South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-01-20
Industrial Conditions Slowly But
Surely Being Adjusted to War Needs

tomObile industry, 20 make COM
Darison that is never likely TO be-
come an analogy has been so com
plete that not one automobile for
private use has been manufactured
in England in the last two years
The automobile factories devote all
their energies 20 the making OF air
planes, marine and airplane motors
and motor trucks. Similarly. cloth
ins factories are making blankets
and uniforms. and various kinds Of
machine shops are turning out sim
pie forms of munitions such as
shells and fuses.
An indication Of the extent Of
control England has found neces-
building construction; no building
may be constructed in England for
the value Of more than 500 pounds
without a license from the minister
OF munitions. Consequently the
private building industry virtually
has gone out Of business. Much the
same condition in minor degree but
with decreasing difference, is OBJ
tanning here through attraction of
labor and capital TO other fields, as
noted recently in reports from the
department of labor and the fed
eral reserve board.
The only construction work in
| England that continues TO any ap-
/ preciable extent is what the gov
eminent authorizes for munitions
/ factories. fortiications and other
J war projects. The government
] deems that, besides the steel and
/ lumber and masonry, the executive
I brains that direct constructions are
needed far more in the prosecu-
4 ton of the war than in building
country homes or even office build
, ings.
/ This imposes no hardship on
labor, for the demand is greater
than the supply Besides. labor is
! licensed in the same manner as ma
terials, and employers are allowed
labor only 20 the extent that their
war production, in comparative
value. requires labor
This control Of labor is not ac-
cOmplished by conscription: it is at
tanned by directis1 of the distribu-
3 tiOn of the workers forcing the
] war essentials manufacturers to OBJ
tain no more than they need and
preventing their bidding against
( one another for workers.
The system is that of a severn
mental employment agency that
/ covers all England The manufac-
turer who wants workers applies to
the nearest agency, specifying the
kind and number of workmen need
ed. He gets men, or women sub
stitutes. only if his work is vital to
the prosecution of the war. and he
/ gets as many of those who are
! available as the comparative inn
\ poTtance of his product warrants.
/ These agencies, also, are under the
minister of munitions, thus divert
| ing both labor and materials int
the single channel of war purpose.
{ The labor and material priorities
operate not only to prevent nom
! essential production, but TO intensity
/ essential production by punitive en-
/ bargoes on the inefficient till the
] enlarged manufacturer gives ad-
: equate assurances that he will
make more effective use of facil-
tiles. In addition TO the labor con-
| troll. the minister of munitions has
a working force called the war
munitions volunteers" enlisted for
/ the duration of the war.
! That the United States has taken
page out of England's war labor
( book for general guidance if not for
adaptation is seen in the move
: ments IDENTIFIED i'm the last few
weeks in the council and i'm the de
/ partment of labor. England S
| scheme for adoption here would in
volve too many complications, OBJ
viously of transportation. but the
! council is working out a system for
the most effective distribution of
/ labor, under the recently appointed
T L. G. Marshall, chief of the section
on Industrial service.
The department of labor, also, is
. evolving a scheme 10 fit America S
own peculiar needs. which differ
from England's in that the United
States has she tage without a
/ scarcity. and WI draft a bill 10
cover the situation for legislation in
this session of congress-. In this
phase of war control. as we'll as in
materials. the adjustment viii be
made without disruption
Manufacturers viii have sufficient
, time for diversion of their facilities
to the more needed products and
, the diversion will be equalizej au-
/ tomatically; if the war should con-
tinue only a short time any trade
| ADVANTAGE accruing to nOn-Con-
/ forming manufacturers. 10 the det-
riment of more patriotic or s
laggard rivals, would be negligible;
if the war should continue a long
time. the non-couformist would
lose all his temporary advantage if
not his business.
Workmen Will share in the same
gradual process of adjustment. and
. there is assurance that there will be
plenty of work for everybody i'm the
actual prosecution of the war,
through TRANSPORTATION rather
D. than elimination"
SAYS KAISER AND POPE