The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-09-21
. Clapper
Proper Disposition OF
Placing Manpower Waits
solons Told Voluntary
system Unsuccessful
soIons Brushing Aside
Very Difficult Problem
Nv RAYMOND CLAPPER

WASHINGTON - no need Tor
legislation TO control manpover Il
seen al this time by members q
the special Tolan committee Of the
house. which has been question:
ing administrative officials for
several days.
Paul V. McNutt, chairman Of the
manpower commission. told the
committee that voluntary efforts
To place manpower where it was
most needed in the war effort
had been unsuccessful. He said
stronger measures were essential
and inevitable. Secretary of Agri-
culture wickard said that II pa
triotic appeals to men to stay On
the farms would not work then
other measures would be neces-
sary. Committee members were
unimpressed and have indicated
they do not favor action at this
time.
Difficulties already have been
experienced in numerous sections
Copper mining and numbering have
been so badly hit that the gov
eminent has taken the initiative
itself in trying to force men 70
stay on the job and not beat II
to better-paying work in the ship
wards and aircraft plants of the
Pacific Coast.
The congressman are well
aware that enormous numbers Of
men are being taken by the draft
and that this will increase-wih
the prospect of doubling the pres
ent size of the army in another
year. They know that produe-
ton is still to go up, using stin
more employees than at present.
Yet they are brushing their
hands Of the unpleasant problem,
and want to wait awhile until the
trouble is acute before consider
ing action.
Is this going to be another
chapter of delay such as we have
had with regard to conversion Of
the automobile industry, rubber,
steel production, initiation control.
and adequate taxation? In each
of these unpleasant tasks we stall
ed. stared out the window, smok-
ed a cigaret. went downstairs to
get a coke, and in every other
way ducked facing the job until
deadline time arrived. Every
newspaper man does that. You
sit at your typewriter and never
get down to real work until the
clock drives you to it. Democracy
seems to be that way even under
the gun in wartime. The result y
that it is usually late.
There isn't any way we can
escape throuble in getting our
manpower spread out and held In
the jobs that are necessary to
keep up war production. Mr.. Nc
Mutt says we are moving rapidly
+ into situation where the govern
ment must intervene increasingly
f in the labor market. Selectiye
service officials leave you under
10 uncertainty as TO the enor-
nous quantities of men they are
going to take out of the indus
trial life of the country in the
next twelve months.
Every other country has been
driven to organizing its indus
trial manpower, as it has had 10
organize its military manpower.
The two are linked together IN
total war, which is industrial
war. The sooner we move into
that stage the sooner We become
adjusted to it by degrees.
More than a month ago the
Tolan committee. which still snles
away from facing the problem
issued an interim report which
stated that our production THINK
ing continued to be hedged about
with considerations wholly incom-
patible with total war and WHICH,
If allowed to dominate, could re-
suit only in the gravest of conse-
quences. The committee recoe-
nized in its report that heavy oe-
mands from the armed forces were
beginning 10 tighten the LABOR
market and TO confront the ns-
ton for the first time with inc
fact that we were headed ZOE
labor shortages.
At that time the committee rec
commended training programs io'
workers, shutting down on non
essential industries TO release "a
Dor, and blanket occupationsl az
ferments in the draft. Consloer-
ing the amount Of men needed iof
the draft there could be Jew
blanket occupationsl defermenps-
Training and the shutting down
Of non-essenial plants are neeoeo
anyway. But they will not be sun
ficient 10 keep men from leaving
the farms for high-paid city work'
or from leaving the mines 10 so
into the better-paying shipyaros..
If you have plenty Of labor !.
doesn't matter. The point Is th2l
there is no longer plenty Of LABOR
1t would be more pleasant not 70
have u do ANYTHING about tnls.