“A REGRETTABLE STATEMENT”

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21812, 18 June 1936, Page 10

“A REGRETTABLE STATEMENT”

EFFECT OF 40-HOUR WEEK ON NEW ZEALAND MR A. C. MITCHELL’S SPEECH AT GENEVA (PRESS AS3OCIATIOX TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, June 17. Commenting to-day upon the views reported to have been expressed by Mr A. C. Mitchell, president of the New Zealand Employers’ Federation, at the International Labour Conference at Geneva, about the possible effect of the introduction of the 40-hour week in New Zealand, Mr A. W. Nisbet, secretary of the Wellington Manufacturers’ Association, said it was regrettable that Mr Mitchell had made such a sweeping statement, as coming from all the employers of the Dominion. In fact, said Mr Nisbet, New Zealand employers were not at all of one mind that disaster such as Mr Mitchell so gloomily foresaw would descend upon the Dominion. Mr Mitchell had left New Zealand at a stage of the discussions when the proposals of the Government had been far from fully discussed and understood by employers and the public generally, and though a section of the employers did hold the views expressed by him at Geneva, Mr Mitchell would have recognised, had he been able to follow the recent discussions, that New Zealand manufacturers had clearly stated, both to members of the Government and publicly, that they were hot opposed to shorter hours and higher P rov *ded they were given a sufficient measure of protection to aUow them to operate and employ at least as many men as were at present engaged in industry.