Show Prosperity Due to Leisure of of Working Class Committee Committe Find c By By RODNEY DUTCH DUTCHER ER N NEA EA Service Writer WASHINGTON WASHINGTON There There Used sed to tobe tobe tobe be a theory that tat leisure lesure was was was' bad for working orI ng people and that If they had too much ot it th they y would would would-be- bc- bc conic X me lazy and squander their substance substance sub stance which would be a very bad thing 1 theory That theory appears to have been knocked out but f for far r rood s and all by the recent report of ot the committee eon on recent economic changes of ot which President Hoover as head of the Harding conference on unemployment unemployment unemployment ment from which the committee was form formed d. d was chairman The com committee paid a perfectly b beautiful tribute to leisure in ina a sectIon sec see tion Of of M the report which s seems ems to have ha gone generally unnoticed In Increasing Increasing IIi In- creasing leisure and its utilization the committee fo found nd was pile one of the major factors in the last few tew years Jears ars of p prosperity osper ty OPTIONAL OPTIONAL- PURCHASES Becoming Becoming- steadily less concerned con oon- cern d with the the primary needs of life food tood clothing and shelter we I now flour demand a broad list o of ot goods and services which the committee calls optional purchases purchase The margin marginS between the cost o of ot living and ind present day day wages wage plus Plug lus the ln In In- In pr creased ased leisure to to enjoy y what used sed to be thought of as luxuries has hall tremendously Increased consUmption tion and hence production of optional optional optional op purchase goods Th The committee has coined what seems to be bo a V ne new phrase the consumption con con- of ot leisure Business has come me to realize it ft It says says that hat lei leisure sure actually IS consumable Furthermore Furthermore Furthermore Fur Fur- Fur Fur- that people cannot consume con con- consume sume sum leisure Jv without consuming goods and services and that leisure which results from an man hour p productivity od helps t to create reate new w needs and new and broader markets The committee adds The Tho Increasing g Interest In the fine arts and in science the In Increased In- In cr creased ased sales of ot books and nd magazines magazines maga maga- the Increase ase I In iii foreign traY trav travel el the growing interest and particIpation participation par par- in sports of all kinds the domestic pilgrimages of some motor tourists who use mora more than 2000 t rist camps the r erea enrollment M In our greatly I increased d r colleges colleges' the motion motion mo nio- schools and high s radio radio- theatres and the tion picture inc increasing of the uses all these I hag ing leisure I IThe says says says' in effect The fhe committee I more consumption consumption consumption con con- th the leisure flint the more I services It and of ot goods I to Suggest that makes no attempt continue continuo to a I the process should I certain and then stop point I Shorter hours for or industrial thade de decrease have coincided w th a w V for I necessitated crease In the time time lime h household work resulting from froni In Increased increased in- in I creased use of or devices savins time I and labor so that Increased leisure I has been general I Henry Henl Ford who Ins instituted the I five day week in n his factories s sev several ver v- v er eral l years ago believes that if it itIs itis itis is not riot eventually put Int into general application the country will not riot be beable beable a able le to absorb its production and and- stay prosperous He believes believes' that shorter working periods and high wages are both essential and committee obviously H Hoovers Hoover's over s agreed with him The idea isn't exactly new but it Is significant th that t the best authorities are arc coming coming corning com corn ing to realize it As Ford ord points out people who spend all their time in factories or at other labor Jabor have little u use ue e f to for automobiles But the more more they get out and around the more mor more th they y want Latest Latest figures fIgures fIgures' showing the trend I oi working 1 hours I of come front from I U. U T S S. S- S bureau of labor statistic I which has reported on ita its suri sur a as of ot of or unon wage scales scales' tl hours bours for members of org trades trade in 67 important Indu trial cities citie The bureau reports report continuation of the steady vJ do ward ward trend The average decrease 1927 and 1928 wax was half of ot l 1 p cent This applied to bakers bull F ipg ing trades workers ch chauffeurs urt urs aj aj jj drivers driers granite and stone Work laundry workers lon horer street railway workers b ai printers Th Their ir hourly wage rat ral In the same period increased fou O I tenths of ot 1 per cent cen 1 vj I II |