TIMELY TOPICS

Northern Advocate, 19 July 1933, Page 4

TIMELY TOPICS

SHORTER WORKING HOURS. Discussing- the idea ' of. shorter working; hours, as a moans of reducing unemployment, Lord Trout, at a company mooting,, said: —"I should like to make another practical suggestion with rerereneo to retail business only. More people • are engaged in . retailing in Britain' than in any..other single occupation, and, moreover, there- is iro question of foreign competition where retailing is ooncornetr. Tt is impracticable to reduce the hours worked in shops without curtailing the opportunities for shopping vhich the public require. My suggestion, therefore, is this: A compulsory month's holiday every year, with pay, for all employees engaged in retail trade. Tt would have to be enacted by law, since it would be impossible for a retailer to act on his own because his extra costs would be prohibitive. As far as one can judge, this should provide the equivalent of a year's work for approximately 100,000 additional people in the retail trade throughout the country. Retail prices might have to be slightly increased to cover the extra expense, but the public have not been seriously disturbed in recent years by much wider fluctuations than this scheme would involve. Moreover, in the long run prices would readjust themselves becatise the existence of more people with money to spend and: time in which to spend it would increase sales, and thereby reduce overheads. Special provision would no doubt have to be made for the smaller retailer, but I am confident that if the Government gave the lead that we have a right to expect of it would find many progressive employers ready and willing to co-operate in such schemes as this to reduce unemployment and increase purchasing power." m m m m WORDS OP WISDOM. Guilt may be blustering and desperate, but it holds within itself the elements of weakness. Only integrity is really strong. 1.1 il 1 TALE-OP THE DAY. Second (to much battered boxer): "And don't forget, Basher, the crowd's with yer." Boxer: "Lumme, 'ow T wish T was with the crowd."