Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-09-10

agement, labor, and the public must
| see to it that no workers and no hour
of any workers time is wasted.
During the past two years man.
power problems have changed from
time to time. At first it was largely
a matter of "getting the right work.
ers in the right jobs in the right
numbers at the right time" Work
ers to be put into right jobs were
drawn largely from the unemployed.
At the same time there was the
| job of training workers to take their
part in the production of goods need
ed in our war effort. Many workers
had lost their skills through years of
unemployment and needed refrain
ing. Many others took jobs for the
first time and needed training to
give them skills which they did not
have.
In meeting these manpower needs
United States Employment service
offices of the War Manpower COM
mission placed more than 10000
workers from May, 1912, to May,
1913, of whom 1921 900 were in war
industries and 3,727,0 900 in agricul-
ture. During this war training facil-
tiles gave training to more than
100000 enrollees.
We now have fewer than 1000, 900
persons unemployed in the country,
and this is thought to be an irreduci-
BILE minimum. AS we get nearer the
bottom of the manpower barrel the
manpower problems to be met
change in character.
More Workers Needed
Than Are Available
Even though several million more
women join their sisters in overals
by July of next year and other mil
lions of youth, handicapped persons,
older workers, etc., take jobs by
July of next year, the demand for
workers is so great that there still
will be many more persons needed
than are available.
Consequently, we will have to be
very careful in sending new workers
most and in using them, and other
employed workers so that their work
time is not wasted.
1t used to be that when a war
plant, let us say, wanted 10000 work.
ers, the employment service could
60 out and find the needed people.
Now the War Manpower commits
sion officials have to find out whether
or not these workers are really
needed.
Using the experience of other war
plants they may find that the plant
has a very high percentage of high
ly skilled workers whose skillS are
not being fully used and that some
of those could be shifted into other
jobs. Then less skilled persons or
persons with physical disabilities
could be put in their place.
In other words, with as few work
ers available as we have today, the
shipyard should justify its request
for more workers by showing that it
is making the best possible use of all
the workers it already has.
That is just common sense. 1t
represents a kind of rationing of
manpower to those who can use the
| manpower best.
Job of Bureau of
Manpower Utilization
The Bureau of Manpower Utilza-
ton, that has the job of ensuring
effective use of workers, is the new
est of the War Manpower commits
sion's bureaus. The work is done
largely in the field by small staff.
They are skilled management engi-
neers and practical business men.
This staff is at the service of
American industry on the call of in
dustries and area manpoWcr Off
Gals. 1t is their job to consult with
and assist management to make the
best possible use of workers.
The field force will be supplement-
ed by volunteer group of skilled
engineers and managers.
The manpowcr officials in the va
rious regions feel free to call upon
these individuals when it is felt that
they can be of special service in
solving problems of the best use of
workers. However, the great bulk of
the commission work will be done
by the staff of about IT'S Manpower
Utilization consulants.
There is another side to effective
use of workers that many persons
don't recognize. Workers frequent
~ have to stay away from their
jobs to visit ration boards, selective
service boards, do shopping. do the
| laur dry, or to take care of children.
Women, particularly, often quit
because they find it impossible to
carry on a full-time job and manage
their household with the shortage
of community services.
All such absenteeism and turnover
holds down production. Therefore,
effective use of local labor supply
depends in good part on adjustments
within the community.
The program of an eastern city
shows the extent TO which commu-
nifty can adjust itself to the needs
of war workers. In this city great
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