Evening star., 1942-08-09


now involuLtarily unemployed. It was
predicted that this number is likely to
rise to 10000 before the end of the year
unless the Government decides to sub
sidize' the garmentmakers" by paying a
higher price for uniforms manufactured
In New York than is necessary at low
cost Southern factories.
Three days earlier the same alert
newspaper mad carried report of acute
labor shortage in the Pacific Northwest,
where: WAR plants essential to the pro-
gram for licking the Japs are coming into
production minus about 115,000 needed
workers. To meet this particular diff
Guilty, 1t was said, the War Manpower
Commission may. among other steps,
drastically curtai local pulp and paper
production, transferring to the expanding
war industries of Seattle and Portland
the labor thus made available.
Theoretically, it would be possible to
transport the unemployed garment work.
ers Of New York to the undermined
war industries of Seattle, simultaneously
providing the former with well-paid jobs
and supplying the latter with essential
workers. Such transfer would avert
further inflationary subsidy and would
at least postpone additional dislocation
OF important local industry. In this
manner beth the German and British
public employment systems have been
meeting problems OF coincident surplus
and shortage OF civilian manpower
It is not suggested that women from
the langulshing New York needle trades
pending snipyards of Puget Sound.
Nevertheless. If the enormous potential
strength of this country is to be fully
concentrated on the war effort, far
greater progress in the efficient combina-
ton of workers and jobs will soon have
to be achieved.
Waste From Lack Of Policy.
The case chosen for illustration is far
fetched But much more fantastic would
be refusal to recognize and confront the
tremendous wastage now resulting from
the lack of any truly national employ
ment policy.
Initial public realization of the advent
employment came on April 81, when the
White House announced establishment of
the War Manpower Commission "for the
purpose OF assuring the most effective
mobilization and utilization of the ma
tional manpower.' f s.
The selection of Paul v. McNutt as
chairman Of this vital agency was, in the
,j,,in of of l,e arcf,
appropriate emergency appointments yet
made. From the standpointS Of person.
atty, fo1efulness, energy, ability and
technical knowledge the Federal security
administrator. not less so because of his
recognized political ambitions, seems the
logical man for this tremendous assign
ment.
During the last Is years Mr.. McNutt
has in two fundamental respects pre-.
pared the ground for the far-reaching
operations With which he has been en-
trusted. In countless speeches and
articles, ghosted or otherwise. he has
made plain that the mobilization of
civilian manpower for total war requires
comprehensive revision of traditional
American attitudes. And he has with
administrative genius as we'll developed
as it is rare in wartime Washington
built up a carefully integrated organi-
cation which now, eight months after
Pearl Harbor, is about ready to function
in high gear.
Extensive Power to Be Realized.
Executive order No. 9l39, creating the
War Manpower Commission, gives it very
extensive powers of which the scope will
before long be realized much more
widely. Thus the chairman is authorized
to direct the several departments and
agencies of the Government as to the
proper ALLEGATION of available manpower."
And he may further: Establish policies
and prescribe regulations governing all
Federal programs relating to the recruit
ment, vocational training and placement
of workers to meet the needs Of industry
and agriculture"
Those who know Mr.. McNutt know also
that, as the war emergency deepens, he
Is unlikely to show undue reserve in
utilizing his enormous powers. But his
temperament makes it equally unlikely
that the chairman of the War Manpower
Commission will initiate drastic action
until he Is sure, on the other hand. Of
public support, and, on the other that
his organization is fully prepared to
1naugurate in a centralized direction of
daily occupational life for which there
Is no precedent under our Federal form
Of government.
There Is still within the framework of
the War ManpoWer Commission one
weak structural part, the more dangerous
to the success of the whole setup be-
cause 1t is the foundation on which all
the mobilization of civilian manpower
must be secured.
This structural weakness is found in
the backwardness and relative inefi-
cheney Of public employment exchange
organization in the United States. OBJ
viously the machinery of placement is
basic to any successful mobilization of
manpower. But our governmental en-
ployment agencies, both as regards COM
prehensive listing and openings and
Nationwide ALLEGATION of registrants,
are still in some respects behind the
development achieved in this field by
Germany and Great Britain even before
the last war, let alone the rehnements
of operation accomplished there prior to
the present conflict.
Authority Is Divided.
The reason for our backwardness is
not inefficient personnel, for the United
States Employment Service is ably
stated, from John J. Corson, its youthful
ooy,,potoy,t 5iractor dour,, IN