35-Hour Work
Week Has Its
Complications
By Norman Walker
WASHINGTON W — Suppose
the nation suddenly switched over
night from the present 40-hour
week to a 35-hour week — as
organized labor is advocating.
What would happen?
If the change came about with
out a cut in pay — that is, if the
man now earning $100 a week for
40 hours work should continue get
ting $100 on a 35-hour week basis
— labor costs would be increased
by one-eighth, or over 12 per cent.
How would an employer meet
this added cost? There are three
ways. The boss could (A) increase
prices, <B) reduce profits or (C)
install new labor saving machines.
He probably would do some of all
three.
A sudden conversion to a 35
hour week, therefore, almost cer
tainly would cause higher prices
and thus inflation.
It is for this reason that Presi
dent Kennedy, in trying to main
tain a stable wage-price line, is
discouraging any broad-scale
changeover to a shorter work
week.
No Sudden Switch Anticipated
Nor is any sudden general
switch anticipated. Even econ
omists for the AFL-CIO whose
president, George Meany, is talk
ing of a general union drive for
the 35-hour week, don’t think it
is a quickly attainable goal.
One way to get the 35-hour
week in one swoop would bt to
persuade Congress to cut the pre
sent 40-hour week specified in the
Fair Labor Standards Act. The
unions privately recognize they’re
in for a long haul here.
Wnylf hOUrS ran K*
through labor contract negotia
tions, but as one top union strate
gist told this reporter: “This isn’t
going to be easy sailing, either. We
can only get the 35-hour week as
industries have the physical and
financial ability to pay for it. The
cost problem will have to work it
self out.” i '
Labor says it wants the shorter
week to share jobs with 3.7 mil
lion unemployed. There is con
siderable doubt, however, that a
quick change to a 35-hour week
would provide many job openings.
Why?
You would think offhand that
cutting work hours by an eighth
would create dose to one million
jobs, since there are about 10 mil
lion employed. The fact is that by
far the bulk of the unemployed
are unskilled. Only about 5 per
cent of the skilled workers are un
employed.
Job Surplus
Thus, if a job surplus was cre
ated by cutting weekly hours, there
would be a shortage of men to
take the extra jobs. The govern
ment has embarked on an ambi
tious program to train idle workers
in new skills, but it anticipates
providing only partial training to a
maximum of 100,000 a year.
Many employers, faced with a
shorter week requirement, simply
would have to work their already
employed workers beyond a new
35-hour week limit and pay them
overtime, usually at IVz times the
regular pay rate.
This would not mean more jobs
for others, or mare leisure for
those already employed. It would
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SPELLING BEE GOES INTO
FINAL ROUND TOMORROW
WASHINGTON UP) — Eighteen
of the 70 contestants were eli
minated in a tense but slow-going
first session of the 35th annual
National Spelling Bee today.
With six rounds over, the Bee
took a, lunchtime recess after 82
words had been tossed at the
youthful contenders in the Grand
Ballroom of a downtown hotel.
The youngsters, expert spellers
from across the country, are win
ners of regional contests in which
five million school boys and girls
competed
Officials of the Spelling Bee said
the contestants were showing up
very well. At this point in last
year’s contest, 32 spellers had been
eliminated.
Early rounds are comparatively
easy, though, in contrast to the
tongue-twisters that will challenge
the contestants as the two-day
spell-down continues.
The first loser was Janet Silver
blott, 13, an eighth grader from
Coral Gables, Fla. She stumbled
on “Loneliest” in the opening
round.
Beatrice Slotnick of Fairbanks
was one of the 31 spellers who
goes into the final round tomorrow.
First Polar Sea Tour
The first group of visitors on
Wien’s Polar Sea Tour to over
night here this week were: Mr.
and Mrs. Ben S. Wagner and Mr.
and Mrs. Carle E. Spacht of Ham
burg, Fa.; Miss Odra Freeman,
South Pasadena, Calif.; and Mrs.
Mildred Scott, Culver City, Calif.
Frank N. Hall, who taught school
at Kotzebue last winter, is in town
for a few days before going to
his next school at Shungnak.
RECOVER PAINTINGS
, LONDON (A) _ Acting on a
telephone tip, Scotland Yard de
tectives Saturday recovered 11 of
12 paintings and drawings stolen
from a London art gallery last
weekend.
The pictures, valued at 30,000
pounds ($84,000) were found in
luggage locker No. 13 in the Lei
cester Square subway station in
the heart of London.
The lone picture still missing,
Scotland Yard reported, is a Degas
drawing. The recovered items in
cluded works by Matisse, Picasso
and Renoir.
simply be a disguised pay increase.
This seems to have been the effect
of the 25-hour week negotiated
earlier this year by the New York
electricians.
Few experts doubt that the grad
ual reduction in work hours will
continue. In every decade from
1880 to 1940 three to five hours
were shaved off the work week.
Since then, more holidays and va
cations have further reduced the
average work hours.
Although about one out of 10
workers already has a less than
40-hour work week, the current
[trend seems to be toward more
holidays and longer vacations. Un
der the new steel contract many
workers soon will be getting two
months paid vacation.
ARCTIC OIL
Lr, DELIVERY
—AUTOMATIC SERVICE
City Council Meets
The City Council met Monday
evening with the School Board and
received their preliminary budget
for the coming school year. The
city fathers also discussed figures
for the new city budget.
Another meeting has been sched
uled for 8 p.m. Friday in the
council chambers.
Q Trucking Garage Opens
Chuck Reader today announces
the opening for business of the
new Q Trucking Garage and service
station on Airport Rd. Chuck of
fers a complete automotive service
with expert repairs and tire and
battery service in addition to gas
oline and a complete line of Stand
ard Oil products.
