SHORTER WEEK AND FOREIGN COMPETITION.

Evening Star, Issue 21723, 18 May 1934, Page 5

SHORTER WEEK AND FOREIGN COMPETITION.

TO THE EDITOR. . Sir, —“ Advocate ” asks us “if the iucreased cost to manufacturers is going to be the stumbling block on the issue of shorter hours and higher wages, how do we view the increased prices in the- cost of living to the worker whose wages never get beyond a bare living? ” Our comment is that the issue under discussion is whether we have shorter bouts on the, same wages —not shorter hours on higher wages. Inquiry points to the conclusion that shorter hours would increase the cost, therefore unless wages are also increased the wages man is worse off. It was one of our points. The second comment is that the cost of living today has not increased, but the shorter week at the same wage would'increase “Advocate” admits that we , have some intelligence, which is a welcome change from the usual assertion that we have none. It is this very intelligence which tells us that the change must be general; and not confined to on© country, which depends on export trade. It is being tried in the United States of America, which is as nearly a self-contained country as is possible, and the experiment has so far proved increased cost and no corresponding increase of sales. For an exporting country to adopt a policy which increases cost would most assuredly result in loss of its markets. If we were satisfied to be merely selfcontained and not to rely on export trade the experiment might be feasible. —We are, etc., New Zealand Welfake League. Wellington, May 16.