Evening star., 1940-12-14

Of the Chief Executive and the laws
enacted by Congress, as construed
by the courts, and help to prove
that a free people are capable of
self discipline and of productive
work superior to that of a dictator's
subjects.
Down in Washington we are asked
If we can do lot of things. Some
of them we can do and some we
can't, but I can assure you this,
that the group I work with on the
Defense Commission will do every
thing that is humanity possible to
smooth out whatever little did1cul-
ties you might have in the execu-
tion of your defense orders. We
represent you. We are down there
you have the work in your plants.
We hear a lot about what is called
"red tape" which Is another name
for cumbersome procedure, but in
justice to the top officials of the
Army and the Navy, We can gen.
orally get action when requested.
All We Ask Is Speed.
We are there to give you assist
we ask Is, give us speed and more
speed. Full-time operations of all
machines. Talk to your men-make
them feel that it is their response
bility as we'll as yours. Ask them
what they think of civilization
that drives women mad children to
live in cold and wet holes in the
ground. We have gone back 1000
years in the last year. Why? Be-
cause q few individuals decide the
actions Of totalitarian nations and
democracy is fighting for its life. It
makes one shudder to think that
brains can devise a situation like
this-where we kill the harmless
because we want to break the spirit
of the people. Let us work and
work harder so that the possibility
of such barbarism spreading to our
shores will be an impossibility for
ever.
Let's get on this job spiritually.
What is more important today?
We. are, to my mind, way beyond
worrying about the cost; the laws
we think we ought to have ana
the way we are going to live when
this is all over. The important thing
now is to get this job done, or as
much more of the job done as Is
required to permanently protect our
standard of living and our insti-
tutions, our freedom and individual
opportunities.
Let each manufacturer utilize his
gift for organization to help the
total picture. Let us not lay in
inventories which we don't need.
Let us order our equipment to come
in to balance the operation. Get
enough for one line and get it in
operation without having an out-of-
balance condition in the whole set
up. Sure, we have priorities. but
the best way to have priorities is not
to have to use them.
Priorities IS Years Ago.
I am reminded Of my first ex-
perience with priorities in Buffalo
IS years ago. I was the assistant
superintendent in q plant which
manufactured a lot of different
articles in rather small lots. The
boss got the idea that the order
clerk in the ONCE should have
special ticket marked Rush" made
out of red pasteboard to drop in
the boxes of materials the customers
had written or wired for. I pro-
tested mildly that the foremans
work order was the best way to
handle it, but the boss had his
way and three weeks later I was
able to take him through the shop
and show him that practically every
box had a red ticket in it marked
Rush" So we collected all the
red tickets and went back to the
old system Of making the foreman
responsible. I mention this merely
to emphasize the necessity for leav-
ing responsibility with the proper
authority. Most anybody can devise
q system, but If there Is no actual
experience behind it, it is liable to
be hindrance rather than a help.
We get lots of suggestions as to
how to speed production and we
examine them carefully in the light
Of our experience for what they are
worth. We know we are subject to
criticism, constructive and other
wise, but whichever steps we take
will be along the old line policy Of
responsibility where it belongs.
I should like to ask your co-opera.
ton in another matter and that is
prices. With bigger and better busi-
ness prices generally get jittery and
- a