Evening star., 1942-11-18
Businessmen Battle
For Policy TO Keep
Skilled Manpower
Henry }. Kaiser Expected
To Testify Tomorrow on
Draft of VituI Labor
BY JESSE o. IRWIN.

BY JESSE o. IRWIN.
Small and big business were re-
ported today to be launching cam.
paign to obtain from Congress {
national policy on the induction o1
skilled workers from critical wal
plants for service in the armed
forces.
Henry J. Kaiser, the shipbuilder
Is expected to testify tomorrow be.
fore the Senate Labor Subcommittee
holding hearings on a bill to central
ize war procurement, production anc
manpoWer control that as fast as he
trains workers in compliance with
War Manpower Commissions policy
they leave for the Army.
A total of $4,000 men are in train
ing each day in the eight West
Coast Kaiser yards in the rudi.
ments of shipbuilding, an officia
said.
Pepper Hits System.
Frankly disturbed over the action
of both the draft boards and the
Army, Senator Pepper, chairman
has declared that under the present
system there is no assurance that a
skilled worker inducted from an
important machine job will not be
assigned to clerical work and a
clerk given a gun and sent to the
front
1T is obvious" Senator Pepper
asserted. that there has not been
an overall plan taking into consld-
Grafton the national interest and
national necessity in regard to the
fullest use of our manpoWer. Now
we have priorities in respect to
materials but not in respect to man.
power"
The House Migration Investigat-
ing Committee, however takes an
other view by declaring that the
main job, as the local draft boards
see it, is to meet the necessary
quotas of the Army In this sense,
manpower is apportioned by a pri-
ority system. with the Army holding
the highest rating, the House COM
mittee stated.
From testimony adduced from
witnesses appearing before the Sen
ate and House committees, the draft
situation narroWs to -occupa-
tional considerations becoming less
important.
Replacement Handicapped.
Today. witnesses have testified.
no manufacturer knows what skilled
workers he will lose to the Army.
The Selective Service Boards are
not in a position to give him this
information. Because the boards
receive, the House committee eX-
planned, little advance notice Of re-
uuirements for military personnel,
war industries cannot plan orderly
training ard replacement programs,
While each board has a list OF
essential occupations, 1t also has a
quota to meet and in many IN
stances it can be met only by ignor-
ing necessary occupational defer
ments, it was stated.
This is said to be causing small
and big businessmen to trek to
Washington during the last 10 days
to tell their stories to Congress.
Outstanding among these has been
Harry E. Rogers of the Nordberg
Manufacturing Co.. Milwaukee, Wis.
This plant manufactures qulntuple
and triple torpedo mounts, and
Diesel engines for the propulsion OF
the new transport aircraft.
1--WE have lost and we are losing
good men," Mr.. Rogers asserted.
and before the draft boards now
are Alexander Doebler, machinlst
for six wears: Donald Heckel, a
blacksmith with six years expert
ence: another blacksmith, Raymond
Michalski; John NoWalk, super
visor with six years experience, and
Matthias J. Stromberg, assistant
and test engineer
who has been with the firm tor
seven years.
Yell for Deliveries.
With contracts to fill and with the
announcement agencies yelling for
deliveries. I'VE are replacing the
drafted with unskilled labor and
training them. We are taking men
that have fat feet or leaking hearts
men who we would not accept
under any condition two years ago.
Now we are elated if we get one, he
declared.
Mr.. Rogers said his company in
augurated a campaign to educate
m,mbers OF the draft boardo as 10
his company's requirements. we
take them through the plant slngly
or two at a time to explain to them
that this is milling machine, TINS
is a grinder, or this Is something
else" he explained. .
I'VE have" he continued, what Is
known as a sano singer. rms Is
quite big machine. The man who
operates it has to know what he Is
doing. The operator was drafted
because he had been referred to as
sand singer operator The board
said anybody can sling sand We
had one of the board members at the
plant the other night and the fellow
look at the pig machine and eX7
claimed My gosh, is that a sand
Singer?
1--WE try to educate single men
walking the streets and married men
being drafted. The single man is in
Just as tight a spot. He is going
to leave us and enlist if he hasn't
got something that he could wear
that designates him as doing his
part, or unless the Government says
to him you cannot go into the Army
no matter what you want to do. be-
cause you are important on this
machine tool
Directives VariOusly Interpreted.
THE manpower directives don t
mean anything as far as the draft
boards are concerned. because each
man interprets them his own way.
1t depends on whether they have
got lot of people that they can
send and not affect industry or
whether board has got two or three
industries and have got to meet
their quotas.
las I see it, we either make the
stuff or we do not make the stuff.
We will still drive hard. We are put
! ,,,o,>,o,, ,,oxv, o,,I fraV,,