“MOST DISASTROUS”

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 27 March 1936, Page 3

“MOST DISASTROUS”

FORTY=HQUR WEEK VIEWS OF SECRETARY OF EMPI,OYERS’ FEDERATION ”1 have no hesitation in sajßig that if the Government, did introduce general legislation imposing .a forty-hour week it. would be thq most disastrous thing 1 ever done by any Government in any country, and that, if the legislation were imposed, it would not last six months,” declared the secretary of the New Zealand Employers' Federation, Mr T. O. Bishop, when addressing the annual meeting of. the Wanganui Employers’ Association (states the Wanganui “Chronicle”). Air Bishop added, however, that although many people thought that the Government would introduce such legislation, he personally did not think so. Mr Bishop said that Australia, had attempted to introduce a forty-four-hour week, but found it necessary to exempt itself from the provisions of the legislation because of the increasingly high costs of public services.The matter had been discussed at the annual conference of the International Labour Organisation, and he ventured to say that it would be discussed at this year's conference without result. It, was now generally recognised that the introduction of a forty-hour week would have, a very temporary effect as a measure for the relief of unemployment. At Geneva it. was generally regarded, that the. forty-hour week had little to commend it other than that it was a measure of social justice; it would give the workers an opportunity of sharing the progress of production by increased hours of leisure.

Mr Bishop said that if the ideal of a forty-hour week was approved then ail attempt should be made to get down to that basis in those industries where a forty-hour week was possible.