The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-03-20

up and get on the
168-hour week. So with the big boss
coming for a look-see, something
had to be done. Though the plants
had not been working Sundays, en-
ployeS were told to report on Sun
day, and special permission was
obtained from the state capital to
let women employees work an extra
day in violation of the state law
which set a maximum work week
of As hours for female labor. En-
ployeS who had been working on
civilian cash registers and civilian
refrigerators were instructed to
drop that work and to handle only
defense production.
The stage was all set to show
General Knudsen that big things
were happening, And then, at the
last minute, he Cancelled his Sun
day inspection.
Personnel managers and foremen
were thereupon put to getting In
touch with employees and telling
them not to report. A lot of the
workers didn't have telephones and
couldn't be reached. When they ar
rived at the plant gates, they were
instructed to go home. The net re-
suit was that fewer people worked
on Sundays than were normally
employed on Sunday for mainten-
ance and repair.
MUST HAVE
MORE QUICKER
This little homily is related here
as perfect example OF how to
lose war at home. With American
forces getting the pants licked off
Of them for no other reason than
lack of equipment, this country is
still fooling around on war produc-
ton effort and all the statistics,
charts and literature compiled by
well-meaning press agents and
propagandists can't make the Sit
uation appear otherwise. We have
MT begun to fight for the simple
reason we haven't yet begun to pro-
duce.
This sad truth is perhaps the
best commentary that can be made
on the Guthrie case. The Guthrie
case may not have received the at
tention 1t deserves, but 1t Is cause
celebre in Washington. You will be
reading about 1t for some weeks to
come as various congressional and
WPB investigators probe its merits
and dement's.
Robert r. Guthrie Is a hard boil
ed merchant from Paducah, KY,
and at one time was large stock
holder in White Sewing Machine.
He sold his stock and left his store,
however, to work in Washington as
a defense official. In the reorgan-
ization of OPM which resulted in
creation of WPB, Guthrie ended up
as a deputy chief of industry
branches of which there were three
serving under Philip Reed, former
General Electric executive.
Guthrie was ambitious. Further
more, he believed in about pro-
duction for war and he did not be-
lieve in business S-usual. With
hammer and tongs he started after
the industries under his supervision.
His responsibility was durable goods
radios and refrigerators, wool, tex
tiles, carpets and a few others. His
| Job was to get all these industries
converted to war production just as
fast as possible. That, apparently,
was his undoing. The industries
screamed they were being persecut-
ed by GuthAe.. Authority was taken
away from him until he ended up
as chief of a minor branch, cloth
ing and textiles. Fed up, he re-
signed.
BIGGER THAN
ONE MAN
Guthrie will be duly investigated
and committees will make recon-
mendations and findings. What will
come out of this typical Washing
ton tempest no one can predict. But
the Guthrie case is bigger than
mere administrative Squabble at
fectlng one man.
InduStrialiSts can argue them
selves red, white and blue in the
face In citing arguments as to why
they should not be converted Sure
it's going to hurt. 1t will hurt man
agement and 1t will hurt labor.
Sure, also, the war can be lost If
it isn't done.
The approach thus far has been
too much along the line Of How
much civilian goods can we make
for how long timer" instead OF
How few civilian goods can we
make for how short a time and still
get by?"
1t looks as though there would
still have to be some changes made
in such thinking. The auto industry
has shown what can be done in the
line Of conversion, once hard
boiled guy gets hold Of 1t and really
goes to town.