The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-11-21
Liberul Labor
Continued from Page One)

would adopt the same policy of main
tanning labor standards that it did
in the World War, for reasons which
have never been stated better than
in an order of the Chief of Ordnance
issued November Is, 1917:
"In view of the urgent necessity |
for prompt increase in the volume
of production vigilance is de-
manded of all those in any way as
sociated with industry lest the safe
guards with which the people of this
country have sought to protect labor
should be unwisely and unnecessarily
broken down. 1t is a fair assump-
ton that for the most part these safe
guards are the mechanisms of efficien-
cy. Industrial history proves that
reasonable hours, fair working condi-
tions, and a proper wage scale are
essential to high production.
every attempt should be made to con-
serve in every way possible all of our
achievements in the way of social bet
terment. But the pressing argument
for maintaining industrial safeguards
in the present emergency is that they
actually contribute to efficiency
"These considerations are as COM
pelling now as they were in 1917.
"To avoid misunderstanding it
should also be stated that the War
Department does not regard the Ad-
visory Commissions recommendation
that reasonable efforts should be
made to avoid hours in excess Of 40
per week as applying to prevent over
time work under the Departments con-
struction program. This recommenda-
ton is frequently applicable to such
supply items as shoes, clothing,
blankets and other articles made COM
mercially, where there is now much
unemployed labor and unused factory
capacity. 1t does not apply in the
procurement of airplanes, tanks, guns,
ammunition and similar items of arm
ament where facilities are limited and
necessary types Of skilled labor are
scarce. Thus, all the arsenals and
many airplane factories are now run
ming three shifts Of six days week
on an overtime basis, with the full ap
proval Of the Advisory Commission
and the complete cooperation of union
labor The same considerations are
applicable to the present emergency
construction program. In no case
throughout the entire defense program
is delay being allowed to result from
fixed limitations on hour of work.
"There has recently been consider
able newspaper discussion of certain
labor difficulties in connection with
construction at Fort George G.. Meade,
Maryland. In point Of fact, these diff
ficulties were relatively minor. They
, resulted from temporary misunder-
! standing of the labor policy of the
5 War Department as to overtime pay.
{ The workers involved were out only
one day; they returned to work be-
fore their claims for overtime pay had
been adjusted; they are entirely salts
fled with the adjustment required by
, the labor policy of the Department
: policy determined upon long before
r any difficulty at Fort Meade had de-
5 veloped.
| "Recognized practices with respect
: to wage scales and overtime pay have
, long been established in the vicinity
of Baltimore, and the wage conditions
involved at Fort Meade were met
. without any difficulty or publicity at
!. lIdgewood Arsenal and the Aberdeen
e Proving Ground. The Fort Meads
4 construction project has now been
brought into line with all other gov
- crnment construction projects through
>, out the country, and there is no reason
e to anticipate any further difficulty
Nor is there any reason whatever tC
| believe that the construction at Fort
t Meade will not be completed on time
, 1t is on schedule now
"The great mass Of American labor
5 and its responsible leaders are CO.
e operating with the Army in prepar-
ing for national defense. The Army
Y and each other in it must cooperate
with labor, to the end that the defense
program may move forward without
interruption or delay and that our
country may have and keep that real
and visible national unity which is
: increasingly essential to any effective
defense in modern total war"