Evening star., 1939-12-17


Works Administration, he brought to-
gether, whenever possible, the local ON
cials Of the w. P. A., the P. w. A., the
United States Housing Authority and
the Roads and Buildings Administra-
tions.
II found in many Cities" he says,
"that often these officials had never met
each other, let alone co-operated. In
fact, the various agencies formerly were
often hostile to each other. BY having
the five divisions under one lead, think
we'll be able to save money on their stats
and their quarters, to work out longer
range programs, and in general have
better feeling among governmental per-
sonnet"
On inspection trips Mr.. Carmody re-
verts to the days when he was an indus
trial engineer for private businesses. Re-
Gently while inspecting sewing project
IN California he was pleased to see that
the production methods, although the
most modern machinery was not avail
able, compared favorably with those in
private plants which he had previously
managed. When he asked woman re-
lief worker over 60 years old whether she
got tired standing at desk, he was i'm
pressed when she pulled out a chair and
said she used it whenever she wanted to
sit down
How do the forewomen treat you?"
he asked
Again he was pleased when she said
that her treatment was excellent.
If they don't treat us well,' she de-
clared, I'VE tell them
Long a New Dealer.
Mr.. Carmody was a New Dealer before
President Roosevelt came into national
prominence. His first Federal job was
IN 1922, when he made special study
OF labor relations In the bituminous coal
industry for the Coal Commission ap-
pointed by President Harding. BY that
time he had become an industrial enei-
neer, with faculty for ironing out labor
dimculties. In his report he criticized
the small production of union miners
compared with that of non- union
miners. This found little favor among
organized labor groups although Mr..
Carmody proposed increased compensa-
tion for increased production.
Born In Democratic family on a farm
in Bradford County, PENNSYLVANIA where
the Republicans were strongly entrench-
ed he attended the Free Academy at
Elmira, N. Y. He took a years course
at the Elmira Business College. While
working with various structural steel
firms between 1900 and 1914. he found
time to attend Lewis Institute in Chi
cago and the Emerson School in Gary.
Ind. From 1914 to 1928, he managed
several ladies' garment plants in which
he perfected his production schedules.
For three years he was vice president
| in charge of industrial relations for the
| Davis Coal and Coke Co. in West Vir-
! ginia and at the same time general man.
| ager OF the company's merchandising
subsidiaries From 1927 to 1888, he was
editor of Coal Age and Factory and In
dustrial Management for the McGraw-
Hill Publishing Co. and in this capacity
made an extensive tour of Soviet Russia
in 1881.
| He found that the Bolsheviks were
building plants too big for their un-
trained personnel and did not hesitate
to tell Russian officials about their in
efficient methods. Instead of resenting
his belligerent criticism. ranking officials
asked him for bill of particulars-and
Stain himself used Mr.. Carmody 5
structures in speech to show that Rus
sia had long pull ahead before it could
reach American methods.
Attracts White House Attention.
| The new Works Administrator was in
duced by William Leiserson, then head
of the Railroad Mediation Board and
now member of the National Labor
Relations Board, to join the New Deal in
1888. Mr.. Carmody had left McGraw-
Hill to join the staff of Stevenson, Jor-
dan Il Harrison, managing engineers
with headquarters in New York. After
Mr.. Carmody had successfully mediated
strikes in Buffalo and Detroit, Mr.. Leis-
erson persuaded him to join the Labor
Board set up under the National Indus
trial Recovery Act. From there he went
to the Federal Emergency Relief Admin
istration as chief engineer of the Civil
Works Administration. BY that time he
had attracted the attention of the White
House and was successfully appointed
by the President to membership on the
National Mediation Board, the National
Labor Relations Board, deputy admins
traitor Of the Rural Electri1cation ADJ
ministration, administrator of the r. E.
A. and finally Federal Works Admins
traitor.
! Each job enabled him to demonstrate
his organizing ability, his concern for
cooperation between capital and labor
and his insistence on the attainment Of
planned objectives.
| He has taken virtually no part in poll
tics, except to praise the ideas and work
of the President. Even when he spoke
before the Young Democrats at Pitts
burgh this fall, his remarks dealt almost
solely with the accomplishments of w. P.
A. and p. w. A. in Allegheny County.
For six years he has followed his own
observation that "the most beautiful
sound In the world is the still, small
sound made by q man with his mouth
closed attending to his job"