Evening star., 1940-06-23
War Crisis Finds II. S. Better Off
On Labor Status Than in 1916
Quantity and Location of Supply Are Known, and
Regulatory Acts Are Available to
Prevent Evils of Boom
By Marquis ". ChiIds.

semiskilled, and to some extent skilled,
workers who are now seeking work." Mr..
Walling said, there ought to be no diff1-
shift basis where it is not now so operat-
ing. There may be some bottlenecks
where it will be necessary to work skilled
crews overtime, but there is no reason
why they should not be paid for it, as is
being done in Britain today under q
fortunately are under at the moment.
Overtime Provision Stabilizing.
During the last war great ineficiency
resulted from the competition for labor
among industries and between industries
and the Government, because of the alb
sence of any equalized standards. The
overtime requirement beyond the 40-hour
shift ought to stabilize industrial condi-
tions and prevent workers from being
attracted to industrial operations which
are not vital to the defense program
simply because the labor conditions are
more favorable. Also, the overtime re-
quirement will tend to keep labor satis-
fled that its rights and opportunities
will be equal all along the industrial
front and will reassure it that the de-
fense program will not be used as an
illegitimate excuse to deprive it of stand
ards which have been painfully built up
over long period of time"
The latest figure of the United States
Employment Service for June / shows
5,723,949 persons on the active list de-
string jobs. This, of course is an over
all figure. But shortly the service ex-
poets to announce Nationwide break.
down by classifications of those regis
tered on the active list for April 80.
This will show not only the number of
skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled work.
ers seeking jobs. but, in broad outline,
what the special capacities of these
workers are Such an inventory of the
available labor supply will be invaluable
to those responsible for pushing the de-
fense program. Nothing like this knowl-
edge was available in the war crisis of
two decades ago.
Officials charged with administering
the labor standards laws are anxious to
cooperate in every way with the Ma
tlonal Advisory Defense Commission
Both William S. Knudsen and Edward
R. Stettinius, jr., have been advised that
all possible action will be taken to facili-
tate increased production in defense in
dustries.
The drive to amend the Walsh Healey
and the wage and hour laws has been
centered for the most part in the House.
Recently when Representative Emanuel
Celler. Democrat, of New York brought
up before the Judiciary Committee
amendments which would have broad
ened the Walsh -Healey Act, extending
its fair labor provisions to cover all
contracts above $4,000 instead of the
present limit of $4,000, he was met with
an attack on the law itself This came
from Representative Francis E. Walter,
Democrat, of Pennsylvania, who pro-
posed substitute amendment that
would, in effect, abolish the law.
Wage-Hour Issue Quiet.
A similar drive was directed at the
wage and hour law. This last of course,
was prior to the defense emergency.
Representative Graham A. Barden,
Democrat, of North Carolina put in a
series of amendments that, with group
of more moderate proposals, were de-
feated in turbulent session of the
House. Chairman Mary Norton of the
House Labor Committee Is confident that
the wage and hour issue is disposed of
for this session.
But there is no assurance of this if
Congress comes back after a convention
recess to stay for prolonged session
through the fall and perhaps even into
the winter. Any slightest halt in the de-
tense program, whatever the cause, is
likely to be blamed on restricting" labor
laws. This will serve the campaign of
those who were determined to wipe pro-
tective laws off the books long before
any one foresaw the present crisis.
The forces of organized labor are at
present split half dozen ways. Labor
leadership has been to a considerable
degree discredited. Observing this, many
politicians seem to feel confident that
labor can no longer make its desires and
wishes effective in Washington. And
this may we'll be true, with one faction
canceling out the other faction. But
the basic reaction of individuals to the
abrogation of New Deal gains will remain
no matter what the organized power of
the trade unions may be. Discomfort
and resentment count against unity and
morale as surely as the work of pro-
fessional spies and saboteurs.