There is no special virtue in any certain number of labor hours per day. Time was when 10 and 12 hours or more was the daily average. The advent of the 8-hour workday, the adoption of which was long and bitterly resisted, marked another notable social advance. Now the 8-hour day no longer satisfies. Progress has passed that point. More than one-half the organized crafts now observe a 44-hour schedule, or less, per week, with the number of workers thus affected growing steadily.

Primarily this progress has been achieved because society could afford it. In the crude-tool days much of the workers' waking hours were devoted to providing for the essential needs of food, clothing, and shelter. Then one new tool succeeded another until there is now no longer a problem of production. A problem of plenty now confronts us, a problem in many ways as perplexing as that of scarcity. To maintain a proper balance between production and consumption and to keep these forces healthy and active, and thus sustain and diffuse the blessings of national prosperity, compels the progressive adoption of the shorter work week.

STATEMENT OF HON. PAUL JOHN KVALE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MINNESOTA

Mr. KVALE. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I desire only to record my approval of the provisions contained in these bills (H. R. 2898 and H. R. 6603).

The testimony has shown that this shorter-week principle, already in effect on a permissive basis, could be applied throughout the Postal Service with only small additional cost. It would bring to these fine employees the same standard of treatment which is general in the corresponding levels of employment in private and public business agencies. It would have no undesirable effect upon the postal service which is rendered. I hope it becomes a law at this session.

I thank the committee.

The CHAIRMAN. Are there any other speakers on this bill? [No response.] If not, we will now take up H. R. 1228. (See hearings on H. R. 1228 and H. R. 3087.)

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