Evening star., 1942-10-06
Labor Opposes
Controls Under
Manpower Law
Lock of Overall Policy
Reported Bosis Of
Enmity to Measure
BY JESSE O. IRWIN.

Despite critical labor shortages
reported in such important war
production areas as Los Angeles,
Seattle, Detroit, Buffalo and
Philadelphia, the War Manpower
Commission has been advised
that organized labor is "unalter-
ably" opposed to the compulsory
manpower legislation now being
drafted by the commission, au-
thoritative sources said today.
Labor's opposition is reported to
be based on contention that the
commission has not developed an
overall manpower program and that
voluntary methods of coping with
the problem have not been given
a fair trial.
A 40-page draft is reported to
have been submitted by Chairman
Paul v. McNutt to the commission S
Management-Labor Policy Commit
tee at least three weeks ago. AL
though several conferences have
been held. the draft has encountered
such snarl that. according to one
ranking member of the commission
staff, "a great deal of blasting will
be required to get it out of the COM
mittee's hands"
The draft, designed to bring about
outright Government control over
hiring, firing and job switching
within war industries. is the work
of the legal staff of the commission.
which is headed by Bernard Gavit,
former dean of law at the University
of Indiana.
No Strike Safeguard.
This proposal differs considerably
from the bills introduced recently
by Senators Hill. Democrat. of Ala
barna and Austin, Republican, of
Vermont, especially as to admins
trative control. The commission pro-
pcsal is reported to place full con-
troll within the War Manpower
Commission, while the Austin and
Hill bills vest full authority with
the President. The Gavit draft also
Is reported to provide not only for
the handling of job placements ex-
clusively by the United States En-
ployment Service but takes care of
transportation costs of shifting
workers from jobs and adequate
housing.
The commission draft would re-
quire, by direction of the President,
the registration of all male citizens
and male aliens between the ages of
IL to IS years. and all female citizens
and female aliens between the ages
OF Il and SIS years. The draft in
Its present form does not have a
strike safeguard provision.
Authoritative sources within the
commission say the drafts penalty
clause provides for a fine of 500
or six months in prison for failure
OF a worker now engaged by "less
essential industry to accept q
job in a war plant or for leaving
a war plant without permission.
For failure to comply with the
management provisions of the pro-
posed law, an employer would be
confronted with penalty of $1,000
or five years in prison for each day
of noncompliance.
The commission is reported to
have made careful study of the
British essential work order adopted
in 1941, and has consulted with G.
Myrddin Evans of the British Min
istry of Labor and National Service
Mr.. Evans recently returned to Lon
don after a stay of several months
in Washington.
Follows British Order.
The draft is said to follow some
OF the important provisions of the
British essential work order. It
is said that essential work" will
be widely defined, and, in time, may
include all industries participating
in the war effort.
1t is reported that authority will
be requested for the chairman of the
War Manpower Commission, after
he is satisfied that a plant is en-
gagged In essential work, to enter
the name of the firm in a schedule
OF undertaking. Once a plants
name has been so entered it may
not dismiss an employe nor lend an
employe to another firm without
permission of the Government. Nor
may person employed in such an
establishment leave his employment
without permission. An employe
would have a right to appeal a de-
cision of the Governments repre-
sentative in the plant and his case
will 60 to local or area appeal
board.
In Britain the local appeal boards
consist of one member chosen to
(See MANPOWER, Page A-140