Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-04-02
WarpIane! Gar
Urged 10 Break
Boft|enecks
Senote Probers
Rop Armed Forces
For Poor Planning

By the Associated Press.
Criticizing the Nations armed
forces for a poor job Of overall
planning" the Senate Defense
Investigating Committee recon-
mended today that the War Pro-
duction Board draft q trained
aircraft executive to direct q
drive to break the hottlenecks
which are holding up peak pro-
duction" In the warpiane pro-
gram.
Summarizing a subcommittee
visit to the West Coast, the COM
mittee reported that plane assembly
lines in big plants were not running
TO capacity because of recurring
shortages of some vital parts being
produced by subcontractors.
"A poor job Of overall planning,
from aluminium ingots to finished
aircraft, by the armed services and
the old o. p. M. (Ofice of Produc-
ton Management must be blamed
for the present situation" the COM
mittee said In its report. The
usual red tape and delays in making
contracts also were partly respon-
sible."
Single Executive Urged.
The committee recommended that
the w. p. B. set up section charged
with overall planning for aircraft
production, headed by a trained
production executive drafted from
the industry.
The subcommittee had been
told" the report commented, that
the w. p. B. still does not have q
single top-notch aircraft production
man in its organization.
The report recommended also that
instead Of wasting its energies on
a generalized plea for 'all-out pro-
duction,' which has confused man
agement, labor and the public, the
w. p. B. concentrate its efforts on
breaking those bottlenecks which
are, in the aircraft industry to the
subcommittee scertain knowledge
and probably in other fields, really
holding up peak production"
Reviewing the production Of
aluminium, the committee said that
evidence gathered by its. subcom-
mittee indicated there is still
something seriously wrong in the
light metals section of the War
Production Board, successor to the
old o. P. M. section, which failed
so miserably to anticipate and pre-
pare for the greatly increased de-
mand for these metals"
shipbuiIding Amazing"
The committee said that It's IN
vestigation Of shipbuilding work had
disclosed truly amazing" progress in
erecting yards. 1t commented also
that labor relations in the plants
it visited we're excellent" -.
The committee found that EN-
ployes in most West Coast plants
were working 4S hours q week, add
ing that comments of several ex-
ecutives indicated that the overtime
pay for the hours over 20 was
figured as part of weekly earnings
and that If it were eliminated, it
might be necessary to increase
hourly rate to provide approximately
the same weekly earnings"
1t found only one employer, the
committee said, who complained Of
SLOW downs" or who said that mod
if1cation of the 40-hour week might
lead to greater production. 1t noted
this employers relations with his
employees were mot good or har-
moniouS."
Rubber Farms Visited.
Visiting guayule rubber paintings
at Salinas, Calf, the committee said
it found that there was not now
sufficient seed to make possible pro-
duction in quantities sufdcient to
alleviate the rubber shortage with
in three or four years.
Inspecting defense installations on
the West Coast, the committee said
it felt that very effective measures
have been taken to meet any at
tack" 1t said that while there was
no technical unity of command,
there is complete unity Of informs
ton" 1t added that in case Of an
attack there would be as complete
coordination of action as is posi-
BILE without unity of command"