Evening star., 1942-10-31
Senator Thomas Asks
President 10 Summon
kanpower Farley
Utuhun Acts on PIeu
Of ClO Head for Plan
To Avert Labor Druft
Hy the Associated Press.

Senator Thomas, Democrat, of
Utah said he asked President
Roosevelt today to call a man
power conference to plan a sound
war mobilization policy that
might avert the compulsory
drafting of workers.
He was acting, he said, on the sug-
gestion of President Philip Murray
of the Congress of Industrial Organ
izations that the President summon
leaders of Congress, Government,
management, labor and agriculture
within the next few days.
This conference committee of the
Nation" as proposed by Mr.. Murray,
would plan for the establishment of
the necessary machinery for the in
tegration of procurement, produc-
tion and manpower agencies and re-
sources under a unified directing
and planning body"
Speed-up Is Aim.
"If there is a conference on man
power, and it settles one or two
factors, that much will be out of the
window when the time comes for us
to make legislation" Senator
Thomas said. AS acting chairman
of a Senate subcommittee to which
Mr.. Murray made the suggestion yes
terday, Senator Thomas requested
the conference in a letter to the
President.
A precedent for such a meeting
was set by the Education and La
Dor Committee when, at Senator
Thomas suggestion, it brought
about a conference last December
that guided the Nation" Mr.. Muir
ray said, toward sound labor
relations policy in the war;
President Roosevelt has let 1t be
known that manpower legislation
still is in the study stage, as far
as the administration is concerned,
instead a volunteer system of meet
a possible crisis in 1943.
Union Chiefs Oppose Plan.
Labor leaders, headed by Mr..
Murray and President William
Green of the American Federation
of Labor, have opposed compulsory
national service, with labor draft
ing and job-freezing. advocating
instead volunteer syste moi meet
ing the labor needs.
Mr.. Green, urging that benefits
be made uniform, said a worker
hesitates to leave a State where
the benefits are higher and 60 to
a State where they are lower.
Senator Thomas suggested that
this could be done by "a broad un-
derstanding" and voluntary agree
ments instead of legislation.
A survey of the manpower prob
lem by the Baruch Committee which
studied the rubber shortage situa-
ton was recommended yesterday by
the board OF directors of the United
States Chamber Of Commerce.
The board also expressed a de-
sire that should the committee be
reassembled for the manpower sur
vey, the chambers be permitted to
present it's views. Members of the
board who remained in Washington
today expressed opposition to COM
pulsory regimentation of manpower.
The board said in a statement:
"In view of the great Importance of
this subject and of its bearing, both
on the success of the war effort and
on our national economic life, it is
our considered judgment that the
entire problem of manpower utiliza-
tion.be referred for study and report
to the committee consisting of Mr..
Bernard ND Baruch, DR.. Karl t.
Compton and DR.. Games b. Conant
because of that committees note
worthy accomplishments on con-
nection with another difficult prob
lem in national defense and because
of the public confidence inspired by
the members of this committee