Evening star., 1942-11-02
Munpower
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boards on occupational deferment
questions, and he expressed hope
that this would bring about i'm
provement."
He reported also that war plants
were being urged to prepare man
ming tables" showing what positions
in them are considered essential in
order to provide justification for
deferment of men in essential posi-
tions."
Many Plants Prepare Tables.
Many plants already have prepared
these tables to give draft boards "a
more realistic inventory" OF their
labor needs, and plants which have
done so are having far less diff
Guilty over losing men to selective
service" Mr.. McNutt said.
He said he hoped general pro-
gram OF preparing manning tables
would be put in operation "in a week
or 10 days." starting with plants
whose output consists IS per cent Of
war materials and with utilities and
railroads.
Mr.. McNutt said that both labor
and management had indorsed the
Manning table program.
The manpower chief said there had
been no change in his view that ma
tional service legislation was i'm
perative, but he said the timing of
such legislation was "a matter for
the President and Congress-
Asked what had been done in cases
where Georgia and South Carolina
authorities had taken action to stop
recruiting of workers in those States
for plants In other areas, Mr.. McNutt
replied:
Il have asked the Attorney Cen
eral regarding what powers there are
and how far certain authorities 60.
I'm dealing with the ALLEGATION Of
labor supplies we must meet the
needs of this country and to do so
we will 20 as far as necessary
Msanwhilc. on Capitol Hill the
Right Rev Msgr. John OGrady,
secretary of the National Conference
of Catholic Charities. Washington.
told Senate Labor Subcommittee
that absence of a national program
for development of the agricultural
labor supply had led to labor hoard
ing" in Texas and elsewhere.
The witness contended that the
United States Employment Service
was operating on "a local basis" and
had virtually no contact with the
farm labor shortage, and said it was
quite clear" that recruiting of farm
workers in Texas, mostly by sugar
companies of Michigan, had been
resisted" with Texas "hoarding its
labor
They want to be sure they keep
a surplus" he said.
Private contractors who move
farm labor from one part of the
country to another. for instance COL
ored persons from the Florida Ever
glades to Western New York, seem
to be the only people in the United
States who have developed a tech
nique for mobilizing agricultural
labor Father O'Grady said.
Drafting of farm labor by the War
Manpower Commission would result
in chaos" he said, because the
commission has no plan, no ma
chinery for mobilizing the supply of
agricultural labor
Msgr. O'Grady said that while
there was real manpower crisis in
Connecticut, especially Bridgeport
and Hartford, which he visited in q
inquiry of his own, neither the Man
power Commission nor the Employ
ment Service have had any real
knowledge of the situation"
In those cities, as well as other
industrial cities 1 visited" he de-
clared, "the supply of local labor
mostly married women, had not beer
exhausted. because there was no Fed
eral agency to interpret to the wom-
en- their need in the war effort.
Draft Of Key Men Hit.
THE Manpower Commission wa.
supposedly set up in April" he de.
clared, but the personnel director.
of the war plants in Bridgepor,
and Hartford haven't seen the New
England director
Key men of airplane factories ir
those cities, as well as in Wichita
Kans., and Kansas City. Mo-, still