The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-09-23
Qps Csecma Gi,nes
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"FF SHsoIfoH OF
Country IN Awful Mess
Three Agencies Conflict
On Deciding Whats What
Confusion Rife In Our
Hi end Miss System
ny RAY TUCKER
WASHINGTON The maulins
~ American manpover In the
present crisis by three conflicting
and quarrsiing agencies = Wal
Production hoard. Paul V. Nc.
Nuts commission and the selec-
tive service system-has reached
thu proportions of a national
scandal. II matches the tragic
mishandling Of the rubber prob
lem.
The blunders resulting from in
ternsl jeaiousses and sdministra-
ton dillydaIlying were well con-
eealed until the Tolan subcommit-
tee headed by Representative
George n. Bender, Ohio Repub-
lican. peered behind the scenes in
executive sessions. Here are only
. few abuses which 1t discovered
"a the first day Of Its private
hearings: The army. for instance.
may demand that Hershey's as
sistants dig up 100000 mechanics
In = hurry for duty on some vital
front simultaneously = great
munitions plant may ask wPB
Or the Handsome Hoosiers outfit
70 provide the same number Of
skilled personnel.
Thus two hands grab at = Inn
tied pile Of labor which Is steadily
dwindline and there 10 no central
bureau or authority to determine
whether that 100000 shall wear
everalla or uniforms. With the
ccnnivance Of WPB. whose task
u to produce weapons. ranufac-
turers are boarding toilers as well
as materials. They are begging
local draft boards to defer ma
chinists" who may be merely
operators. But employers are an
ticipatine the time when there
will BE- an even greater scarcity
Of workers and they can use the
inexperienced persons on more ir's
portant jobs for which they may
then be qualified.
Nsighborhood selective service
units have no technical advisers
neither has Warrington - to de-
eide whether this class Of help
should man q machine OF a ma
chine gun. AZ = rule. community
Hersheyites side with the home
town industriaiist. They kno "
him, and they have only n head.
line acquaintance with Messrs
Hershey. NeNutt. Nelson. Knox
and stimson.
II 10 almost impossible 10 Inst
N full the many failures. eonfu-
sions and the hysteria rrecipitated
by the present hit-snd-rniss sys-
tenn. But here 10 . diamond horse.
shee specimen:
From an Ohio village CT might
be Indiana. Michigan. Massachu'
setts or California;. . young mar
moves to . nearby industrial cen
tar where he becomes IN expert
factory operator in six or eight
months- He 10 smart. handy, am.
bitious. adaptable. In the origina
town also lives . haberdasher,
clerk, q nice. quiet. honey sort Of
person. He belongs to the Rotsr,
club. teaches the Bible class
spends more time in church thar
In . tavern.
The names If the two men ccm'
before the community's drsfters
They remember the emigrant a.
q tcwheaded. freckie-fsoed young
ster who was something Of = hell
raiser. They esteem the man Wit
has stuck TO the dry goods ooun
ter and the family fireplace. s.
they induct the lad operating |
lathe or drill and defer the Bah
bitt who. TO adapt Miiton's Son
net On His Blindness only stand
and waits"
Production Chief Donald n. Mel
con informed the Tolanites Their
must be an end TO this selectio
nonsense IL industry and the arm
ed forces are 10 obtain enouR
men 10 mold and fir the biz gun
IN Lbya and the Solomonx. n
thinks his agency should have IN
final word on where individual
ttwenty-seven million al least
should serve.
He fsvors . scheme unde
which wPB factory Inspector
who know the industrial gam
would 60 into shops. observe
workers performances and then d.
eide whether he could functio
better on the battlefield or IN
plant But such system woul
transform Mr.. McSutt's MAJ
power commission and Brigadi'
General Hershey's agency I'M
nothing more than an employme'
center. The two Indiana rivs
strongly object to that sort
fade-out. what with Paul rannir
for president and the general pc
kaps seeking . senate seat
The military lsader otsfte a,