Evening star., 1942-05-31
WarNeedsBrinq
Drastic Control
Of Manpower
Weeks Rulings Show
Ropid Progress Of
AII-Out Drive
BY JAMES MARROW and
WILLIAM PINKERTON,
Wide World Business Writers,

By JAMES MARROW and
WILLIAM PINKERTON,
Wide World Business writers.
NEW YORK, May 30.-The Gov
ernment made it clear to all Ameri-
cans in three different ways this
week that they were part of the
war effort from the cradle to the
grave.
The War Production Board pre-
scribed the kind of rubber nipples
babies may use and the ONCE OF
Price Administration put limit on
the cost of funerals, pegged on
March prices.
Then the shape of things to come
continually tightening Govern
ment control Of men and materials
was put under a penetrating light
for within "a hours the War Man.
power Commission did this:
Decided to prevent pirating of
skilled labor by rival manufacturers
through freezing" essential men in
their war jobs and then said work
or fight would be the policy toward
workers refusing suitable employ
ment" in war jobs.
Housing Needs Seen.
President Roosevelt stepped in to
help war workers for whom the
housing problem in many areas al
ready Is believed acute.
He sent special message to Con-
gress urging appropriation of an
additional $500 900 900 to house an
estimated 100000 persons in war
work. Congress already had set
aside 81 ,020 900 900 for such housing
That war jobs increasingly are
absorbing more men was seen In
another special message from the
President to Congress for a slash
In the Works Projects Administra-
ton funds.
Last January the w. p. AS esti-
mated need for the fiscal year start
ing July ! was $456, 600, 900, but now
this would be cut to s282, 7s7 900
while the message indicated the
agency might be eliminated by the
end Of 1943.
The newly proposed appropria-
ton for the agency was intended to
care for only about 400 900 persons
on an average monthly basis, a great
crop from the peak year of 1889
when 3,0l400O persons were carried
on the rolls and the expenditures
were s2,230, 900 900.
Waste to Be "TreasonabIe
Donald M. Nelson. War Production
Board chief, emphasized the need
for all available metal in war manu-
featuring by warning that within a
short time the Government would
consider waste of essential materials
as a "treaSonable" act.
The w. p. B. ordered a stop to
construction of public amusement
projects such as race tracks, theaters
and baseball parks by June s, ex-
empting only children's Fairgrounds.
The w. P. A. in still another
move gave the Army and Navy first
crack at all the salmon, sardines
mackerel and Atlantic herring to be
canned in the United States this
year.
If any Is left after the services
take what they need. 1t will be sold
to the civilian public.
The ONCE of Price Administra ton
made it plain that the benefit OF
price control would follow American
shoppers to the grave, even to when
they were paying for a funeral.
The o. P. A. said charges fol
funeral services in all their oper-
ations must not exceed the highest
charges in effect last March.
Rationing Fears Eased.
o. p. A. chief, Leon Henderson
sought to allay the fears of any who
thought widespread rationing wa
just around the corner by saying he
did not think 1t would be desirable tc
ration everything.
Pointing out that shortages would
develop, he said Il think we are
many, many moons away from 9
complete point system type of ra.
tioning Of all goods"
When American women shopper.
start to buy their fall clothes they
will find that they, too, benefited
from the price ceilings. For the
0. p. A. ruled that the 1912 autumn
styles of women's, girls and chill.
dren's outerwear garments cannot
be sold at prices higher than thos.
charged last season.
American motorists still were lef
to stew over their rubber and gaso
line worries but congressional &C
ton to block Nationwide gas ra'
tioning was projected as Senator
Connally. Democrat, of Texas callee
colleagues from oil-producing State'
to organize for fight against such
a proposal.
Nelson said the Government woulc
not impose Nationwide gas ration.
ing as of July l because admins
trative machinery for putting II
into operation could not be com.
pleted bv then.
Eastern Seaboard motorists
whose gas has already been rationed
got cold comfort from Petroleum Co.
ordinator Harold Ickes, who said tn.
(See CONTROL. Page C.8)