Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-25
M'ku++ Seeks
Support for
Labor Draft
Starts TO Drum Votes
for Congressional Bill
BY PAUL MALLON

lation empowering him to start
a labor draft.
The way he is doing il indi-
Gates his drum beating is de-
signed primarily TO sound out
public sentiment. The rest Of
the administration, including
the White House, is keeping
quiet 10 see how he comes out.
His initial ventures suggest
Congress is not ready yet to take
such a revolutionary way Of
solving the labor problem.
A daring bill has been pro-
posed by Senator Lister Hill.
But Mr.. Hill comedies his bill
would just about 60 the rest of
the way toward establishing a
totalitarian state.
THAT is just what makes the
l. idea abhorrent 10 most con-
gresSmen. They cannot see the
sense of embracing what we are
so ardently warning against.
The notion is beginning TO
break upon them that this ma
tion has been too much influ-
enced by Hitler'S methods. Sub
consciously, in the past, our
statesmen have grasped the to-
talitarian way of cracking down
on all problems with arbitrary
federal power, as if that was
the only efficient way of doing
things.
1t is beginning TO dawn on
them that perhaps they can get
better efficiency, more hearty
cooperation and glad sacrifices
from the people. if they try to
meet our problems in as much
of a democratic way as possible.
Therefore it looks like Mr..
McNutt is running into a stone
wall on his labor draft. and
that another way will be found.
Congress is certainly ripe to
act on the problem, which is
not being over-estimated by
McNutt. Stories fill the cloak
rooms of both houses.
SENATOR THOMAS cannot
~ get help to run his Idaho
irrigated farm. and his mana
ger is threatening to quit.
Senator Bankhead has heard
from Anderson and Clayton,
biggest cotton brokers, that the
southern labor problem will
bring a crop of poor quality this
year, although wages are four
and five times normal.
One hundred farms in a single
county in Ohio are reported by
congressman of that state 10 be
idle, because of labor shortage.
The army and navy have dis
covered such labor pirating in
industry as TO bestir them TO
demand action.
One western manufacturer re-
quested so steamfitters to help
him fulfill his army contract,
claiming he had no one. The
army got some steamftters for
him, transported them TO the
plant, and there found the man.
ufacturer had 40 steamfitters
hidden away in the basement
playing cards each day for pay.
He could not work them be-
cause he had no materials.
So the problem is pressing. but
the only question is whether the
McNutt totalitarian method, up
roofing men wholesale from jobs
they can do, and transporting
them into jobs they cannot do,
is the way 10 meet it.
CHARACTERISTICS OF the
~ problem are easily distih-
guished if you will Stand back
and look at them. Our objec-
tives are two:
First, TO raise an efficient
army of sufficient strength to
win (the military must decide
thaD. 80.
And, secondly, to maintain
production and civilian life lust
as efficiently and fully as pos
Sible.
Wholesale, haphazard drafting
OF men will not accomplish
either objective. Extreme steps.
such as McNutt and General
Hershey have been talking about
are more apt TO stir internal
resent m e n {, promote civilian
chaos.
Best solution 7 have heard
comes from an authority in the
government.
AS this is an industrial. labor
and farm problem. why not have
II handled by industry. labor
and farm men who have had
some experience with it. Why
not create a board of the best
available induStrialists. labor
leaders and farmers and let
them try democratic manage
mcnt.
NC NUTS bureau Is not
NI logical one TO handle this
problem anyway.
For administration he has So
cial security directors in the
various areas, most OF whom
were drawn from social welfare
groups. many Of whom are
women without. experience in
industrial labor or farm labor
problems. His bureau deals
with social security and health.
neither of which is even re-
motely related 10 the pressing
matter at hand.
IL a cot,,yno,, oaneo hp.s,aee