Victory worker. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1942-1943, 1942-12-01

, the Axis in ornaments. The diff
ficulties which lie ahead are as
many or more than those which
have been surmounted.
A year ago the overriding prob
lem was that of conversion of
peacetime industry. By and large
that is no longer a problem.
Several months ago the proper
flow of raw materials was the
great problem. That is still with
us, but steps have been taken
which should go far toward giving
us workable solution.
The foremost task now is to
those which lie ahead. In 1912
we were still living off our peace
time fat. We are now close to the
bare muscle and we can only pro-
coed by toughening and increasing
that muscle. In the next year our
program calls for so great an in
crease in munitions production that
we shall have to produce two
thirds again as much as we did in
in 1912.
We are pressing closer to the
limits of our resources in mate
rials, transportation and power.
And in the next year we shall
have to press close to the limit of
our ultimate resource-manpower.
A year ago 100000 persons
were employed in war work. Now
the total has risen to 17,500,000.
In 1943 we will need to add at
least 100000 to our working and
fighting forces.
And by the end of that year
nearly all of our working popula-
ton will be engaged in war work
OF in civilian work geared to the
war.
ManpOwer No. / Need
In the past year our manpower
problem was not one of national
shortage, but of local shortages
and bottlenecks in critical areas,
aggravated by labor pirating and
boarding and discriminatory prac-
tees in the hiring of Negroes,
workers from minority groups and
women.
In the next year local shortages
will merge into a national short
age which will require not only
additions to the labor supply from
women and older and younger
people, but extensive transfers
from non-war industry and the
most efficient utilization of our
present labor force.
Our transportation facilities
carried the greatest volume of
traffic in history and both our
railroads and trucking systems set
fine records. The next year will
see even greater burdens cast on
them, with little, if any additional
equipment available.
Rubber-borne transportation by
truck, bus and private automobiles,
presents one of our gravest prob
lens and stringent tire conserva-
ton measures have been under
taken to assure against a break
down which might vitality impair
our productive effort.
Food production reached a rec
ord high in 1912. Food produc-
ton was IL per cent above 1941l
and 30 per cent above the war
year of 1918. A large proportion
of this production was in protiens
and fats, necessities in time of
war-meat, milk, eggs, soybeans.
Increase or even maintenance of
this high level will not be an easy
matter, shortages of labor and
farm machinery are inevitable,
although deferment of essential
farm workers and operators from
call will ease the former.
In the meantime, the food needs
of our armed forces are mounting
to such an extent that military
and lend-lease buying will take rs
per cent of our farm output.
Shortages have developed in some
products and will develop in others.
Yet an adequate overall diet can
be assured.
The part played by management,
labor and the farmers in our pro-
duction achievements cannot be
The doubts and
hesitancies which impeded CONVEX
sion of industry went overheard
soon after the beginning of the
year and conversion was accom-
plished in much less time than
many had feared. Labor volun-
tsrily surrendered the right to