Evening star., 1941-01-08
Loo in Production

President ROOSeVelt'S blunt decla-
ration in his message to Congress
that he is not satisfied with the prog
ress thus far made in the national
defense program is amply justified by
the factual picture, both present and
prospective.
The most important deficiency at
this time is in the field of military
plane production, particularly bomb
ers, which, according to William S.
Knudsen, is some thirty per cent be-
hind schedule. The President, COM
menting on this lag, said: 1--WE are
behind schedule in turning out fin
ished airplaneS; we are working day
and night to solve the innumerable
problems and to catch up"
At present, the most serious bottle
necks in the airplane program are to
be found in the production of motors
and propellers. Most manufacturers
of airframes-the fuselage and wing
assemblies-are up to or ahead of
schedule, and are being held back by
their inability to get delivery on
engines and propellers. There is en-
couragement, however, in the fact
that strenuous efforts are being made
to overcome these deficiencies.
Three plants-Allison, Pratt &
Whitney and Wright-are now en-
gagged in making engines for combat
planes. The Allison plant, which
has been expanded thirty-tWo times
since construction work began more
than a year ago, is operating on
three daily shifts of seven and one
half hours each, six days a week.
Pratt & Whitney and Wright are
working three shifts of eight hours
each, six and five days a week, re-
spectively. Similar working sched-
ules are in effect at the two plants
manufacturing propellerS - CurtiSs
Electric and Hamilton Standard.
Three shifts of eight hours each are
in effect at both plants, the former
working five days week and the
latter six. These concerns have ad-
vised the Defense Commission, how
ever, that they are now preparing
schedules for Sunday work.
These work schedules, when allow
ance is made for the fact that some
time must be left free for mainte-
nance, indicate that a real effort is
being made to speed up a program
which did not get under way in
earnest until September because of
the three-month fight to eliminate
the unworkable eight per cent profit
limitation which Congress imposed
on aircraft manufacturers and sub
contractors last June.
But the work schedules now effec-
tive in these five vital plants are
harbingers of new difficulties in the
future. According to the Bureau Of
Labor Statistics, on the basis of an
October survey, 203 800 persons are
employed in the aircraft industry,
divided as follows: Airframes, 136, 400;
engines, $500; propellers, 10,7OO.
When peak production is reached in
August under present schedules-and
these schedules may be stepped up in
the future as they have been in the
past-it is "very conservatively'' esti-
mated that $500 workers will be
needed, 350,000 on airframes, $1,000
on engines and 13,900 on propellers.
This estimated need for some $780,
600 additional workmen is based on
an assumed work week of forty five
hours per man, and, in view of the
fact that shortage of skilled work.
men already is developing, it seems
evident that the production prob
lens of the past are going to be
dwarfed by those that will arise be-
fore August.
Paul V. McNutt, Federal Security
administrator, reported several days
ago that the supply of skilled work.
ers for defense projects in number
of locations is almost exhausted 1t
Is reasonable to suppose that some
additional workmen will become
available through the training pro-
grams now under way, and it is un-
doubtedly true that others can be
secured by transfers from the auto
mobile and other allied industries,
but when due allowance is made for
these possibilities, heightened
work week seems to offer the only
real hope of preventing a still more
serious lag in plane production in
the future. 1t is significant that the
nations of Europe, neutrals as we'll as
belligerents, have found it necessary
to take this step.
Lengthening of the work week, of
course, would bring to the fore the
question of ime-and-a-ha pay for
overtime. Under existing law the
overtime rate must be paid and it is
up to Congress to determine whether,
In the public interest, the extraordi-
nary normal costs of the defense
program justify the abandonment of
premium overtime wage scales dur
ing the emergency period. Whatever
Is done in this reSpect there can he