The Monmouth inquirer., 1926-04-01

| IOfLn. Tn top OF LnaL Jnere prevailed
the demands Of the Shipping Board,
with the slogan that ships would win
the war and of the Food Administra-
! ton, with the slogan that food would
win the war. Further, there was the
Railroad Administration with It's need
for material and labor, and finally
there was the feverish quest for labor
and supplies on the part Of the NUM-
tion makers-all competing for labor,
money, materials, transportation, fuel,
power, and each insisting on the
greater importance of its activity. All
this while this labor supply was being
lessened by the flow of men into the
Army.
While an endeavor was being made
! to bring order out of chaos, the great
undertaking had to go on Men, ships,
munitions, food, material, had to be
provided Old or ORGANIZATIONS, bureaus
and traditions had to be met and
changed, but pot destroyed until the
new was set up. The wonder Of 1t all
is. not that there were 80 many mis-
takes, but that 80 much was accom-
plfshed.
Az the time we entered the war
prices were at their peak, and tending
higher because of the wars Unsuitable
demands. The pFebIem was not slone
to secure the materials and labor and
to stop the confusion, but to do It Up
such way that the morale of the pee-
/ pie weAid be maintained. The prices
of some things, like steel and copper,
were fixed far below prevailing rates,
and the wages of labor ia bpose indus
tries were standardized. The more
highly organized an industry. the
easier it was to arrange. Order did
rot commence to appear until the
Army funneled its needs through one
man sitting With section OF the War
Industries Board and until the Navy,
Shipping Board, Allies and Railroad
| Administration did likewise. Each de-
partment satisfied its requirements
through a central authoritative body.
This was called the War Industries
/ Board, controlling and directing all
materials. and co-ordinating through
its chaifmaR the whole system of gov
ernmental and civilian supply and de-
mand 1t was created by executive
order in March of the year 1918
Briefly, this board endeavored TO
mobilize the industries of America so
that the fighting forces Of the Allied
aad associated nations could draw
from tile United Stases-the last res
4 eryoir OF men, materials and money
4 bbe things needed for the winning of
\ the war at the time the thd1gs were
needed ana with the least dislocation
| % industry and the least disturbance
OF the civilian population.
The War Industries Board was or
! ganized like any other supervisory
/ committee, with a chairman, vice
chairman. members in charge Of va
rious activities. bureau chiefs and sub
ordinate workers. 1t surveyed and
sought to arrange the whole Industrial
war deld under the plenary powers
conferred py che President and the
Congress. How we'll It did this is .
story for others to tell what It did
is the basis Of the plan I am here
drawing.
1t was comparatively easy to fix
Drices and to distribute materials, and
indeed to stabilize the wages OF labor
in those Industries in which prices
were fixed. The labor situation, how
ever. became Increasingly difficult,
particularly when General cFpwder
found 1t necessary to Withdraw men
for the proposed campaign OF 1919
after 100000 soldiers had already
been taken.
Much has been said about the prom.
teering of labor. It is an unjust accu-
satieR. 1t is only fair to say that this
condition was primarily brought about
through the iHeKperiepce of the organ
ization within our Own governmental
departments and by the fuFieHs bid
ding Of munitions makers and ship
builders for services. That situation,
together with the increased prices OF
the things that labor had to buy with
the results OF It's work, made it ineyi-
table that labor must get higher
wages.
So 1t became evident that the price
fixing program had to go even fur
Their. and the War Industries Board,
when the Armistice came, was pro-
ceeding with campaign to fix the
prices OF all the basic things that la
Dor had to buy. Some had previously
been hxed. speak of labor In much
broader sense than manual labor, for
the unorganized so-called white cox
lar" part OF our community clerks,
teachers, government employees, pro
fesaional men-were less able 30 meet
the situation than labor in the mar
rover sense. For the protection and
relief OF such groups certain plans
/ were 6evissd. 10 illustrate