Victory worker. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1942-1943, 1943-01-01
Axis VIKINGS Labor
Continued from Page ~
such reserYes years AGO.


such reserves years ago.
Japan has been facing a critical
labor shortage for two years, but
her problem differs from that of
Germany and the United States.
In 1910 when Shakai Seisaku Jiho,
a semi-official Japanese organ,
said the biggest Japanese problem
was the labor shortage, there We're
only 2 million factory workers in
Japan. Her need is for skilled
workers, yet in the period before
the spring of 1941 she was able to
train only $4,000. Unlike average
American man and a surprisingly
large number of American women,
the average japanese is not mech
anically minded.
Japan drew her army from the
agricultural areas and did not,
therefore, disrupt her industrial
function.
The problem facing the United
States is to make full utilization of
local labor through training pro-
grams and advancement of minori-
ties before calling upon outside
labor, and to prevent employers
from Turing workers from other
and equally vital war Jobs.
The VINO recently named ten
areas where management, labor
and public representatives will join
with the government in meeting
this problem within their own
areas. This will be done through
the cooperation Of all concerned.
1t may we'll be that legislation
may be necessary eventually to
control American manpower but
at the present time the govern
ment still is trying to do the job
through voluntary measures.
Germany has, of necessity,
forced its workers to put in the
maximum possible number of
hours. Latest figures released by
the United States Department of
Labor show that the average
worker in our aircraft industry is
working 46.7 hours per week, the
shipbuilders 48.5, the iron and steel
workers AZ, the automobile worker
(now on war work. 43.3 and the
electrical machinery worker 46l.
The average industrial working
day in Japan in 1897 was II hours,
with Is in certain essential indus
tries such as steel. The develop
ment Of the war has maintained
and even increased these hours.
The German worker, his unions
destroyed, forced to belong to the
labor front, has no voice in gov
eminent decisions. Nor has the
Japanese worker. The japanese
government abolished trade unions
with a membership of GO5,00O)
and political parties in the number
of 1912 and a government-domi-
mated league confiscated their
treasures. The japanese workers
now must belong to the Japanese
patriotic industrial society, known
as Sampo. The American worker,
both as an individual and through
his powerful trade unions, makes
his voice heard.
There has been no relaxation of
Federal laws in America covering
child labor. Many youths I'M
doubtedly will take jobs in the
war effort but those under Is will
be governed by the following rules
no child under ID can become a
part of a hired labor force, none
under 16 can be employed in manu-
featuring and mining operations,
none between IA and 16 can be
employed in other occupations that
involve release from school, and
those from 16 to IS will be guided
to occupations suited to their age
and capacity in which they can
make the greatest contribution
with the least hazard to their
health and safety.
Germany, too, has a national
child labor law but Japan since 1885
has had boys under 16 making up
per cent of her number of factory
workers. In addition, japanese
law permits children over IL to
work provided they have "com-
pleted their compulsory education"
The talk about manpower in
America is not interpreted as a
sign of alarm at serious short
age such as Germany has known
for more than three years. 1t is
merely evidence that America is
preparing to meet a problem be-
fore it develops in serious form.
That problem can be met success
fully without sweeping away the
high standards which the United
States has set I'D to protect work