Evening star., 1941-06-02
Senators See
Defense FORCING
Longer Hours
40-BiIIion Yearly
Arms Output Needed,
0. P. M. Official Says
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
Since beginning oj Unitet
States defense program Utth es-
toblishment of Office of Produc-
ton Management year ago. nd-
ministration officials hare main
tanned there is no need to disrupt
present 1Udge-hour ldtDS. Argu-
ment has been that program can
be accomplished Without sdcrt-
fcing social gains This policy.
hoWeper, has not kept dotUn labor
troubles. Many defense industry
strikes led President Roosevelt
last peek to call on labor and
capital to stop strikes.
Three Senators who often have
differed on matters of policy agreed
today that lengthening of work
ing hours might be necessary IN the
Nations defense efforts.
Their statements followed closely
an assertion by an o. P. M. official
that defeat of the Axis powers could
not be assured unless the United
States steps up its arms produc-
ton to 40 billion dollars year
about double the present rate OF ex-
penditure.
Other developments, indicating an
intensifcation of interest IN speed
ing up the preparedness program,
included:
I. Disclosures by authoritative
congressional sources that the Army
Is experimenting with tank-carry-
ing transport plane similar to those
which Germany is reported to have
used in the invasion of Crete.
Senate Inquiry TO Open.
z. Beginning today of the Senate
Defense Committees inquiry into
armaments sub-contracting, spurred
by assertions of its chairman Tru-
man that sufficient machine tools
for peak production are available
but are not being used.
8 Consideration by defense ON
cials of Government action to con-
troll prices of gasoline and fuel oil
in all sections of the country.
4. Announcement by Federal
Power Commissioner Leland Olds
that he will meet electric utility
officials from throughout the Ma
ton in a series of special confer
ences to determine methods OF in
surfing delivery of power to de-
fense industries. The first session is
scheduled for Wednesday in Atlanta.
Action Seen Justified.
Senator Norris. independent. Of
Nebraska, one of the three Senators
agreeing on the possibility OF longer
working hours, said there are some
management-labor disputes at pres
ent which would justify the Gov
ernment in taking over and operat-
ing individual plants.
Senator Taft, Republican, Of Ohio
said he believed the hour provisions
of the wage-hour law should be
relaxed for the duration Of the
emergency" and Senator Lucas,
Democrat. of Illinois. also speaking
to reporters, asserted President
Roosevelt should have any powers
necessary Ito insure an uninter-
rupted flow of guns, planes and
tanks"
Senator Ellender. Democrat, of
Louisiana, who, like Senator Taft,
is a member of the Senate Labor
Committee, said, however, he op-
posed any general relaxation Of the
present 40-hour week. II bona
fide labor shortage did occur in
specific industries, he added, it
might be feasible to permit the
President to relax the hour stand
ards in certain instances.
Relations Not Satisfactory.
Senator Norris, long regarded as
one of labor's best friends" in Con-
gress, declared that relations be-
tween labor and capital are far
from satisfactory"
Asserting that I'VE may have to
lengthen hours-that may have to
come" he said that in some cases
the public was justified in blaming
labor for production stoppages.
Stacy May, chief of the Bureau
of Research and Statistics for the
Office of Production MANAGEMENT
said yesterday that by doubling our
present rate of defense spending, I'VE
should be doing in proportion to our
strength no more than Canada or
England or Germany are doing
now"
Mr.. May spoke over the Mutual
Broadcasting System as part of a
Northwestern University program.
To the question. Are we progress
ing fast enough" in defense produc-
ton, Mr.. May said the answer was
a fiat NO" Deliveries under the
present program. he asserted, are
not coming through promptly
enough; the enacted program does
not represent the mobilization of a
fair share of our total economic re-
sources" when measured against the
efforts of other Nations; and the
planned effort is not great enough
to make certain that the Axis
powers will go down to ultimate
defeat"
Present defense plans, Mr.. Nav
said, call for expenditures of more
than $40 1000, 100000 in 1941 and
1912. To live up to this. he said, it
will be necessary to spend more
than $1,000, 100000 this year and
more than $4,000, 900 900 next year.
To date, he added, the record of
funds actually spent does not show
satisfactory progress"
In the San Francisco shipbuild-
ing strike, Senator Norris said in
his statement, labor is 100 per cent
to blame.
an some other cases capital is