* *- * - IJNEMPLOYAIE/Nrr PROBLEM.
Not the least interesting part of the remarks of Lord Trent, the Qtajrman of Boot's Pure Drug Company, ?vas his referenee to the problem of unemployment. Referring to the question of ,a shorter working week Lord- Trent said : " Why should not the Government go to employers and say, ' If you are willing to experiment, possibly not all over the works, but only in certain departments, on these lines, we will pay you a sub- stantial percentage, say, two-thirds, of the? -unemployment pay for every extra hand you engage for a definite 'period of nine months, or a year, in order to work shifts, to see whether or not you can so increase your output that, although your workpeople are working shorter hours for the samewage, you are lowering your costs and able to sell more.' 7" Another interesting suggestion made by Lord Trent-was that While there should be no curtailment of shopping hours, thereby tending to contraet business and inconvenience the purchasing public, there might be . a compulsory month's holiday every year withytiy for all employees engaged in retail trade. The idea IS a rather startling one, and if, as Lord Trent suggested, retail prices might have to be slightly in- creased to cover the extra expense, it is rather difficult to pro- nounce a decision on the practicability of the idea in view of present conditions.
A. W. K.
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