The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-02-11

conclusion. In the present framework
of the War Production Board this
condition does not prevail"
The Executive Council demanded
labor representation in the following:
1.-The offices of the Vice Chairmen.
2-The Requirements Committee.
3-Oflice of Civilian Supply.
4-Program and Facilities Bureaus.
5-Resources Agency and Distribu-
ton Bureau.
6-Procurement Policy Committee.
"The situation is urgent" the coun-
Gil said, land these recommendations
should be put into effect as eXpedi
tiOusly as possible. There is no time to
lose in securing this greater labor par
ticipation which will make for a
speedier and more effective prosecution
of the war effort"
In a searching analysis of the pres
ent organization of the WPB which
excludes labor from the higher levels
of operation and policy making, the
Executive Council declared
"The War Production Board is or
ganized on top through the offices of
the two Vice Chairmen, one in charge
of program determination in both of
thhese offices where production and
program policies are being determined.
The Office of Program Determination
tops the Requirements Committee,
which we regard as the most impOr-
tant overall committee controlling the
entire national economy. Although we
recognize that this committee consists
of representatives from the various
claimant agencies, such as Army
Navy, Marine, Lend-LeaSe, Civilian
Supply, Bureau of Economic Welfare,
etc, representative of the American
Federation of Labor should be Il mem
ber of this committee and be in Il posi-
ton to know what the larger program
policies of the War Production Board
are at any given moment. The partici-
patton of the American Federation of
Labor at this point would reinforce the
operating work of labor in the lower
levels of the War Production Board.
1t would guarantee to labor that it
was being considered and given the
opportunity to know why and how the
production program was being devel-
Oped, expanded or contracted in any
given field. This would make for
greater understanding on the part of
the working peoples in the plants of
the overall problems and policies of
the War Production Board. 1t would
entirely remove the distrust which the
workingmen and working women of
this country now feel in relation to the
various decisions and changes which
are being made frequently without a
voice by labor on important matters
which bring about an entire change
in their method of living. We feel that
theh representative of labor on this
Requirements Committee should be
named Vice Chairman along with
Messrs, Eberstadt and Wilson in order
to etfectuate this program.
Under the Office of Vice Chairman
in charge of Production there should
be provision made for labor repre-
Sentation on the Production Executive
Committee, Radio and Radar, Aircraft
Production, Shipbuilding and Rubber
Divisions.
The Office of Civilian Supply is
charged with the responsibility of plan
ming and estimating civilian require
ments for our entire economy. AS Il re-
suit of the shortage of critical mate
rials and the tremendous curtailment
of civilian economy that is more af-
fected by what happens to a civilian
economy than the working people.
They are affected both as consumers
and producers. Because of this dual
interest it is most urgent that the
Office of Civilian Supply have de-
SigneeS from the labor movement ac-
lively participating the top levels of
their organizations. We advocate, as Il
first step, that the assistant to the
Director of the Office of Civilian
Supply be a recognized representative
of the organized workers, capable Of
performing the job and be supplied
with an adequate staff to carry out the
functions of the position.
1T is necessary that labor should
be represented in the Program Bureau
bility of programming available supply
of critical products, which include
manpower requirements. 1t is just as
obvious that in the Facilities Bureau,
which is now handling all construction
problems and available facilities for
the War Production Board labor again
should have effective representation.
The newly formed Resources
Agency, which encompasses the former
Bureau of Industrial Conservation, is
in urgent need of labor representa-
tive to assist on such problems as
scrap, salvage, standardization and
SimplificatiOn, all of which vitally af-
feet the welfare of American workers.
1t would certainly provide ii tremen-
douS dynamic force to the entire sal
wage and scrap program If the work
ers of this country know that they
were being represented in the highest
councils of the government which head