Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-10-30
Important Role For
Industries Board
in Reconstruction


task of internal reconstruction after
the war, the war industries board
seems certain to- continue in existence
and play large part in the trans.
formation of war manufacturing back
to peace times prduction. This Is one
feature OF the governments program
TOR easing the nations business from
the pitch OF war to the pursuits OF
peace without CONFUSING it in the
process. In u sense the program Is
tentative because its formulation has
just begun Nevertheless the Planning
tor peace Is giving all government
agencies in Washington these days
material for Us systematic thought as
the prosecution oil the war.
Industrial reconstruction, next to de-
mobiliZation of the army, is probably
the most important phase OF these
plans. How to stop the manufacture
OF Shells guns, of army and navy sup
plies. without stopping the industrial
wheels which made them and to fur
nish new work for these wheels, is Il
problem which the agencies of the war
board will be called to
solve. uiS uISdilS lAdl Tie AiuIluiSdo
of Industrial and commercial leaders
who nave been called 70 washington
will have to continue their services
for essential peace work, or substitutes
Tor them be found.
Manufacturing plants which now
look to the war industries board for
assistance in obtaining materials and
which in turn comply with the force
fui suggestions of the board, eventu-
ally will call on some government
agency to guide them during the pro-
cess OF facing about toward peace pro-
ducUion. The war industries board is
the only agency equipped with the
machinery and supplied with the in
formation to. give this guidance. For
that reason. the officials in closest
touch with currents OF ideas within
the government insist that the war
industries bolrd viii continue in ex-
istence indefinitely after the war, re-
CARELESS of when the war ends.
Officials intimate that means will be
found of continuing the current plans
for eliminating strikes. of giving labor
greater voice in the management or
industrial plants and OF extending
both labor and trade federa.lons to
promote collective bargaining. They
suggest that the government through
the war finance corporation, may aid
in the conversion OF industries from
war to peace footing, reversing ths
existing priority of war enterprises.
Railroad transportation, and industrial
production and ocean shipping must
'oc CO. ordinated and supervised for
few years after peace comes as they
have been during the war, in the
opinion of government leaders. EN-
ployment agencies, universities and
schools, churches and other social or
CARNATIONS must cooperate to facil-
itate the placing or returned soldiers
in the occupations where they are best
fitted and most needed.
TO do all this it is the belief in
many official circles IN Washington
that most government agencies which
have sprung UP during the. war must
continue to function for an indefinite
time afterward. These include the
war industries board, shipping board,
war trade board, food and fuel ad-
ministration. war labor policies board.
numerous divisions Of the national
council of defense, war finance cor
poration and many other connected
agencies. The railroad administration
has twenty one months to live after
peace is signed. unless future leSisla-
ton should change existing plans for
restoration Of railroads to private con-
troll The Red Cross, Young Mems
Christian Association, War Camp
Community Service AM similar insti-
tutions will have big work to perform
in conjunction with the government
long after the war is over.
In realization that the question Of
how to accomplish all these compli-
Gated matters will be as big question
as that Of how to make war has been,
nearly all government agencies now
are bestirring themselves quietly to
taking stock. In congress the spirit Is
reflected in at least three pending re-
solutions looking to creation Of boards
or commissions to study reconstruction
The republicans advocate a survey by
committee Of members Of congress.
Senator Overman's resolution provides
for appointment Of a disinterested
body Of students of various problems.
Senator Owen has similar sugges-
ton. Most. administration leaders are
inclined to endorse Senator oyernans
proposal.
President Wilson has discussed the
questions Of internal, as we'll as inter-
national reconstruction, with q few ad-
vlsors, and it is understood that It was
at his suggestion that the council Of
national defense went to work months
ago gathering information from oil the
departments and bureaus concerning
their capabilities as peace-time bodies.
An extensive photography. several
chests full of reports. and a number Of
charts. have been gathered for the use
OF any agency which may undertake
to formulate the governments recon-
struction program. No effort has been
made by the councils officers to sug-
gest policies. This research work has
been done largely by Walter s. Gift
ford and Grosvenur Garrison, director
and secretary respectively OF the
council. Mr.. Clifford has just returned
n ft : 5tt