The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-07-21
BY PETER EDSok
Monitor-Leoder Washington
Correspondent

SUCH q Jam tnOt eVentuOlly VI
will have to be reoreonized as
drostiooIIy as the war produe-
tion machinery was lost Jonu-
dry, or else brood program
Of legislation to droft nonpow-
er for civilian jobs may have
to be considered. In oose the
latter course is decided upon,
look out. Congress might be re-
luctont to toke away the
rights of the citizenry to work
where they chose, unless the
public could in some way ex-
press its willingness to be
drofted and moved Ground
where needed in q mass, "Show
me the Job and lead me to it,"
demonstration.
The War Monpower Com
mission apparently has no ou-
thority other than TO issue di.
receives or statements OF policy
and call conferences and COM
mittee meetings. In case Of q
showdown on some critical To-
Dor supply problem, the clean
up Of the situation would have
to be done by War Production
Boord, SeIective Service, Army,
Navy or Maritime Commits
sion.
All these have brood pow
ers and real authority. WPB,
for instance, can withhold mo-
teriols from q plant thot pi-
rotes labor. Army and Navy
con toke over plants and run
them. Selective Service can tell
q man who is willing to go in
the Army thot he can do his
country more good by staying
at some highly skilled Job in q
critical industry, and thus keep
him out Of service.
At present, everything the
Monpower Commission has
done hos been put on q basis
Of patriotism and voluntary
cooperation. If there ore two
war production industries in q
given area competing for Ia
Dor the Monpower Commission
would recommend thot the in
dustries get together and set
tie the problem.
NICE BUT INEFFECTIVE
II there $50 scarcity Of
workers for q war industry and
q surplus Of workers in NOM
essential industry, all the Man.
power Commission could do
would be to appeal through is
u. S. Employment Service TO
the workers patriotism to Shift
to the more critical job.
Such democratic methods
may work in normal times, but
with labor supply becoming
more and more critical this
cosy, free flow functionine of
hiring threatens to bog down.
Eventually, the government
must decide whether it will
permit the boedown, or will
soy, "Hey you! You'll work
over there" It may odd q
"Pleose" and O Thank You!"
but compliance will be man.
dotory.
Man wer Commission
Chairman Paul V. McNutt is
sues glowing statements about
how every agency is working
closely together, cooperation
is wonderful and employment
in war production has risen to
rs million.
DIREcTIVES WON'T DO
Governor McNutt has Just
issued O new Settlement Of
Policy to Prevent Pirotine Of
Wor Workers, admittedly the
toughest Of the labor problems
in war production oreos. The
settlement provides that Man.
oeement Labor committees
may be set UP in designated
critical areas TO handle things.
These committees may work,
but they do not have behind
them the legal authority Of the
droft boards or the rotoning
boards. Each monpower COM
mittee will consist Of on equal
number OF union men and
representatives. from monoee-
ment with q non-voting-eet
that - chairman from the
oreo government MPC oreon-
izoton. You'll have TO wait
to see how they function.
But these problems are get
ting tougher every doy. The
oircroft wage sterilization ex-
pIorotory conference on the
west coost, intended TO find
some way 70 put oircroft on O
por with shipyords and prevent