Imperial Valley press., 1941-12-31
CAPITAL TALKS
Peter
Edison

MASH Nj On, Dee. = oil
nations capita, tire BIZ hunk Of II
that isn't concerned exclusively witt
what's goias on in the Pacific-is
al hot and bothered again abou'
reersanizing ;he var production
machinery.
ThiS : only about tie fourth
time The question has been rampaH
on the DISTRICT OF Columbia de52t
ing grounds Gurne re Year jCS.
draWins 10 Its close such repetitioE
might make tie story an ole an
dull one If il were uot > importan'
but with all tie theorist and poll
ticians screaming for more produc-
ton and faster production. Wash
ington is again full Of suggestions
that something will have to be
done and something Will be done t
speed up the war manufacturing
effort.
This idea heard most often now
is that what this country needs
is n Ministry of Supply.
That, also, is not new. The idea
has been banded about all year,
and while men high IN the Of
flee of Production Management
admit that il would be dandy if
all government procurement agen-
cies-Army. Navy. treasury. agri-
culture and lease-lend adminis-
tratiOn-were unfh' one boss
and under one T0of. no less an
authority on buying than Douglas
{. Mackeachie. director of pur-
chases in CPAI. has pointed out
that TO stop now and try to orga-
niZe a ministry OF supply might
be fatal
HEARD BEFORE
The problem therefore seems 10
be one of taking the existing ma
chinery and making it Work.
Some Of the specific charges nov
tossed around have familiar ring
to them
There is no one boss of produc-
ton.
There is no one boss for contract
letting.
] The small business man still ISM
getting his share.
/ The separate departments of OPM
act without consulting each 9TH
er. duplicate each others re-
search and orders.
The auto industry has not been
converted 70 defense production
fast enough.
Labor tops this off with its de
mand for a voice IN manage
ment to speed tae pooling OF
idle machine use.
And just to ada to the confusion
there are the contrary claims that
conversion of industry to war pro-
ductiCn has gone to fast. throwing
too many people in civilian goods
industries out of employment be-
fore war industry jobs were READY
for them. Over 100000 auto WORK
ers in Michigan, for instance lace
the loss of their jobs IN January oS
production cuts.
Just before Christmas, the lolaf
i COMMITTEE of the House, Stuoyh'
defense migration, held hearlne
in an effort to determine what VIZ
wrong. Testimony was given Q
Judge Robert p. Patterson. under
secretary Of war. william S. knuc
sen. head Of OPM: w. II. Harrison
head of the production division Z
OPM: Walter H. Wheeler OF L
Contract Distribution Service
i OPM. r. j. Thomas. head OF t
CIO Auto Workers Union; repr'
sentatives from four leading au.
manufactures. and others.
QUESTIONS, But NO ANSWER
When they all got through test
fyine. the committee stll dldh
have the answer of what was Wro'
With war production. Everybody ar
mitted that production wash .
good as they wished it might b
Everybody denied that war produr
ton thus far had failed.
Judge Patterson. questioned by
Committee Counsel Robert X
Lamb about too much decentraI-
Zatien, agreed that there was too
much decentral Zation. Patterson
pointed To the Industrial Mobili-
Zation Plan of 1929, drawn up by
the Army, as a good scheme OF
organizations but said that the
plan and its execution had be-
ccme separated. In any setup, the
undersecretary declared, the Army
and Navy must be in position
here the cannot be ovcrruled by
civilian direction. thereby spiking
the idea for 4 civilian var indus
try ear.
Harrison. admitting tie need Q
co-ordlnatlJn tHcn tufHcd arodn
- say that the coordination shOul
come under the Ann.
KnuGsen PROVIDING tHc committe
With one Of its bieacat urprise
when ne told the 2ood congros6mel
tlere wasn't ang difference bctWee
OPM and SPAB. the Supply Pri
critics and Allegations Board. SPAl
made TIE policies, but after all
Ha5 Knudsen ard Hillmau Wh
mace the decisions. SpAB you re
ral. H2s the rabbit Dulied GuL Q
'hc hat ia thc OPM September re
organization spon5ored b. Jqdg
Samuel Rosenman. presidential ad
rIsel and conlidante. 5PAB was tn
outfit that vas goin2 to solve eV
rlything. And now Knudsen lift
the yell 10 dlsrlo.n that SPAB an
OPM arc Just tie samc.
The creation o. SphB folloWc
,he usual Washah2'ou pattern .
,lging to DO something about
sauatIon wien things 20 Wrons. T
correct ,uc esii5 Of Bureaucracy
g.qc era another bureau It nigh