Evening star., 1918-02-15
Situation in Shipyards Critical
and Demand Is for lmme-
date Improvement.
STILL HOPES TO AVOID
RESORT TO CONsCRIPTlON
Difficulty Not So Much Lack OF
Workers as 1t Is Inadequate
Distribution.

President Wilson is giving his per
sonal attention to measures to solve the
war time labor problem.
Unless the efforts no~ being made by
Chairman Hurley Of tho United States
Shipping Board to bring about satisfac-
tory labor conditions in sMpbuilding
yards produce immediate results the
President will take hand in that.
But the President is considering the
entire labor problem. in a broad sense,
with the end in view of bringing an or
derly program out of the present cha
otic conditions.
Still Frown on Conscription.
Discussion of conscription of labor
still is frowned upon. Early in the war
there was advocacy of such a step. but
both labor leaders in this country. and
members of the British labor mission
advised against it SO strongly that it
has been abandoned
What the Labor Department now is
trying to do, under the broader pow
ers accorded the Secretary of Labor
when he was made labor administrator.
is to set up machinery by which labor
may be distributed, trained to meet
kept on the job by the prompt adjudica-
ton of disputes.
To Meet Crisis Promptly.
Within the past week protest against
the shortage of labor in certain locali-
ties, and against what were alleged to
be unreasonable demands of labor in
other uarters which led to disputes,
have been pouring into Washington at
a rapid rate.
Administration leaders are determined
that the crisis shall be met promptly,
rather than that conditions shall reach
a point where q congressional inquiry.
like that into the War Department. may
be precipitated. -.-
The Labor Department has been
working with the money and machin-
cry it has to meet the problem. Realiz-
ing that it's peace timA organization
was inadequate for present pressing
demands. a program was worked out
and approved by the Secretary Of
Labor. which would create a number Of
agencies. such as an adjustment bu-
reau. a conditions Of labor bureau.
bureau on women and industry. a
training and dilution bureau, expansion
of the United States employment serv-
ice and various otner bureaus.
Department Lacks Funds.
But the department is yet without
funds to put most of this program into
effect. The program, in fact. was based
largely on studies made by commit
tee Of the Council of National Defense
and particularly by L. c. Marshall,
brought in there to direct the work
council
The program represents an effort to
bring together the loose ends which
now are scattered in various depart
ments, and to meet some sort of a cen
trial program. For example, within the
past week representatives of farmers
organizations appealed directly to the
President to establish a bureau which
would meet the needs of the farmers
this summer.
Distribution Chief Problem.
The Labor Department. the farmers
claim, has paid attention almost wholly
to labor in industry and commerce, and
has done little to insure an adequate
supply of farm labor In reply the La
Dor Department processes to be able to
show that there is adequate farm labor
available on the basis of production
last year and that the Department of
Agriculture has submitted no program
to show how much of an increased pro-
duction there is to be next year.
This is only one example of conflict
ing views of different departments on
I 1fI I.,1x rra