Evening star., 1940-09-29
By JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.

Il6cu VI NOlh tb ciiAJ u bAAANfA pNA
centage of those who line up outside
airplane factory employment Offices
find work.
The reason, as explained by Dan
iel w. Siemon, personnel chief for
the Glenn L. Martin Co.. Baltimore
one of the farthest advanced toward
"line production" methods OF all the
Nations aircraft plants, illustrates
conditions throughout the industry.
I'VE need craftsmen and engi-
neers.' Mr.. Siemop said. There is
not much room here for ineXperi-
ence. Show me an expert machinist,
tool maker. a sheet-metal opera
tor, a welder, fitting maker.
wood tool maker. or skilled lnspec-
tor in the line Of applicants outside
my Office and III have him in here
so fast it will make his head swim.
Or if YOU can tell me where I can
find some aeronautlcal or mechani-
cal engineers, or tool design experts.
YOU will receive rising vote Of
thanks Every man who applies for
work will get a hearing. but We are
looking for men with sound basis
of training on which to build aircraft
specialists"
Set Up Finishing School"
To provide men with the requisite
preliminary training. officials OF the
Martin factory went TO the Balti-
more schools to supervise vocational
training and engineers and produc-
ton engineers were assigned to vo-
cational and technical high schools
and colleges to serve as instructors.
Today As Martin company super
visory officials serve regularly in the
schools In addition. the company
recently took floor in a downtown
Office building 10 establish the Glenn
L. Martin Engineering Training
School. finishing school for college
trained engineers to fit them for
definite roles in aircraft production.
In Connecticut, officials OF the
Pratt & Whitney Division. United
Aircraft Corp. aircraft engine build
ers. are cooperating with State edu-
cation officials on a somewhat SINH
lar basis. There, however. selected
vocational students are taken into
the factory to work on machines
alongside experienced men-a stren-
uous program involving eight hours
OF class work and eight hours of fac
tory work daily.
, Other States and cities have
somewhat similar programs.
United States Spending $4,000. 600.
The United States Office of Edu-
cation now is engaged in a sl5.00O-
600 national program to assist III
training workers for national de-
tense industries, using the facilities
and staffs of vocational schools in
the various States. The program.
under way during the past summer
in a number of States, provided in
tensive 10-week training courses for
thousands of workers and extra
shifts of students and teachers are
being put on this fall.
These schools are expected to
turn out more than 900 900 trained
workers for defense industries pe-
tween now and next summer-com-
paratively few of them, however.
will be qualified for anything but
beginners jobs in the exacting air.
craft industry.
In some factories, where there is
an acute shortage of supervisory
personnel there are plenty of men
capable of handling the simpler
machine or manual operations.
The Boeing Airplane Co., Seattle.
for example, reported its Seattle
plant flooded with men" to such
an extent that no more can be taken
on until further plant expansion
work is completed. Its force has
been increased from 5000 men last
spring to 5000 today. Yet, so hard
pressed is the company for supervi-
Sors that its Wichita (Kans.l factory
is able to work only two shifts. while
the big Seattle plant producing
vitality needed Flying Fortress"
bombers, is on two shifts and Ave-
l