The Wanganui Chronicle FRIDAY, MAY 27, 1938. FORTY-HOUR WEEK IN FRANCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 123, 27 May 1938, Page 6

The Wanganui Chronicle FRIDAY, MAY 27, 1938. FORTY-HOUR WEEK IN FRANCE

yilE modification of the forty-hour working week which is being considered in France, at least has the merit of flexibility. Industry is concerned with meeting demand, and unless the demand is met when it is present, such demand is likely to evaporate. This is particularly true of such goods as the French are apt at producing, namely, highly-finished goods, which require much individual attention by the creator or artisan. It follows, then, that any rigidity of hours of employment introduced suddenly must impose severe burdens upon such industries, because not only are costs increased, but overtime rates have to be provided for when costing goods at the outset —that is, before they are made. This leads to a contraction of enterprise because those engaged in business are unwilling and,’ indeed. unable to contemplate the added risks which the shorter hours of the working week create. The result is, obviously, less employment for those engaged in the industries concerned. The aim of those engaged in an industry is to gain the most, they can out of it, but this does not mean that the public is being exploited. It means that its wants are being supplied. The public has many wants, but most of them can get along without their being satisfied, because for one want they can substitute another. For instance, a man may desire to go for a holiday, but he changes his mind and decides to buy a motor-car. The travel industry loses and the motor industry gains. Before an industry can pay wages it must get the business, and to get the business it must conform to the demands or wants of the public at the time such wants exist. Time is of the essence of demand; straw hats are not bought in the winter time, but overcoats are. The time problem Is not absent from New Zealand manufacturing, for New Zealand manufacturers are frequently engaged in tilling in the demand which occurs when seasonal goods arrive from overseas and the demands of the market become clear. For instance, shoes of various kinds come out from England, some styles appeal to the public and others do not. The imported supplies of popular styles may be sold out quickly, resulting in the local manufacturers being called upon to make up the supply to meet current demand. The demand may go out at any time, so the job must necessarily be a rush one. Rigidity of hours of employment at ordinary rates must, of necessity, confine such orders to the lower limits rather than to the higher ones. The matter is, therefore, one for the workers in industry to decide: namely, whether they will enjoy periods of high overtime rates and a precarious run of employment, or whether they will adopt a more flexible working schedule with a view to increasing the stability and length of their total employment.