The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1942-07-16
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BY LANES PRESTON

As MAYOR struggles rage OIL el&HJ
world battIe-fronts, Washington
tightens the reins on production to
provide maximum quantity of planes
and tanks for long death-struggle
with Totalitarianism. Manufacturers
unable to convert to war work will go
out of business or conform to a rigid
wartime pattern to provide the bare
necessities of civilian life
OPA, talking Standardization of all
manufactured goods, would outlaw
new models. Uniform products would
lead to uniform prices, tend to curb
initiation, maintain price ceilings
save materials.
Already approximately 100000
articles are under price regulation
and OPA looks for more effective
price enforcement through reduc-
ton of this number.
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During World War | about Is per
cent Of L. S. industry was engaged in
war production-at its peak. The end
of 1912 is expected to see 70 per cent
concentrating on war materials. To
keep this huge industrial machine OPP
Grating at capacity the 10 million
workers now employed by war plants
will be more than doubled.
Regulations soon to be issued by
Chairman McNutt of the Manpower
Commission will determine which of
these workers are essential to war
work and subject to draft deferment.
While not complete the list includes:
Diemakers, jobsetters, machinists,
toolmakers, ship filters, Ship carpen-
tiers, ship electricians, aircraft sheet
metal workers, surface grinder oper-
ators, tool grinder operators, boring
mill operators, engine lathe operators,
turret lathe operators and fireplace
able farmers.
Essential industries so far speci
fled include.
Aircraft, shipbuilding, ordnance and
accessories, ammunition, firearms, ex-
plosivcs, power boilers, scientific in
struments, wood distillation. naval
stores, iron, steel, porous foundry
products, poultry and dairy farming,
sugar beet production and food pro-
cessing.
Sterilization of wages, one of the
seven points of President Roosevelt's
authorization program, has been
pushed to the front by the Little Steel
case. While the War Labor Board is
in continuous session on this matter
its decision, looked for daily, is not
expected to settle the controversy.
Key administration officials are
working on a permanent plan to de-
fine dollar and cent wage standards
to be followed by WLB. This would
fix level of wages above which in
creases would not be permitted.
While the wage scale has not been
announced it is known to be high. Few
in Washington believe it will 90 lower
than $36.65 a week, the average fac
tory wage for April, 1871.
In addition to difference of opinion
on the wage level, Capitol Hill and the
executive branch also lock horns on
the House slashing of OPA's Hcnder
sons appropriation from 161 million
dollars to IS million dollars, the House
Ways and Means Committees flat re-
fusal to vote a tax bill of $8,650,0OO
600, and the refusal of both Congress
sional bodies to fall in line with the
administrations plan for price fixing
and marketing of farm products.
There are some members at Capt.
toll Hill who believe wage stabiliza-
ton is the cause of the whole con-
troversy and these have the opinion
that labor union leaders will never
agree voluntarily on this issue as it
would weaken their control over union
members.