HOMEMAKER CLUB MEET
FROM ALL PARTS OF STATE
This year’s Homemaker’s Short
Course at the University of Alaska
featured an afternoon tea at the
home of President and Mrs. Wm
R. Wood, as part of the ooening
day’s activities, Monday, June 4,
according to Miss Agness Sunnell,
state home economics leader with
the Cooperative Extension Service.
“This will offer an opportunity
to meet Homemaker Club mem
bers from all parts of the State,”
j she said. Mrs. Fred Greene and
Mrs. Wm. Komakhuk, both of
Nome, and Mrs, Kenneth Griesen,
from Juneau, represented their
widely separated districts.
Ronald Senungetuk, visiting
Carnegie scholar at the University
of Alaska, will teach Alaskan
homemakers how to apply art to
homemaking.
Mr. Senungetuk is from Nome.
He is a graduate of Rochester In
stitute of Technology and the Na
tional Arts and Crafts School,
Oslo, Norway.
Mrs. Jean Burand, remote areas
extension agent, will teach “What’s
New in Fabrics and Sewing Tech- j
niques.”
KOREAN STUDENTS TRY
TO STORM U.S. EMBASSY
SEOUL, South Korea (3) — A
thousand students defied a martial
law ban on demonstrations today
and marched on the U.S. Embassy
prote
two
A triple row of police jeeps
blocked their march before the stu
dents reached the Embassy, and
the students withdrew after an ap
peal by Maj. Gen. Kim Chin-Wi,
commander of the Seoul garrison.
Then they split into small groups
and tried to reach the Embassy
through alleys and side streets.
Again they were met by police,
who arrested more than 100 of the
demonstrators. There was no vio
lence.
The U.S. Army has charged two
lieutenants — Davis Swanson, 25,
of Galesburg, 111., and Thomas
Wilde, 25, of Wadsworth, HI. —
with severely beating a South
Korean caught stealing at a front
line base late last month.
Seoul newspapers have reported
two other recent incidents of
Koreans being beaten by American
servicemen.
FILE LAWSUIT . . .
ATLANTA iff) — Air
been accused in a lawsuit of will
ful misconduct and gross negli
gence in Sunday’s crash of a jet
liner that killed 130 persons in
France.
The suit, seeking $250,000 dam
ages, was filed yesterday in U.S.
District Court by Drs. Hope H.
Payne jr. and Robert Payne, both
Atlanta dentists. They are the I
sons of Annette S. Payne, 66, a
victim of the crash.
The suit claims the chartered
aircraft, a Boeing 707, was over
loaded with passengers, baggage
and fuel and was not airworthy.
t the beating of a Korean
American Army officers.
Three babies are born in the
world every second. The countries
whose rate of population growth is
highest are Costa Rica, Red China
and Mexico.
THE "HQNDAS" ARE COMING!
UNALAKLEET TEACHERS
JOINED IN WEDLOCK
Wilmer J. Oudal took as his
bride Miss Anna-Marie Kylander
on May 24. The ceremonies were
conducted in the Unalakleet Cove
nant Church by Rev. Maynard
Londborg.
The bride wore a full-length
gown of lovely white shantung
with a lace jacket. The finger-tip
veil of white tulle flowed from
a crown of pearls. She carried a
bouquet of white gladiolas and
white and violet chrysanthemums
Miss Margaret Kylander, sister
of the bride, and Miss Loretta Out
water wore jade green dresses of
the same material as the bride’s.
They were mail of honor and
bridesmaid respectively. The candle
lighters, Linda Londborg and
Phyllis Hill, wore white street
length dresses.
Mr. Paul Lindholm and Mr. Dana
Kaponuk stood with the groom.
Ushers for the evening were: Mel
vin White, Tim Towarak, Walter
Smith, Daniel Seetook, Harry
Oxereok and George Towarak.
Rev, Roald Amundsen sang “O
Lord Most Holy” and “The Lord’s
Prayer” accompanied on the organ
by Mrs. Maynard Londborg. The
wedding march was played as the
bride was escorted to the alter by
Mr. Alfred White. Sitting in the
place of honor were Mr. and Mrs.
Alfred White Sr- and Mrs. John
Auliye.
A reception was held after the
ceremonies in the Fellowship Hall
of the church. Mrs. Don Baker and
Mrs. Alfred White were hostesses.
The attractive wedding cake was
made by the bride and groom with
the help of the maid of honor.
The now Mrs. Oudal is a gradu
ate of the University of Minnesota;
Mr. Oudal graduated from Augs
burg College. They are both teach
ing at Covenant High School and
will make their residence in ar
apartment near the school.
SENATE REFUSES AID TO
COMMUNIST COUNTRIES
WASHINGTON — The Sen
ate rebuffed a direct White House
plea and voted today to shut off
all foreign aid to any Communist
dominated country.
It adopted an amendment by
Sen. Frank J. Lausche, (D-Ohio),
writing into the pending $4,662
billion foreign aid bill a prohibi
tion against any assistance to any
country “dominated by Commu
nism or Marxism.” The vote was
57-21.
It would prohibit not only as
sistance under the bill, but gifts
or sales of surpuls agricultural
commodities.
This strikes at aid to Yugo
slavia and food to Poland.
Made a Mistake . . .
ROCK HILL, S.C. W — Dero
Cook, a Democratic candidate for
governor, made a mistake that
politicians dread.
“I am mighty glad to be in
Spartanburg,” he said as he open
ed a speech. But the crowd laugh
ed — he was in Rock Hill.
--
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