Evening star., 1943-03-17
Bill 10 Freeze
Farm Workers
Voted by Senate
Substitute PIun for
Blanket Deferment
Approved, 81 to q
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
The Senate voted. 81 to %. to-
day for legislation directing local
draft boards to defer from mill
tary service all men employed
substantially full time on farms
raising essential war crops.
The legislation receiving this vote
was submitted by Senator Johnson.
Democrat, of Colorado as a substi-
tute for blanket farm deferment
bill originally introduced by 40 SEN
atorS. In effect the johnson pro-
posal would freeze agricultural
workers on the farms, directing their
reclaSsification for active service if
they transferred occupations with
out authority from their local boards.
Alter voting to make the Johnson
Dill the substitute. the Senate then
proceeded to pass the legislation on
q roll call of so to "a, and sent it
to the House.
The Secretary of Agriculture would
be given wide authority to classify
essential crops, but present regula-
tlons requiring deferred workers to
I'LL certain specified units of pro-
suction would be eliminated.
Pepper Substitute Rejected.
Approval of the proposal came af-
er the Senate had rejected, IS to 9.
substitute by Senator Pepper,
Democrat, Of Florida to set up
war mobilization committee of eight
high Government officials empow-
cred to fix military and civilian
elanpower quotas.
The johnson measure, supported
by hackers of the original blanket
deferment bill by Senator Bank
head. Democrat. of Alabama, would
direct local draft boards to excuse
workers employed substantially full
time on farms.
Asking rejection of the bill by
Senator Bankhead providing vir-
tual blanket deferment Of men now
engaged in farm work of any kind,
Senator Pepper contended:
/. 1t would not put back on the
farm the labor which once was
there and now has gone into the
armed services and into industry.
2. 1t is not fair to give blanket
deferment to any one class of men.
Senator Pepper declared his bill
would permit occupational defer
ment for any group-not only farm
workers-found warranted by the
War Manpower Commission, subject
to review by the President.
FSA Failure Charged.
He said TOO farmers in his State
had Informed him they are opposed
to the Bankhead bill and that efforts
Of the Farm Security Administra-
ton to solve the States manpower
needs have failed.
1t is up to Congress, he argued.
to say that "manpoWer, like critical
materials shall be allocated accord
ing to the Nations needs-miltary
and civilian
The Pepper bill would have au-
thoMzed a 5000, 100000 appropriation
to be used by the War Manpower
Commission in recruiting a mobile
national emergency workers corps
and an additional 500 600 900 to
provide equipment. transportation.
housing. medical facilities and train
ing to workers being placed in or
transferred to war or essential civil
ian activity.
Senator Kilgore. Democrat, of
West Virginia. who sponsored the
substitute Jointly with Senator Pep
per. told the Senate yesterday that
"an overall planning program" was
needed. He said the Bankhead bill
would amount TO only a 80 per cent
solution Of the problem of keeping
manpoWer on farms as 10 per cent
of agricultural workers had been
drained into industry.
One obstacle to a final vote was
removed yesterday when Senator
Downey, Democrat, Of California
Withdrew an amendment TO freeze
transportation workers in their Jobs.
He asserted there is a critical man
power situation in California. with
an acute deficiency particularly in
truck operators for moving corps.
Senator DOWney withdrew the
amendment when assured it would
be considered Thursday by the Mill
tary Affairs Committee as separate
legislation.
Senator Downey advocated re-
ductlon IN the size Of the armed
services goal Of 100000 He said
this would total 100000 with
attritlons. and asserted he felt posi-
tive the Nation could not support
such a force and meet our require
ments fol war production
We are headed for breakdown
In California for lack Of farm and
transportation manpOWer.' he de-
Clared