SHORTER WORKING HOURS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22351, 24 February 1936, Page 13

SHORTER WORKING HOURS

Sir, —Mr. W, A. Grey agrees with me that there is no fund from which the labourer can be paid, save that which he by his labour produces. He also tacitly agrees with me that to reduce the hours of work must necessarily reduce that fund. I have heard of many of the experiments, such as Mr. Grey mentions. Many of the instances reported, such as Cadbury's and Lever's, are largely abstract, some quite fallacious from the workers 1 ' point of view, but the one concrete instance that Mr. Grey cites, viz., "The industrial legislation in England which shortened the working day to 12, to 10 and to eight hours, is worthy of examination." I agree most heartily with the results of that legislation, and with all that Mr. Grey claims for it; but now I want Mr. Grey to agree with me on another matter, viz., there is a point in the working hours of the day, which having been reached, to reduce still further, must necessarily reduce the fund below the level at which it is adequate to pay labour. That position, I maintain, under existing conditions, has been reached at the eight-hour point, when the day is divided into three equal divisions, viz., eight hours' work, eight hours' play and eight hours' rest. Waiuku. F. A. Carlisle.