The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-07-27

l 0SVo 4AoAAAAAAS WEI
 EAsom to some bored and
 bewildered old sea dog beribboned, beloved and equally bewildered kitty. While flashbulbS pop.
 Unofficial reaction at the Mari time Commission is that the ladies might substitute rabbits for kittens, because there are going obe some 2,500 commissioning in the next year and half.
 Mascots - even official ships cats have passed from the scene on most naval vessels, by the way. They always were a nuisance, and with the development of the water-tight bulkhead, the elimination of bilge, and increased sanitation, the ship rat menace has just about disap- peared.
 There will be no dollar -a-year men running the new Smaller War Plants Corporation, and that is perhaps the first victory for the fre- qnently expressed opion of the Tru- man Investigating committee, that there should be no dollar-a-year men in government. The congress sional theory is that executives should sever all business connec- tions when they come to work for the government, and take salaries at the government rate, which is usually $10,O00 per year tops. DOLAR-A-YEAR?
 But the SWPC ban does not mean that the War Production Board Is shifting away from the dollar a-year theory. Latest check showed nearly 500 dollar-a-year men in War Pro- duction Board setup, as against neary 90 former businessmen now drawing $500 year or better in the way of government salary.
 Severance of private business ties and acceptance of a regular gov- ernment salary seldom removes the objection which applies to dollar-a- year men, however, for in many cases the executives company pays the difference between the govern ment salary and the old private business salary. Ralph K. Davies, for instance, gets $10,O00 a year from the government as deputy petroleum coordinator, but Standard Oil of California still pays him $20,000 a year to make up his regular ESQ., 000-a-year pay envelope.
 
 Imagine Leon Hendersons sur prise at being labeled ''anti-labor' by the unions, because of his stand for wage control. In all his pre- vious government hobs, in MIRA, in SEC, in Temporary National Eco homie Committee, Henderson was considered Labor's pal. Now they've kicked him over. Henderson, by the way, makes great distinction be- tween wage freezing and wage con- trol. He's against freezing, but for control to the extent necessary to prevent price rises.
 ANTS-AND SHIPS
 Credit for the idea of having Latin American shipyards build 100 wooden sailing vessels of less than 1000 tons each to carry billion tons of cargo between Caribbean ports goes to Under Secretary ot Commerce Wayne Chatfield-T Taylor but the source of his idea makes an amazing tale. He got his nispira- ton, of all places, in 8 modern clipped plane while flying to Brazil Crossing the Caribbean, he noticed many sailing vessels in costal trade Next day, over Grazil, he noticed the mountains" built leaf and twie at 8 time by the famed army ants of the pampas. If ants can build towering stockjiles," reasoned MT Taylor, why couldn't we build oul own stockpiles by moving ton aftei ton in sailing ships" He sold the idea to Nelson Rockefeller, ano Uncle Jesse Jones's REC kicked ir | with $10 million to finance the million to finance the operation. Gossip in Washington keeps try ing to stir up a, fued between WIPE Chairman Donald M. Nelson anc Lieut.. Gen. Brehon Somervell, com manding general of the Army Ser vices of Splly. Nelson ain't mad al anybody, ever, but there's something about a general that makes hin want to run things. Nelson's recent realignment of the WIPE orgapi' zation kept for WIPE final contro over priorities and war production That was considered a licking fol Somervell. He retired into his cor ner for day, but came out fight ing the next, and apparently won be satisfied until the Army is run. ming the whole war production show Somervell's choice WIPE boss is sup. posed to be Ferdinand EberStadt chairman of Army Navy Munitioni Board.
 Nelson has transferred to thu Army some of the principal WIPE functions and personnel notably production under Brig. Gen. w H. Harrison and purchases undel Col. Douglas MacKeachie. Prin' cipal bone of contention is tha WIPE wants certain minimum ci vilian requirements taken care of Army would cut civilian evonom! right to nothing. WIPE complain that Army has been marking priori ties on certain orders in total dis |