Show Self Defeating Expedients A number of bills now before Congress would shorten the standard workweek of 40 hours This has long been a goal of many leading unions The Tho argument argument ment is that it offers a solution to the vexing nt problem At the same time under current proposals pay for the tho shorter week would be as much muchas as for the tho longer week now in general effect This say union spokesmen would bo be necessary to maintain lug power The Tho net result obviously would be to force up the prices charged for commodities and services That always happens and must happen when wages outrun worker productivity So in a word the tho net I result would bo be price inflation at ata a time when price stability is a an urgent national need and goal Another result would bo be to impair the ability of ofU ofU U S industry to meet foreign which competition becomes tougher and ancl tougher with its advantages of lower wages an and other basic costs So in the tho long run there is an excellent chance chanco that a shorter workweek ac accompanied by higher hourly wage rates would in- in increase increase crease not decrease unemployment mt People would buy less of higher priced products The late President Kennedy who is certainly no too foo of labor and who is as deeply concerned with the unemployment problem as anyone has described proposals pro pro- proposals to arbitrarily reduce the workweek as self defeating expedients which can only restrict the tho ec- ec economy economy onomy not expand it That covers the case succinct succinct- succinctly ly and accurately Ind News |