THE FORTY-HOUR WEEK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24634, 16 June 1941, Page 7

THE FORTY-HOUR WEEK

' ; TO THE EDITOB Sir,—ln your footnote to my letter in Tuesday's Times, you state, "The schedule' of taxation ensures that a temporary modification of the 40-hour week would not increase the financial gain of employers;" Are you suggesting that, should the 40-hour.,week be temporarily or permanently suspended, the present schedule of taxation would so work that all profits earned by the extra hours .worked would be eaten up bv such taxation? I am willing to ■admit that a. slightly greater percentage: of those profits would be so absorbed, but there would still be sufficient profit' left, to act as a temptation to the employers to procure the abolition, temporary or otherwise; of the 40-hour week. If these bodies advocating the temporary suspension of the 40-hour week, in "the interests of a greater war effort, will bring incontrovertible proof that there will be no financial gain accruing to them from such suspension, or will offer any such gain as their contribution to that greater effort, they will find that not only the press, but also public opinion, will so uphold them that the Government will be compelled to suspend this, to them, so noxious legislation.— I am. etc.. AH in Together. June 12.- ' •

TO THE EDITOR Sir.—l heartily agree with the numerous public men and also your correspondents who have united inider nouncing the serious wrong and blind folly of the 40-hour week at a time like the present. Our Empire is at war, facing the most formidable foe in all our history. If ever- there was a time when all should pull their full weight in a grand united war effort, now is that time. Everything possible should be done to bring pressure to bear for the extension of the short peace-time week, and to awaken the Government and the peopls as a whole to a realisation of the gravity of the position in Europe. When labour in Germany has to work 60 hours and more weekly for their country's good, how can we possibly expect to win this war on a 40-hour basis and a slow stroke? The absurd valuation which the Government places on, the 40-hour week suggests that it has lost all sense of proportion. I think that the time has arrived when all men who would like to render some service of value to our nation in a time of great peril might join in bringing all possible pressure to bear on the powers that be to secure a more sustained productive effort—l am, etc., J. B. Chapman. Waitaki, .June 12. ' [Abridged.—Ed. O.D.T.]