The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1942-11-19

the selective process of the draft,
is now being considered as one
answer to the manpower problem
which the country is facing.
It is probable, after the first
of the year, that the Selectlve
Service system will be concerned
with selecting men for industry
as well as for the army. By giving
the Selective Service authorities
control over all man power, they
will be able to put each man
in the position where his ability
can be used most efficiently.
Under this system there would
probably be few men who would
be exempted from service OF
some kind, but, in general, the
older men would be drafted Tor
industry and the replaceable
Younger men, now exempt from
military service because OF belng
in an essential occupation would
be called for army service.
It is estimated that by next
year our program will call for
100000 men in the armed ser
vices, 100000 men in war plants
and at least 100000 men on
farms. This will necessitate tax
ing at least 100000 men from
present civilian occupations and
must also be supplemented by a
large number of women workers
plus the assistance of over mil
lion boys and girls.
AS a result of pressure beng
brought to bear by the large Re
publican group which will doml-
nate the new congress, it is likely
that the Wagner act will be re-
vised and the 40-hour week will
be extended to at least a 40-hour
week. The President has argued
that more than a 48-hour week
would result in inefficiency, but
manpower experts point out that
it may be necessary to have Skill
ed workers work more than 70
hours to keep plants operating at
top speed.
Closely allied with the man
power problem. so far as maxi
mum production is concerned IS
the problem of getting vital ma
terials to the industries IN winch
thew are most needed. 1t has been
found that the priority system
now being used has many leaks
in it. Some firms are getting
more materials than they neeo
1t the expense of others Whlcn
have had to retard production pc
cause of shortages. To control TINS
situation, Donald Nelson, head OF
the War Production board IS
organizing a Controlled Materials
plan which will operate as a soTI
of national bank for Materials 10
pet materials from this BANK
company will have to have eacn
reo11est carefully analysed ana all
materials will be released IN. &C
cordance with comparative I'M
nortance of the products TOT
which materials are requested
Under this plan requests maue
for materials for civilian proouc's
will be granted only when aoso-
1,,to1v necessary. AS conse-
o,ience. there will undoubtedly
be a sharp decline in the products
available to consumers. CLAIMS
for products for civilians Will De
made by the Office Of Clvilan
Supply-but those claims Will De
kept to the absolute minimum
For example: In 1943 less than
per cent of the copper supply
will be requested for civilian pro-
ducts whereas, in 1910, 70 per
cent of our copper supply was
allocated to civilian uses.
The results of the election,
which will give almost an even
balance of Republicans and Dem
ocrats in next years house OF
representatives and which con-
siderably increased the Republ1-
can strength in the senate, has
led to much speculation as to the
changes which congress will seek
in the operation Of the war pro-
gram. But since candidates from
both parties were pledged to give
full support to the administration
in the prosecution of the war, any
opposition to the administration
will probably be confined to do
mestic issues, such as labor legs
lation. The probable attitude of
the strong minority party was
indicated by Joseph w. Martin
Jr., minority leader of the house,
who resigned as chairman of the
Republican National committee to
give his full time to the job OF
the ''revitalized" Republican party
in the house, and said:
eve all have been 100 per cent
back of the winning of the war,
l. -