Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-05-24
Defense Production
Slowed by0fficia|
Visits 10 Plants
Company Executives
Bear 1t, but Realize
Drain on Energies
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.

BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.
Approximately so per cent Of the
working time of the ranking eXecu-
tives in national defense industries,
particularly in aircraft production
plants, is spent taking care of Gov
eminent and other visitors, accord
ing to an official of the Aeronautlcal
Chamber of Commerce, just re-
turned from a production survey.
One of the biggest problems in
defense production, he said as a
result of his studies, is to conserve
the time of management and make
It possible for production executives
to devote more of their energies to
the paramount job of producing.
Although most of the business
executives interviewed were agreed
that the burden of handling official
visitors has become serious ad-
ninistrative problem, few of them
have felt it wise to complain, since
It is obvious that many of the visits
are a necessary part of the produc-
ton effort.
Number of Necessary Visitors.
Among the necessary visitors
are Army and Navy officers con-
nected with design and production,
who obviously must keep posted on
progress in the plants. These are
In addition to the Army and Navy
inspectors regularly posted in the
factories. There are officers of the
Office of Production Management
dealing with almost every angle of
production who must visit, or feel
that they should visit, the produc-
ton plants frequently. Agents of
British and Canadian purchasing
missions and the armed services
also must be seen
There are members of Congress
who feel called upon to visit the
plants either to familiarize them
selves with actual conditions as
background for legislative and ap-
propriate functions, or because of
congressional Investigations of one
sort or ano$her. There now are no
less than six congressional inVeSti-
cations into various phases of the
defense program and leaders of the
defense industry and the Govern
ment departments concerned have
said in private conversations that
these investigations have acted as a
= severe drain on executive time and
productive capacity.
The average ''top-tlight" eXecu-
tive in defense production plants
now arrives at his desk between 8
and $50 am. He starts his day han
ding urgent mail, overnight tele-
grams and the consideration of Of
fetal reports from executives in the
field. Before this is finished, there
are visitors Neutrality-suspicious. of such
Importance they cannot be turned
away.
Each With Time Demand.
Some Of them require only brief
interview. Others must be taken
into some part of the factory. and
with factories sprawled all over the
countryside, this may be a lengthy
and firing operation. Luncheon
usually is snatched at desk or may
be given over to some visitor of I'M
usual importance Through the
morning there may have been little
or no chance to handle the routine
business of production. The after
noon may be little better.
If there is letup in the flood
of callers. he may buckle down to
his primary job of production for
while in the afternoon. Many of
the visitors feel they must show
their appreciation by entertaining
the plant eXecutive-or they may
want to ask some more questions. So
they arrange dinner party. During
the week there will be several such
dinners which the busy executive
must attend because he cannot af-
ford to offend an important Federal
official He may even feel called
upon to return the compliment, with
O luncheon, perhaps.
After dinner majority OF the
plant management personnel will
be found back on the job, trying to
catch up on the accommodating mass
of business, on which they GUS
tomarily work until late into the
night Plant conferences frequently
must be held at night
Front Office Stats Short.
The drain upon executive manage
ment is the more serious in these
DAYS of about defense effort be-
cause the ranks Of management al
ready are Woefully short of require
ments. Most of the defense plants
are painfully short of man power
In the front Offices All executives
are overWorked, many of them to an
extent which interfereS seriously
with their efficiency and health.
There is feeling that the Federal
Government might assist in tighten
Ing this load, perhaps by designating
an official Federal agent at each
plant to meet and satisfy the re-
ouirements of government visitors
the Army and Navy representatives.,
the visitors from the o. P. M. and
the congressional students, sight
seers and Investigators.
The British might do the same
thing, setting up an official clear
ing house in the factory for mem
bers of the British purchasing mis-
SONS and armed services.