Evening journal., 1918-01-31
j. 5. BOARD TO FIX
WAR LABOR WAGES
Department OF Labor TO be
Radically Reorganized
Under Plan
TO HAVE THREE
NEW BUREAUS

drastic reorganization Of any govern
menl department since the United
states entered the war has been un-
derlaken by the Department Of Labor
following ITS acceptance Of the war
labor plan placed before Secretary
Wilson by the special labor advisory
committee which was appointed by or
der Of President Wilson.
So revolutionary is the program Of
The Department Of Labor that Wash
ineton is almost 8stounded at the
news. Under The new program Of Sec
reiary Wilson the following big move
nenis are under way
As a sure preventive Of strikes a
special committee made up Of men
named by the National Industrial Com
ference Board, which contains repre-
seniatives of Americas industrial as
sOciations-One man TO represent the
public and six men named by the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor-NNlll meet in
Washington within a few weeks and
draw up an ironclad agreement by
vhech a definite plan for regulating
wages during the war will be enforced
Eight new bureaus will bring about a
reorganization OF the entire admins
iratlve plan of the Department Of La
Dor. Business experts say that from
being the most poorly organized de-
pariment the Labor Department viii
soon have the most modern admins
iratiye system Of any department.
All labor requirements VIII be reg
lsiered by The ordnance, aircraft. ship
building and other production divisions
of the government They will report
their needs to the Department of Labor
and the proper distribution Of help viii
follow.
One Of the most surprising features
Of the report Of the advisory commit
tee is the closing paragraph which
plainly states that unless a centralized
administration Of production is organ
zed the whole labor plan as organized
VIII be insufficient 20 meet the nations
great war emergency. This in effect,
is a decision by the labor experts Of
he country that a munitions chief or a
munitions department is essential if the
war materials are TO be produced.
The memorandum after saying that
a plan on the six matters laid before
u has been outlined In response to the
Presidents order continues:
"ln a sense the function of your ad-
visory council does not extend to the
consideration Of other matters. We
should, however, be neglectful OF our
fun duty IN the case did we not point
cut that a perfect administration Of la
Dor matters in accord with the plan
outlined above would not be sufficient
% meet the emergency which faces the
country.
Labor matters do not stand by
themselves. They are phases of pro-
ducii0n and no centralized admiEistra-
iion OF labor can be adequate which
does not 90 hand in hand with the CEN
iralizatiOn of administration Of pro-
duction. How this latter centraliza-
ilon IS 10 be accomplished is not for
your council to consider but its judg-
mant Is clear that failure TO secure
such centrslization spells failure TO Sc
cure g sound situation in labor and
failure to prosecute the war ylgor-
ously."
SO great Is the emergency of at once
taking up the labor problem Of the
country and obtaining agreements and
guarantees in order that the necessary
wOrkmen can be mobilized for the
war work that fhe advisory committee
points out that no problems can be
left to work themselves out"
The committee strongly urges that a
conference shall be called at once by
The Secretary OF Labor az which the
Secretary of the Navy. the Secretary
of War and the chairman Of the
United States shipping Board shall be
told the objects Of the new admins
iraiive functions Of the Department Of
Labor, and shall give immediate proper
assurances TO bring about the prompt
establishment Of the facilities.
With the outbreak Of war England
forced labor TO agree TO accept pre-
war wages-the increase cost Of living
70 be made up by bonuses determined
by government committee every three
months. 10 was further made obligat-
ory on manufacturers to receive no
more than one-1fth advance for their
products. the figures being based on
those Of the two years previous to war.
This increased profit has gone largely
into improvements, it is said
The British plan has been given
weighty consideration by the advisory
committee, 1t is said, which has found
that owing TO the establishment al
ready Of labor departments by the
shipping Board, the army and aircraft
officials. the plan cannot be bodily
adopted IN this country.
ID has been pointed out that the
greatest menace to America In the war
IS the ever present danger Of strikes
among labor employed on war work.
The special committee, TO be made up
OF the manufacturers and the labor
men. will be organized. according to
letters sent out by the Secretary OF
Labo., TO reach agreements on prin-
cirles and policies which should gov
erD their relations"
It is said that this committee viii be
asked to draw up wage and working
rendition agreements which will guar
aniee the nation against strikes during
The war
.The eight new bureaus OF the De-
Iariment OF Labor by which It IS be-
lleycd The greater problems Of labor
control viii be effected are:
Adjustment service 20 deal with IN
custrlal disputes. The nucleus OF this
service now exists IN the concliation
division Of the Department OF Labor. (
Conditions OF labor service TO admin T
iSirater conditions Of labor within busi- +
ness plants, such as safety, sanitation. /
etc.
Information and education division
20 promote sound sentiment and 70
provide appropriate local machinery \
500 policies In individual plants
II"...