The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-10-20
. NATIONAL
 SPOTLIGHT
Two Groups, 4O-6O And 1925, Make Machines That Make
 War Machines
BY WILLIS THORNTON


 with long fingers blunt and square at the ends, eternal black grease ground into the pores. They are rough and scared, but they are steady, adjusting micrometer or set- screw with a surgeons precision. They are able, capable, dependable hands.
 A hundred thousand pairs of just such hands are deftly work ing at the very heart of the Amer ican defense program, building the machines that are beginning to turn out in thousands and inil- lions if necessary the parts which will be put together in machines of war - planes, tanks, ships shells, bombs, guns.
 That's twice as many pairs of hands as were doing that kind of work a year ago. Before the year is out there will be 25 or 30 thou- sand more pairs of blunt, capable hands hard at the same work.
 The American machine tool worker is the best in the world. Tell Berna, secretary of the Na- tional Machine Tool Builders As- sociation, is certain of that. There are more brains behind those ca- pablo hands, more resourcefulness, more ambition to devise new and better ways, more spirit = because the American tool builder is 8 free man.
 SOLID
 AMERICANS .a..t
 He is that-and he is an American citizen. The industry two years ago began to weed out non-citizens. To- day, every employe is either an American native-born, naturalized, or at least with first papers.
 They ar solid class of citi- zens, with roots in their home towns; they don't migrate much. We'll paid, they usually have Q solid place in the community life.
 During the depression, many were laid of. Most people be- lieved that if needed, they could simply be called back. But 1t didn't work that way. Your ma chine tool builder is 8 resourceful skillful fellow, and many of them created jobs for themselves, as re- pairmen, filling station operators, and the like. When they were needed "back at the plant they weren't available.
 In the meantime, new appren- tices hadn't been trained in trade which requires four years or more to develop the highest skill. Sud- denly came expansion with the crying need of the defense pro- gram. The oldest and most highly skilled were at their benches. waiting lists" were small; many had drifted away from the craft. New men had to be trained.
 So machine tool builders today are of two distinct age classes; one of men over 40 and up to 60; one of young men from 19 to 25. Between those groups there are few. It Is a trade at which a skill ed man can hold up his end for a long time, however. You may see men of 72, steady and keen-eyed. handling complex and exacting work.
 MEET THE
 MACHINISTS
 Let's get acquainted with two men typical of their age groups in the machine tool industry.
 First, there's John Delliks, 46 years old, father of two growing children. lifelong resident of his city. John was born there of mixed north European stock. He has worked at machine tools since he was a young man. He is thor oughly able. Given a blueprint he can set up his own machine for any required operation, and run it, without much direction, with out spoilage. Just now he is mak- ing final inspections of series of new machines being created for the government arsenals.
 In a long room, wood-block- fioored, lit by skylights, humming with a sort of orderly disorder, slightly hay with the smoke of forges and the almost tangible smell of oil, he works eight hours day, six days week. Because 40 hours is the standard week, he gets time and a half for teh eight hours overtime, or the equivalent of pay for 52 hours at 90 cents an hour. He gets two weeks vacation with pay, so Dellyiks brings home $2,- 433 50 a year at his present pace.
 That enables the Delliks to live in considerable comfort. They drive one car, 8 1888 model, which purrs because Delliks keeps it in shape. He drives 1t to work. He has to, because the family is buy ing a neat little white house far out beyond the suburbs $5,500) with FILA financing), which is IS miles from the shop.
 Delliks doesn't mind the over- time. He's well paid for 1t, and glad to get the extra money; it comes handy for the home pay- ments. Besides, his son, John, Jr., is at Fort Knox with the First Arr mored Division, his career as 8 coming mechanic interrupted by the draft.
 DelNks spends most Of his spare time gardening at the new house now; he used to bowl two nights a week, when younger, but now house and family cares five him another outlet. The daughter has just graduated from high school, has no plans yet.
 The whole family motors to Canada every summer on a fish, ing trip, and has for some years. Both Delliks and his wife are acc tive in a Lutheran church and