Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-25
M'Nutt,Wickard
Seek 100000
For Land Army
Volunteer Farm
Labor to Enroll in
Urban and Rural Areas

A program for creation of
land army" of 100000 men
and women to volunteer for sea-
sonal farm work this year in
planting and harvest time was
announced today by War Man.
power Chairman McNutt and
Secretary of Agriculture Wick
ard. They held a joint press
conference to disclose official
plans for coping with the threat.
ened shortage of agricultural
manpower.
The victory farm hands would
be drawn from both the city and
the country, the two officials said, as
other steps were revealed to solve
the many phases of the manpower
problem. These steps are:
l. The Senate Appropriations
Committee, in a surprise move, took
the initiative today in ordering a
broad investigation into the war
manpower problem as a whole.
Senate to Hear McNarney.
2. The Senate Military Affairs
Committee, pledged already to an
inquiry on how large an army the
United States can raise and still
build the ships and weapons and
produce the food needed for United
Nations victory, scheduled an ex-.
ecutive session today with 1t. Gen.
Joseph T. McNarney, deputy chief
of staff of the Army.
3. ManpoWer Chairman McNutt
said at his press conference he
agrees with Walter Reuther, United
Automobile Workers vice president
and member of the VINO Manage
ment-Labor Committee, who holds
that the war time industrial work
week should be extended to 43 hours
within 60 days.
4. Chairman McNutt issued a di-
receive making Secretary Wickard
responsible for all labor needs, al
though the VINO retained jurisdic-
ton over overall policies and draft
standards applying to agriculture.
Farm labor responsibility previously
was divided between Mr.. Wickard
and the United States Employment
Service.
Temporary Shipted to Farms.
At their joint press conference Mr..
McNutt and Mr.. Wickard said that
for the land army" persons not
connected directly with the war
effort would be enrolled in both
rural and urban communities and
asked to shift temporarily to plant
ing and harvesting work whenever
needed to save crops.
Such persons-they gave clerks
In stores as an example of the
type of worker they had in mind
would not be asked to work without
pay, but would be asked to accept
regular farm wages, even If below
the pay of their normal jobs, as a
contribution to the war effort.
workers in rural communities
would be enrolled as to ability and
Willingness to perform farm work
through missionaries sent out by
the Agriculture Departments Ex-
tension Service. which would follow
up with recruitment drives.
Mr.. McNutt said the 48-hour week
would have to depend on the output
in some industries and the capabil-
tiles OF labor to stand up under the
strain. He refused to outline his
views on how a 48-hour work week
wage scale would be arranged.
Labor Market Tightens.
The manpower chief said, with
farm and industrial manpower prob
lens growing more acute daily. the
labor market next summer would
be the highest this country has ever
known"
The Senate Appropriations Com
mittee held two-hour executive
| session at which Acting Chairman
Mcclellan of Tennessee was au-
| thorized unanimously to name
special subcommittee to inquire into
all phases of the manpower problem.
Suggested originally by Senator
Bankhead, Democrat, of Alabama,
the resolution empowers the sub
committee to consider "the best divi-
sion and distribution of the Nations
manpower in order to secure the
SpeedleSt and most successful con-
duct of the war, as such subject
relates to appropriations"
Since the Appropriation Com
mittee holds the purse strings, any
decisions it may make would carry
considerable weight. For example,
funds for the various branches Of
the armed services, as well as for
civilian activities of the Government
pass through that committee.
Majority to Be Women.
There are now 100000 full-time
farm workers and the land army
Mr.. McNutt and Mr.. Wickard plan
to raise will number approximately
3,50O,000. Both agreed it would be
necessary to arrange school in &C
cordance with the planting and
harvesting seasons.
They both stressed that volun-
teer for the land army would not be
given selective service deferment.
They say that the majority of these
(see MANPOWER, Page AL