HOURS OF LABOUR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21454, 30 March 1933, Page 6

HOURS OF LABOUR

'ARGUMENT FOR REDUCTION ALLEVIATING UNEMPLOYMENT A reduction in the hours of labour as fa means of assisting to alleviate unemployment was the subject of an address by Mr. T. Bloodworth before the Auckland Creditmen's Club, at a luncheon meeting held yesterday in the Milne and Choyce Reception Hall. Mr. J. A. C. jAllum presidedMr. Bloodworth said that, among the matters which would be before the International Labour Office at its conference in Geneva on June 8, would be a submission that reduced working time ;would contribute toward lessening unemployment. The recommendation came from a preparatory conference in Geneva in January, when the chairman said the Governments of the world were looking for guidance on the subject. The question ;was one which was being considered seriously by many countries, and by the most important international labour organisation, which had undertaken an investigation at the suggestion of the Italian .Government. At a conservative estimate, there were about 60,000 adult males registered in iNew Zealand as unemployed. Throughout the industrial, world, there were about 30,000,000 men unemployed. Allowing two {dependants to each man, the equivalent jof double the population of Great Britain felied on the relief afforded in various jpountries. ' It _ was argued that one way to relieve Unemployment was to gain an extended market. The tendency was for all countries to want to be sellers, but not buyers, land, as long as that lasted, there was little chance of improvement in world trade. It was estimated that, to absorb p.,000,000 unemployed, Britain would rejquire an increase of £350.000,000 in her jexport trade. Even with a trade revival, could the world employ those now unemployed '! Italy asked for a reduction in ibours of work as a consequence of technical progress. Theoretically, .scientific progress ultimately created as much employment as it destroyed, but such an ideal condition presupposed perfectly free markets and completo mobility of capital and labour. iThe world was faced with the alternative of a maximum of material wealth or a larger amount of leisure. What the world most needed, in preparation for higher levels of material wealth, was a wider distribution of, the leisure to cultivate the art of consumption and the art of intelligent living. A reduction in the hours of labour, apart from being a measure made opportune by present extremity, was an essential element in - any "long-range" social planning. It had been argued that it would be unwjse to reduce hours of labour because workers would not know how to employ their leisure time, but would get into mischief. Those who argued that way should be in favour of shorter hours, because, under the present system, 30,000.000 (workers had almost complete leisure. ... A vota of thanks was passed to the ppeaker.