Evening star., 1942-01-15

WOTkeTS ana 10 give IIlcHl SpE-
cial salary Of $50 a week during
the time they are waiting for new
employment as the auto industry
converts from peacetime to wartime
uses.
Since the whole war effort is still
q sort of w. P. A. project in the
minds of many folks hereabouts, the
new Reuther plan is not a surprise.
Possibly it will interest the many
thousands Of automobile dealers
and small businessmen who have
had their businesses ruined and pos
sibly it will interest the thousands
Of statesmen who have been forced
out Of jobs by the war.
The idea that war is a ruthless
thing which must be borne irrespec-
tive of hardship is an old-fashioned
theory. The new concept is that
the Government must pay for any
inconvenience caused by the war
Thus the unions In the automobile
industry are asking double pay for
working on Saturday and Sunday
and have refused an offer of the
companies to pay them the time
and-a-half provided for overtime by
the Federal statutes. The issue is
being submitted to arbitration,
though it is difficult to understand
why a contract written specifically
to prevent the employers from
working men on Saturday and Sum-
days and designed to spread the
work should now be invoked to pen
alize defense employers who want
to work their men seven days.
Scapegoat Label Tried.
The publicity campaign Of the
c. I. o. has been gradually de-
veloped so as to hold the automobile
industry up as the scapegoat for
the plight of the unemployed work.
ers. Instead of telling the whole
story to the workers, the union pol
iticians, whose continuance In office
depends on dues being paid and the
presentation of excuses for unem-
ployment, are now attempting to
blame the auto industry manage
ments for the failure to absorb the
unemployed.
The true story Is that the auto
industry didn't know q thing about
making airplanes till 1t began to go
to school at the feet OF the air
craft engineers and managers Of
the aircraft industry itself last year.
This was no reflection on the auto
industry managements. They were
making product that sold in the
millions. Their plants had special
tools good only for the making Of
passenger vehicles and trucks. Air
planes have been virtually custom
built with special tools.
1t has taken the Ford Motor Car
Co. nearly 18 months to get into
production on the Pratt & Whitney
engine. 1t is taking the Buick Co.
almost the same length of time.
This is really rapid progress for an
industry that had to learn a new
technique and a new business.
The automobile manufacturers
never made tanks before, nor ships,
nor guns. They had to be given
blueprints and specifications. They
couldn't use the old tools or as
sembly lines. Obviously if they had
stopped all auto production in 1941,
the unemployment would have been
tremendous and no more aircraft
engines or parts would have been
produced than have been produced.
Japs Hastened Stoppage.
As for materials, much of this
was already partly fabricated and
with the exception of rubber there
Is no shortage for military purposes
In any of the basic materials needed
to keep on producing passenger cars.
II 1t had not been for the sudden
attack on the Netherlands East
Indies by Japan, there would have
been rubber enough to continue
auto production till next June, which
was the date fixed for the windup of
the transition period. The union
leaders knew that next June was the
outer limit. But they have been un-
willing to tell their members the
truth about the impact Of the East
Indies situation on auto production.
Now that curtailment has come