THE SHORTER WEEK.

Waikato Times, Volume 115, Issue 19272, 2 June 1934, Page 7

THE SHORTER WEEK.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—“Equity" commences his letter with the following: Il The League, now admits that America has not adopted a shorter week; in its previous letter it stated that it was under the Impression that it had been tried." This misrepresents the position. "Equity” stated that the shorter week had never been tried. To this we pointed to the fact that it had been tried in America and reported upon by the National Industrial (Board. “Equitjy” assumed from this that we believed It to have been adopted for the whole of the United States of America, so we replied that we knew that it ha&l not been tried for the whole country, but for the New England manufacturing districts.

Again, we have never said that j "figures and Reasons are of no value" (as “Equity"' alleges). We said that "reasons cannot alter facts and results.” We are satisfied that “Equity" honestly believes that the shorter j week can be introduced into New Zealand without raising costs or disadvantages to our trade. Investiga- 1 tions made and the opinions of leaders i iii trade union and industrial circles 1 elsewhere' indicate that reform cannot j be brought in without more or less j international agreement. This appears to us to be sound reasoning. | There is no need to try to discredit the j holders of this, view by suggesting that the desire for previous investigation Is j equivalent to opposing the abolition of slavery. We do not oppose the reform, but deprecate its adoption without investigation as to probable resuits.

The president of the Board of Trade, so far as we can discover, has never said that Japanese competition Is solely due to depreciation of the yen. lie, like others (whether employers or trade unionists) recognises that the long hours and low wages are a very material factor.

If "Equity" would advocate official investigation of the practicability of the shorter week we could support him. lie lias been ready enough to impute ulterior motives as the foundation of our views, but such innuendos can be ignored.—We are, etc. N.Z. WELFARE LEAGUE. Wellington, May 31, 1934..