Evening star., 1942-03-24
Nelson 10 Seek
Vo|untaryEn
OF Double Time
Production Chief
Asks Congress to
Halt Action 50 Days
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
War Production Chief Donald
Nelson asked Congress today to
give him a day time limit to
obtain voluntary suspension Of
double pay for overtime through
agreement with leaders Of or
ganized labor before enacting
legislation on the matter.
He promised the House Naval AZ
fairs Committee that he would ask
for legislation himself then If he
was unable to obtain that agree
ment. but simultaneously entered
opposition to suspension of Federal
maximum hour legislation and .
ban against closed shops In indus
tries handling Army and Navy con-
tracts.
The men at the bench are Just
as patriotic as you or l." he told
Chairman Vinson of the committee,
who with Representative Smith,
Democrat, Of Virginia drafted the
far-reaching measure.
Doesn't Limit Hours.
THE present law" he said, docs
not prevent men from working more
than 40 hours a week. 1t has not
set the pattern for the length Of our
work week in our war industries. 1t
governs wages rather than the hours
in which a man may work"
He made it clear that he was not
in favor of eliminating overtime
pay, set now by law at the eduiva-
lent of time and a half, for the
seventh day of consecutive labor.
He told the committee that men
in the highly strategic" machine
tool industry now were working an
average of IS hours, that those in
the shipbuilding industry averaged
48 hours and those in aircraft
plants 49,
IF we abolish the 40-hour week
by law" he said, we do not gain
one hour of additional work in our
war industries; but naturally We
create widespread demand for in
creases in wage rates, throw the
entire wage structure out of ad-
justment and remove an important
incentive for labor to shift from
non-essential industries into war
production jobs"
Fears "Unwise" legislation.
Senator George, Democrat, Of
Georgia earlier had predicted that
public demand would force drastic
ic1a
curbs on labor unless the admins
tration acted promptly to seek q
modification of the 40-hour week
law.
Discussing proposals to abolish
the 40-hour week by law. Mr. Nelson
expressed the opinion such action
would make labor relations in gen.
eral worse. rather than better"
But he bluntly asserted that the
question of paying double time for
Saturday, Sunday and holiday work
lis a different matter. which has
90 relation to the 40-hour week as
such.
Il believe that this practice Of de-
manding premium pay for weekend
and holiday work has in many in
stances slowed up war production
Yet" he added, Il do not believe
that we should try to correct this
situation by act of Congress. I be.
lleve that we can gain a general sus-
pension of this provision through
voluntary action on the part Of our
responsible labor leaders"
Warns Of Bad Effect.
Discussing the clause which would
ban the closed shop, Mr.. Nelson
contended that it would very likely
have bad effect on labor morale
and on labor relations-and ulti.
mately. on war production itself"
He entered opposition, too, to the
provision to limit war profits to .
maximum of per cent, although
expressing his conviction that ex-
cesSive profits should be curbed and
his belief that per cent "is plenty
| in the average case"
But the war production chief
argued that the mandatory barriers
against profits higher than per
cent would impede the conversion
OF small business to war work.
He said also that the clause failed
to take into consideration return on
capital investment. turnover, the
time required to fill the contract.
and the financial structure of the
contracting firm, and probably
would, if written into the law, force
many contractors to insist upon
cost-plus- -fixedfee contracts. -
What we need to do" said Mr..
Nelson at one point, "is to get every
one in the country conscious Of his
responsibility"
Must Keep Civilian Services.
He said, too that the Nation must
see to it that essential civilian serv-
ices are maintained, illustrating his
point by saying that IF transporta-
ton bogs down, then production
bogs."
The job Of production" he said,
depends upon the will of the peo-
pie, upon the man with the shovel,
upon the man with the tools, upon
management, upon the public, upon
Government"
Loss Of Control Feared.
Chairman Vinson observed that he
was afraid the labor leadership has
lost control of some of the unions'
and asked Mr. Nelson If he thourft
Philip Murray. c. I. o. president,
could control the actions Of q par
ticular union dealing with a war In.
dustry.
Il wouldn't like to venture m
opinion on what Mr.. Murray can
do," Mr.. Nelson replied.
The war production chief agreed
with Representative Vinson that
enforcement Of the closed shoo
would have some effect on q plants
production 'if there weren's enough
skilled men available in the union"
He emphasized, however, that his
objection to tampering with labor
legislation at this time was based On
his belief that 1t would have an ad.
/ verxe effect m nrod,IctioY,