MACHINERY AND PROSPERITY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 70, 24 March 1931, Page 6

MACHINERY AND PROSPERITY.

CASE FOR SHORTER HOURS. (To the Editor.) The Minister of Education has stated that the solution of unemployment is shorter hours for the world's worker. The improved methods of production and machines have gradually di&placed manual production until, as the Minister stated, working hours had been necessarily reduced from sixteen to twelve to ten arid to eight hours per working day* the machine being made for man and not man* for the machine. Is it not time for another reduction of hours, eeeing that during the past few years the further growth of machine production has brought about serious displacement of workers? The outcome of this is then, that there is less spending power in the ! community and so to cope with the lessened demand the machine slows down ite productivity, otherwise "over-production" is t ne result. Logically from this, it follows that the general depression in trade and business institutions is actually the outcome of unemployment and not, as is stated, the cause of it. Over-production and starvation and want of the world's commodities cannot run hand in glove together. It is not logical. Therefore the solution is that the machine and improved methods should benefit the worker more and not a few individuals who "own" them General benefits to the workers in reduction of hours and increased pay taken from the excess profits of machinery would solve the world-wide unemployment, and depression would cease as the demand for commodities increased, which is what we all e.ill prosperity, and, of course, is what we want.

ANTI-RED.