Statement Announcing a Meeting With Representatives of the New England Conference on Reemployment.

THE PRESIDENT said:

"I have been requested by Governor [John G.] Winant of New Hampshire to receive the representatives of the recent conference in New England to discuss their conclusions upon the 5-day week or shorter week hours as a means of wider distribution of employment. I welcome the opportunity to do so. In the meantime I have instructed the Departments of Labor and Commerce to immediately resurvey the present situation and experience of the industries now using such plans.

"At the White House conferences with employers and labor over 2 years ago the general policy of spreading available work over the largest number was adopted and has been consistently followed by a great many industries. The same action was further spread by the President's employment committee conferences held last fall. We have, therefore, a large amount of actual experience. There are many different methods in different industries to spread work through shorter hours. Some of them have adopted the 5-day, the 4-day, or 3-day week; some have adopted 6-hour shifts; some are staggering employment; some are using the furlough plan for salaried employees; some of them have suspended night shifts; some are using the flexible week depending on the volume of business. In fact many varieties of attaining the same end have now been developed, and I welcome the opportunity to review the situation and see what further coordinated steps can be taken.

"The New England Conference has made constructive suggestions and with our accumulated experience we should be in position for a new stage for action by further conference between employers and labor representatives."