shown they
can be, then l see no reason why wage
levels above the minimum cannot also
be established for the duration of the
emergency. The method is demo-
cratic; it has had the support of both
management and labor. The recon-
mendations, l believe, would be ac-
cepted as fair and reasonable by both
parties, as well as by the public. Once
accepted one of the principal causes
of strikes would be removed"
Figures Shown Misleading
Gen. Fleming scored certain critics
! of the wage and hour law who have
argued for increasing the straight
time workweek to more than 40 hours.
"They build their case around a
figure purporting to show that the
average workweek in manufacturing
industries in July was 40.3 hours" his
address said. "Their thesis is that if
labor were worked longer hours at
less money the effect would be to in
crease defense production and help
prevent initiation. Well, it is very
curious that some people seem to feel
that money paid out in wages must
inevitably lead to initiation, whereas if
the stockholders get the money every
body will be happy"
The Fourth of July holiday reduced
the average workweek in that month
as did some vacations customarily
taken in July, Gen. Fleming wrote,
adding the average for June was Alb
hours.
Defense Work Much Higher
"In the average for june" he con-
tinued, "are included the weekly wor,,
hours in all manufacturing industries
"a great many of which are not pro-
Gucing for defense Indeed, some of
these industries are slowing up or
closing down because they can't get
raw materials. Many of them can't
keep their men busy even 80 hours a
week.
"When the principal defense indus
tries are considered alone the story is
decidedly different. The average in
the vital machine tool industry in
June was not Alb hours but 81 hours,
in machine tool accessories 5O1a
hours, in firearms 511a hours, in screw
machine products 40, in iron and steel
forgings al. IN
Ovetfinal Data Cited
"And that's only part of the story.
When we examine the records of those
particular employees who worked the
overtime in the defense industries we
find some startling facts.
''In aluminium the 46 per cent of all
employees who worked overtime aver
aged SH hours Of overtime apiece
an extra day week. In engine manu-
featuring, including the building of
airplane engines, II percent of the
employees averaged 1917 hours of over
time week. In shipbuilding 83 per
cent of the employees averaged II
hours of overtime a week. In machine
tools, 95 per cent of the employees
averaged more than 1872 hours of
overtime a week.
Can it be said that such hours as
these are not long enough? Is it de-
sirabe social policy to encourage en-
ployers to work men still longer hours
by reducing the price of labor?
"On the contrary, from the stand
point of health, of safety, and of ef-
ticient production, these hours of
work are approaching the danger
point and will inevitably lead to seri-
GUS consequences if they are long
maintained.
"But, dangerous or otherwise, the
long overtime hours are being paid for
at the fair and legal rate Of time and
half, and | have seen no evidence
that employers cannot well afford to
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