Evening star., 1942-09-29
Bill 10 Draft Labor
May Solve Manpower
Problem, McNuH Says
Tells House Inquiry
Of PIons to Freeze
Workers on War Jobs
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
A national service act, for
compulsory assignment OF work
ers to jobs where they are most
needed, emerged today as the
probable administration answer
to the multiplying manpower
problems Of fighting a war on
three fronts-the firing, food and
factory lines.
Paul v. McNutt, war manpower
chief, told the House Agriculture
Committee, which is inquiring into
farm labor scarcities, that an ad-
ministr ation-sponsored bill for al
locating labor probably would be
submitted to Congress soon.
While remaining silent on the ex-
tent Of powers such legislation would
embrace. he told newspapermen he
disliked the terms labor draft" and
labor conscription."
Patriotic Appeal Not Enough.
TesJifying before the committee,
he said:
Persuasion is not enough and
there's not sufficient patriotic urge.
I hope in the very near future that
certain recommendation will be
made. It's not an easy task. We've
never had such legislation. Certain
constitutional questions are in
volved. =" The job ahead Is a
question of putting every man and
woman in the place where they
could contribute most to a speedy
victory"
He stressed that England passed
such an act virtually at the outset
of the war, and he expressed the
opinion that conpulsion would have
to be used with very few persons in
this country, that the mere existence
of the law would go a long way
toward correcting conditions.
Several proposals for war service
legislation already have been sub
mitted, including bills by Senators
Hill, Democrat, of Alabama and
Austin, Republican, Of Vermont.
Asks Higher Farm Pay.
Turning directly to the farm labor
problem, Mr.. McNutt told the agri-
culture group that one way to keep
workers on the farm was to increase
their wages, so as to diminish the
lure Of industrial pay.
In answer to a question from a
committee member, whether this
would bring about higher farm
prices, he said ut would seem to
follow, logically" Later he told
newspapermen he did not intend his
statement to be construed as having
any relation to the current farm
bloc for higher prices In the anti
imitation bill.
Mr.. McNutt told the committee
that food requirements will not
permit curtailment of farm out
put"
He expressed confidence that this
years crops would be harvested
without serious difficulty, although
minor" crop losses had occurred.
Despite the departure of 1000, ,00t
persons from farms since April
1910, he testified, the number nov
employed in agriculture is virtually
the same as that of last year. He
said experts expected a further
withdrawal Of 1,3o00 900 by the enc
of 1943, Of which 100000 would b.
men.
But with more older and younger
persons entering farm work, he pre-
dicted the net deduction in the total
of farm workers by then would
amount to only about 100000.
Sees Farm Labor Frozen.
He suggested that. if other means
failed, freezing of labor in agricul-
ture is very real possibility"
Maj Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, Sc
lective Service director, had sug-
gested to the committee earlier that
immediate military induction Of
draft-age, able-bodied men who
leave farms for higher paying city
jobs was one way to halt the shift
ing of labor.
Gen. Hershey said he was perfectly
willing to carry through a "till-the-
soll-or fight" procedure if Govern.
n1ent policy-makers decided it shoulc
be done.
AS to the narrowing of the differ
entails between farm and industria
wages, Mr.. McNutt said he saw "ne
prospect of lowering pay in industry.
Representative Pace, Democrat, o1
Georgia, a committee member, sale
he would "like to see volunteer high
school organization" take over &
substantial part of the farm work
and Chairman Fulmer commented
that considerable help could be oh.
tanned from millions of boys anc
girls in some organiza tions like the
All Clubs"
Mr.. Fulmer predicted food short.
age unless the farm labor problem
was solved, and some committee
members voiced fears that decline
in farm production might bring
about national food rationing.