Evening star., 1943-02-11
The Political Mill
The Effectiveness of the Presidents 48-Hour Week
Order Will Depend Upon Its Administration

great irritation, both to employ
ers and employees. One of the
chief reasons for the slowing
down Of production for the war
has been 'absenteeism. Men
who have been able to make as
much money in three or four
days Of labor as they made in
week prior to wage increases
which have been granted have
stayed away from work. A demo-
cratic Senator who looked into
this phase of the situation said
he found that in a shipbuilding
plant employing 5000 to 10000
men as many as 1000 laid off
during part of the week.
Moral Suasion.
Just how the employees are to
be compelled to work a full a.
hour week remains to be seen.
There will, Of course, be strong
moral suasion. The President is
the commander in chief. He has
said that 48-hour week is now
necessary for the winning of the
war. If this works to put a stop
to the ahsenteeiSm of the work.
ers, great deal will have been
accomplished. 1t must be re-
membered, however, this this
absenteeism has f1ourished in
plants already on 48-hour week,
and doing essential war work.
SO lar as the employers are
concerned, the problem of en-
forcing the 48hour week is SIM
pier. The Government can deny
materials needed for manufacture
to those concerns which balk at
the new order. 1t can even more
effectually deal with the plants
which are engaged in producing
for the Government. But if it
takes away contracts from these
concerns, or holds up necessary
materials through control of pri-
critics, the war program will have
been lmpeded, not speeded up.
Some members of Congress,
while admitting that the 48-hour
work week is essential, take the
stand that action should have
been by Congress and through
the passage of law, rather than
through a new directive by the
Executive. They do not like
government by threat to crack
down on individuals. They pre-
fer a definite law which will
work alike on all.
To Prevent Labor Draft.
obviously the presidential
order for 48-hour work week Is
move to get away from the
passage by Congress of a labor
draft act, like that proposed in
the WadsWorth-Austin bill intro
duced in the House and Senate
on Monday. 1t follows the order
made by Paul McNutt, head of
the War Manpower Commission,
to force workers in non-war in
dustrles to find jobs in war in
dustrles by threatening to put
these workers into the armed
services, married or unmarried.
with children or without, in the
event they do not transfer.
The McNutt order reused re-
sentiment among members of
Congress. Many of lem, how
ever, were among those who de-
manded long ago the suspension
OF the 40-hour work week and
the imposition of 4a-hour week.
Because of that fact they are 60
ing along now with the presi-
dental order, feeling that it is
a step in the right direction. But
they deplore the fact it has been
SO long in coming,
There will be a demand that
other steps be taken to make
fuller use Of manpower by doing
away with many n-imposed
regulations under which certain
employees are paid merely to
stand by while certain jobs are
performed. Already some of the
members of Congress are making
study Of these practices and
intend to demand action putting
an end to them.