40-HOUR WEEK OPPOSED

Southland Times, Issue 22917, 16 June 1936, Page 7

40-HOUR WEEK OPPOSED

NEW ZEALAND DELEGATE TO GENEVA “GOD’S OWN COUNTRY” (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) London, June 14. The Geneva correspondent of The Times says that the New Zealand employers’ delegate to the International Labour Conference (Mr A. C. Mitchell) attacked the proposals for a 40-hour week as threatening serious repercussions in New Zealand which, owing to the vulnerability of her extensive export trade, was less able than any other country in the world to introduce the drastic experiment of mandatorily maintaining the rate of pay previously earned in a 44-hour week.

Passing such a proposal into law would send “God’s Own Country” at top speed to the devil, an unenviable experience which he hoped she would be spared.

MEN DISPLACED BY MACHINES PRIME MINISTER’S COMMENT. (From Our Parliamentary Reporter). Wellington, June 15. “There are some people who refuse to admit that machines are doing the work of men,” said the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) when the cabled report of rhe comments made at the international Labour Conference in Geneva by Mr , A. C. Mitchell on the working of the 40-hour week in New Zealand was referred to him this evening. Mr Mitchell is the employers’ representative on the New Zealand delegation to the conference. “Mr Mitchell says that the 40-hour week will send God’s Own Country at top speed to the devil,” Mr Savage said, “That is his opinion, but for years now machines have been displacing men from industry. Production is increasing, and less human labour is required. The only way to meet the situation is to maintain the average man’s standard of living or improve it, if possible, and at the same time see to it that he works a shorter working day, a shorter working week, and ultimately, a shorter working life. I would like anyone in Geneva or anywhere else to prove that that is wrong. Some people appear to object to reductions in working hours, because they hold that the working man is not fitted to use the additional leisure which would be provided for him." There are plenty of,leisured people today, who seem to be able to enjoy their leisure to the full, and at any rate, as working hours are reduced, it will be the duty of the Government to provide facilities to ensure that the working man will be able to make profitable use of his increased leisure.”