Evening star., 1940-11-09
40-Hour Limit Erased
For Defense Orders,
Patterson Asserts
Overtime Prevails in
Vitol Industries, Assistant
Secretary of War Says

With the need of supplying Great
Britain and Canada with half of
the war output of American fac
tories calling for increased pressure
on production, the War Department
said today that defense orders are
being rushed now without regard to
limitation on fixed hours of labor.
In no case throughout the entire
defense program, Assistant Secre-
tary Patterson assured, is delay be-
ing allowed to result from applying
the 40-hour week limitation to either
essential war orders or construction
of Army cantonmentS.
"All the arSenalS and many air.
plane factories are now running
three shifts of workers six days a
week on an overtime basis" he said,
with the full approval of the Ma
tional Defense Commission and the
complete cooperation of union
labor" Workers are compensated
on time -and-one- half basis when
their hours exceed 40.
Officials said in time that all air
plane factories producing orders for
both American ana British needs
will be working on the same "a hour
a day basis.
Clarifies Policy on Labor.
What Mr.. Patterson had TO say
about production was made in a
statement intended to clarity the
War Department. labor policy, a
policy which, he reminded. was pat
termed after the 1917 World War
policy, only brought up to date.
That policy was formulated by
Congress, the President and the De-
fense Commission on the basis of
present day labor practices. 1t re-
quireS that the local union rate of
time and a half be paid to laborers
and mechanics for work in excess
of eight hours in any one Gay in
accordance with the 40-hour week.
Overtime must be paid for work on
Saturdays, Sundays or holidays in
accordance with local recognized
practices.
The Defense Commission on Sep
tember IS ruled that in order that
surplus and unemployed labor may
be absorbed in the defense pro-
gram. all reasonable efforts should
be made TO avoid hours in excess of
40 hours week except when
emergency requirements compel ex-
ceptions to the rule.
Mr.. Patterson said today that the
War Department does not regard
the Commissions recommendation
with respect to adherence to the
40 hour week as applying ito pre-
vent overtime work under the de-
partment's construction program"
Applied on Oother Supplies.
The 4o-hour week limitation is
frequently applied. he said, to such
items as shoes, clothing, blankets
and other articles of Army use
made commercially. In these trades
there is still a great deal of un-
employed labor and unused factory
space.
The reverse Is true in connection
with the procurement of airplaneS,
tanks, guns. ammunition and SINH
lar items of armament where faciE-
ties are limited and necessary types
of skilled labor are scarce. For
this reason, he said, the 40-hour
week must be diSregarded and pro-
visions of extra shifts and over
time pay applied through necessity.
The recent strike of carpenters at
work on the Fort George G. Meade
cantonmentS, Mr.. Patterson said
had resulted in the loss of only one
work day but considerable public
discussion of labor dificulties. He
characterized these difficulties as
relatively minor"
The recognized practices with re-
pect to wage scales and overtime
pay that governed the settlement of
this strike, he declared, were met
without any difficulty or publicity at
Edgewood Arsenal and Aberdeen
Proving Ground.
On Schedule Now.
There is no reason whatever to
believe that the construction at
Fort Meade will not now be COM
pleted on time, he assured. 1T is
on schedule now"
All csntonment construction, Mr.
Patterson said, has been brought
into similar line.
There is one sore spot at Downey,
Calf, where a strike is threatened
at the Vultee Aircraft Corp, which
has Army orders for more than
S37,000,000 worth Of training and
other planes. Labor leaders said
IAN overwhelming majority" of
$500 members of c. I. o. union
had voted to strike unless granted
a higher minimum wage. Defense
Commission officials said every
means possible" were being used to
avert walkout.
Hillman's Cooperation Praised.
The cooperation of Sidney Hill
man, commissioner of the labor sec
ton of the Defense Commission, and
that of the Labor Department has
been 100 per cent, the Assistant
War Secretary claimed. So also. he
said, are the great mass of American
labor and its responsible leaders CO.
operating with the Army in pre-
pairing for national defense. In
turn, he warned, "the Army and
each officer must cooperate with
labor" to accomplish the same OBJ
jective without interruption or
delay"
The overwhelming mass of Amer
Do
"are intensely patriotic and want to
help defend their country. They
want to cooperate and they are
cooperating. But cooperation must
work both ways. Labor standards
as to wages, hours of work and
overtime, among others, must be
maintained If the defense program
is to go effectively forward"