The Wrangell sentinel., 1942-05-29
ByJOHN# N#GROVER Associated Press)

vital food items? In a job necessary to wartime functioning Of civilian life?
 If the answer is No, manpoweI mobilization means YOU. and YOU means every adult American physi- cally able to work. President ROose- velts recent order setting up the War Manpower Commission, headed by Paul Y. MeNutt, spotlights the necessity of maintaining an ade- quate labor supply to manufacture fighting equipment.
 IL marked a new. brass-tacks pol icy in dealing with the supply of labor for war work The talking war is over, and every American must justify his present job or face as signment to tasks the government considers more vital to victory.
 Legislation in Prospect
 This is not possible under existing law, but McNutt was specifically directed to formulate legislation" bearing on the labor supply for submission to Congress. Such legis- lation could have only one purpose ito bring the whole labor force under federal control for war work.
 Indicative Of the closer control of the labor force is the authorization for a new draft classification. the 3-B deferment for occupatiOnal req sons, and also Senate committee ae- ceptanee of the measure providing financial aid to dependents of men in service. which would mean wip- ing out deferment for dependency.
 McNutt has made haste slowly. In many ways his task is the most complete and colossal of any in the war cabinet" It's equal to Pro duction Boss Donald Nelsons job. with the added difficulty that it deals with human beings instead of materials.
 Here's the Picture
 Here are some of the main out lines of his problem:
 There are about 8,50O.0OO workers in war production now. and the number must be stepped up to 17500.000 by 1913.
 2-The normal reservoirs of labor are drying up; there are only about 3,00O,000 unemployed, mostly un- skilled: the military will have A. O00,000 men ordinarily availableI for production in uniform by years end. s9I
 3-Civilian life must be main tained as close to normal as pos sible, because home front morale isl vital.
 4-The emergency labor force-I housewives without children, stud ents, nOn-essential workers-is al- most entirely unskilled. They must be trained or production techniques must be devised to utilize semi-skil- led workers.
 5-Priorities for labor must be evolved, and are quite as important as materials priorities. The compet- ition between industries and be- tween industry and the military in the field of manpower. even the contest between the army and navy for cream of the crop" recruits, must be settled.
 6-Plaeement of plants where labor is available. and transport of labor to areas where the supply of labor is critically short, also may come to pass.
 Ten Million Required
 Officials point out that war in- dustries must have 10,O0O,O00 new workers by 1943 to keep munitions rolling on schedule. There are s. 5OO,O00 persons in war industries now. They'll need 17,5O0,00O by January, plus farm help in certain areas. Where are they coming from?
 They've got to come from the la Dor reserves in non-essentiaI en- deavors or from non working groups. There are 32,400,O0O non defense workers employed now. Add to that 6,5O0.O00 housewives elfg- ible for full-time work, 800, ,0OO students, 3.OOO,OOO unemployed 6OO,000 aged and handicapped and 5,6OO,OO0 able to do part-time work. It totals 4S,7O0.0O0 from which must be drawn 10,OO0,000 new war workers
 Only 40 Million Eligible
 However, not all of the 48,70O- 900 can do war work. Women might fill an estimated 1,50O,0O0 oi the 10,O0O,O00 war jobs The stu cents are largely ticketed for the armed forces. Part-time workers can't be used in Continuous produc- tion processes-too many shift changes. Actually the 100000 must come from less than 10000. 600 eligibles.
 The natural flow of labor to job will take up part of the slack. Firs to go into war industry will be in fustrial workers from priority-clos cd non-essential factories. The nat ural drift of workers in clerical sales and service lines to higher paid war production will fill nor, iOhs Thev'II he usabla aftor troin