The Wilmington morning star., 1942-03-14
WAR Time WAGE
CONTROL STUDIED
Partisan Group Advo-
Gates Curb On Over Time
Pay In War Industry

WASHINGTON, Mar. 13.- R -
High administration circles are
studying the delicate question of
war time wage control, President
Roosevelt disclosed today, and, in
dependently, bipartisan congress
sional group is strongly advocating
curbs on overtime pay in war in.
dustry.
Under the circumstances it ap.
peared that the chief executive
had only to indicate his approval
or lack of opposition, and wage
control would receive substantial
backing in both houses of congress.
The administration regards such
control as purely an anti-inflation-
ary step, supplementing the price
control law. Together with heavy
income taxation it would be in
tended to prevent such an ac-
cumulation of public purchasing
power as would exert an irresisti-
BILE upward pressure on prices.
Mr.. Roosevelt, telling press
conference cnly that the question
was under study, declined to go
into details. A little later he con-
ferred with the Labor War board,
composed of three AFL and three
CIO officials. They said later he
gave them no indication of his
views.
The labor unions are opposed
to wage control and that is what
makes the question a delicate one.
All the members of the House and
third of the Senate are up for
reelection in November. Not many
are anxious to court, deliberately.
the opposition of organized labor.
However, informed sources at
the capitol are of the opinion that
in the face of war conditions,
strength for such move has been
accumulating.
Writes to Nelson
Meantime Senator Lee D-Okla)
an ardent supporter of the ad-
ministration, has written to Don
aid Nelson, the director of war
asking for recommen.
dations for legislation on the over
time problem and on methods of
putting more men to work.
He recalled that Nelson had said
was hindered by the
of manufacturers to pay
time and a half and double-time
for overtime work and to increase
the number of shifts at work in
their factories. Proper legisla-
tion," Lee thought could remove
these hindrances.
Meanwhile, from the Republican
side of the Senate aisle, Senator
Reed tR-Kas.) has introduced a
bill which would make overtime
pay begin after a 49-hour work
week, instead of the 40 hours pre-
scribed by the wage-hour law.
The Senate Labor committee is
at work on the whole problem of
labor in wartime, and yesterday
received Secretary of Labor Per-
kins' views in closed session. Mem.
bers said she opposed any modi-
flcation of the wage-hour laws re-
strict:ons. She was quoted as saw.
ing that at present overtime paw
amounts to but three per cent of
the wages paid for war production
work and that both production and
morale might be hurt by forcing
the workers to work longer hours
without higher pay rates.
Before the House Judiciary COM
mlttee today, the United States
Chamber of Commerce and the
AFL expressed their views on
pending legislation requiring labor
unions and business or trade as
sociations to register with the gov
ernment and give details of their
finances.
For the chamber, James w.
OLeary of Chicago, said that
trade associations are too busilv
engaged in helping with war prob.
lens to be harrassed with new
legislative problems that have no
significance to the war effort"
N. P. Alias, chairman of the
legislative committee of the AFT,
metal trades department, said:
"You wouldn't expect General
Macarthur to submit a daily re-
port on the condition of his armv
at Tokyo. And, on a different
plane, you shouldn't expect labor
unions to expose themselves to the
fire of their enemies" I