Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-09
Austin Bill
Continued From First Page ,

Commission was reported TO be
working out recommendations for
national service legislation which
will support the Austin WadSWorth
bill with the following exceptions:
l. Selection Of men between the
ages of 18 and IS, and women be-
tween the gaes of 81 and SIS. through
the United States Employment
Service instead of the local draft
boards as proposed in the bill.
2, Elimination of the so-called
"iron-clad" labor provisions in the
measure to permit men and women
to select suitable" work instead of.
being assigned to jobs not of their
own choosing.
Commission sources said the Man
sgement-Labor Policy Committee
had been studying the Austin
Wadsworth and other proposed
measures and were ready to make
recommendations. The Policy Com
r1ittee declined to indorse compul-
sorry legislation last year on the
grounds that the voluntary system
had not been given a fair trial.
Lapham Gives Illustration.
Mr.. Lapham recalled from his eX-
perience on the Labor Board how
men have left one essential indus
try TO get better wages In another
essential industry, adding:
1T may seem unfair on the face
81 - toly NY Of eli
yard at. say at S120 an hour, and
send him back to a logging camp
at 81, but, after all, he was a log
ger before the war and that would
be his contribution to the war eff
fort"
Senator OMahoney, Democrat, OF
wyoming pointed out the bill pro-
poses to commander the worker
lust as you would piece of prop
erty, and say, Go here Or go there
for the pay Of that particular en-
ployer. The Senator questioned
Mr. Lapham at length as to whether
the Government has gone as far
as It should in regulating industry
If the pending bill is to be passed.
The point is that the employer
Is already drafted" Senator Austin
Republican, of Vermont, co-authol
of the bill, interjected, reading the
section OF the Selective Service Act
which empowers the Army and NAVY
to direct any firm or individual tc
take war orders and give them
preference. Violation Of the sec
ton, he said, has been made q
felony.
Difference In Wage Rates.
Senator OMahoney noted that
the section referred to provided fol
reasonable compensation and ar.
gued that, while such compensation
is fairly well standardized for man,
ufactuTing, wage rates differ widely
as, for example. between the farm
and the industrial plant
1T is conceivable that under tht
bill two workers could be takei
from the same community, and ont
sent 10 lOW-Wage field and The
other to a hlgh-wage field. " Senate,
OMahOney commended explaining
that the question in his mind wa
how the employer should be treatet
under such system
Mr.. Lapham said he believed Thu
Government already has seen to
that industry Will not make tot
much out of the WAY IN the long run
Senator OMahoney said recen
statistics indicated industrial profit
have increased substantially aOOy
preEar levels Nj Lapham san
wages have gone up also and Sena
tor OMahoney agreed
Mr. Lapham who is chairman o
the American Hawaii Steamship Co
has been on the WLB since its Gre
alton and read from a letter writ
ten before passage of the Price Con
troll Act last October. indicating j
was then the policy of the War Man
power Commission to favor wae
increases to keep men from Ieavin
essential industries
Until the new price law paSSeC