Washington telegraph., 1926-04-09

forth. On top of that there prevailed
the demands Of the Shipping Board,
with the slogan that ships would win
the war and Of the Food Administra-
ticn, with the slogan that food would
win the war Further there was the
Railroad Administration with its need
FOR material and labor, and finally
here was the feverish quest for labor
and supplies on the part Of the muni-
tion makerc-nll competing for labor,
money materials, transportation, fuel,
power. and each insisting on the
yre1ior Importance Of its activity. All
tiis while the labor supply was being
'"T'oned by the Gow OF men into the
Army
While an endeavor was being made
~~1e~ out Of chaos. the great
f'"" ;. 10 20 on. Men. ships,
t.' 'O7s, loai, material, had to be
1..,-I ~ Old org1nizations, bureaus
nd traditions had to be met and
hanged, but not destroyed until the
new wes set Gp. The wonder Of It all
is, not that there we're so many mis-
lakes, but that so much was accom-
plished
At the time we entered the war
prices were at their peak, and tending
higher because Of the wars Unsuitable
demands. The problem was not alone
10 secure the materials and labor and
to stop the confusion. but to do It in
such way that the morale OF the peo-
pie would be maintained The prices
Of soma things, like steel and copper.
werc fxed far below prevailing rates,
nj the wages OF labor in those indus
los were standardized The more
~h'y organized al Industry. the
-as'er 1t was to arrancn Order did
ny commence to appear until the
trmy funneled its needs through one
van sitting with a section Of the War
Industries Board and until the Navy,
ihipring Board, Allies and Railroad
ADMINISTRATION did likewise. Each de.
~artment 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 chairman 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 CT America so
that the fighting forces OF the Allied
and associated nati0is could draw
from the United States-the last res
ervoir of men, materials and money
the things needed for the winning OF
the war at the time the things were
needed and with the least dslocation
of 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. II surveyed and
sought to arrange the whole Industrial
war field under the plenary powers
conferred by the President and the
Congress. How well it did this is a
story for others to tell What It did
is the basis OF the plan | here
drawing
II was comparatively easy to fix
prices 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 Crowder
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 prof.
teerlng of labor It is an unjust accu-
sation. 1t is only fair to say that this
condition was primarily brought about
through the inexperience of the organ.
ization within our own governmental
departments and by the furious 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 its work, made II inevi-
table that labor must get higher
wages.
SO it became evident that the price
fixing program had to go even fur
;her and the War Industries Board,
when the Armistice came, was pro-
coedng with a campaign 10 fix the
prices OF all the basic things that la
Dor had to buy. Some had previously
been fixed. speak OF labor in much
broader sense than manual labor, for
the unorganized so-called white col.
lar part OF our community-clerks
teachers, government employees, pro-
fessional men-were less able to meet
the situation than labor in the mar
rover sense. For the protection and
relief OF such groups certain pIans
n IL