Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-15
Capitals Too
Many Cooks
Spoil Broth
An Order From OPM
Proves The Point
BY HUGH 5. JOHNSON

ll'i 4 dit SOillc vel Ddlliu tNCtI plS
of official orders or announce
mentS.
Here is one OF July 9 from the
labor division. office of produc-
tion management. announcing a
new and concentrated approach
TO the problem OF filling skilled
labor and man-power require
'mentS."
1t announces that the labor
supply branch of the labor divi-
SIGN is directed by Commissioner
Arthur $. Flcmming' and later
on says:
ASSOCIATED with Mr.. Flem-
ming in developing the work Of
the labor supply branch will be
the following officials:
Chief of the United States
l. Employment Service.
> Chief of the Training-With-
@ in-lndustry branch. a b o +
division, Office of Production
Management,
o-Chief of the Defense Train
- ing branch, labor division,
Office Of production Manage
mcnt director Of Defense
Training, F. deral Security
Agency.
t-Cmef OF the Prioritie $
K branch, labor division. Of
flee of Production Management.
- Chairman Labor Relations
- Committee. labor division.
Office OF Production Manage
mcnt.
T. Minoritics adviser, ] a b D r
" division. Office of Produc-
ton Management
T-Chief of Negro Employment
and Training. Office of
Production Management.
O-Acting Commissioner Of
q La Dor Statistics. United
States Department of Labor.
q Director Of the Division Of
~ Training and Employ
ment Works Progress Admins
tration. Federal Works Agency.
10-Chairman of committee
~ on apprenticeship training
program. division Of labor stand
ards. United States Department
of Labor
11-Chief Division Of Research
IL and Statistics. Bureau Of
Employment Security.
ID Members United States
L. Civil Service Commission.
4 IL present or accounted for
"A except Muddom Perkins. the
CCC and the National Youth
Administration which latter
seems TO be doing as good a Job
along these lines as any. But
how are YOU going 10 administer
anything with such "A hydra
headed monStroSity as that
And get a load Of this as an
example OF who is the boss in
the Office of Production Man
agcment itself 800 directing pro-
duction for defense Remember
what has Just been quoted is a
detail Of what goes on in only
one division Of that overhead.
Here Is how regulation No. T.
from G.. II q. has TO be signed
and atteSted.
VIM. 5. Knudsen. director gen.
cral
Sidney Hillman. associate di-
rector general
Henry l.. StimSon, secretary
Of war.
Frank Knox, secretary Of the
navy
John Lord oBrien, general
counsel
Attest Herbert Emerich, sec
rotary.
THAT is a right smart number
Il Of commanding generals for
one effort This ukase. by the
way was one setting up defense
industry advisory committees
for the various industries work
ing on defense production.
As far as American war OK
pericncc goes. II provides the
most cock-eyed hodge-podge Of
nothing at all that could well be
conceived. There was a model
that worked in the war indus
tries board. Committees Of in
duStry. called war service COM
mittCcS. sitting opposite, COM
mittCcS of the various govern
mcnt purchasing departments,
called commodity committees.
Demand government depart
mentS) was thus introduced 10
and invited TO sit in with supply
tthe organized industries in
order TO find the best and quick
oSt sources Of production and
prevent conflicts.
This order doesn't do that. a
divine providence alone knows
what il does do. But it seems n
try 10 mix them like the old
greasy spoon restaurant formula
for scrambled eggs on toast:
Adam and Eve on raft
wreck EN-"
IN top of all of which, while
~ Mr.. Knudsen, ct al. are set
ting up these as their industry
committees. Mr.. Leon ffender-
son is setting up a parallel and
rival industrial organization of
the same kind. Mr. Knudscn
calls the automotive industry
l - L.. -, nnn dn,t M. HIM