Evening star., 1943-02-17
&-Hour Exemption
Seen for Firms With
Less Than 8 Employees
VINO Regulations Also
Expected to Adjust
Schedules in PIonts


and 81 other labor shortage areas
employing fewer than eight per
sons will be exempt from COM
plying with the 48-hour mini
mum work-week order, it became
known today, as mounting man
power problems beSet Congress.
Army officials We're called on the
Senate carpet to specify their exact
manpower needs, and a wide open
labor legislation battle appeared
llbely In the House, where a show
down also appeared near on the
kllday bill to give draft threatened
fathers deferment prioritieS.
War ManpoWer Commission Chair
man Paul V. McNutt was reported
ready to approve regulations to car
ry out President Roosevelt's execu-
tive order for the 48-hour work week
to help meet military and war in
oustry manpower needs.
Schedule Adjustment Provided.
The regulations, it was said. will
Forbid any firm having more than
seven employees and working less
than As hours week to hire ad-
dltional employees without specific
approval Of VINO regional office.
AS well as eXempting employers
having seven or less workers. the
regulations are expected to provide
for adjustment of schedules within a
plant where the hours for different
workers vary, and permit exemp-
uons Tor a plants departments in
which the functions do not REQUIRE
more than 35 or 40 hours work a
week.
The regulations will permit a
ehort-hour firm to lengthen its work
week gradually as normal turnover
reduces its labor force. it was ex-
planned, with no employer being re-
qulred to raise his work week before
the effective date of March 81.
Meanwhile, Senator Bankhead,
Democrat, of Alabama. chairman of
Senate investigating committee
which is asking the Army to ex-
plain plans for use of 5000, 900 SOL
ulers this year, declared that mill
tary expansion is going entirely too
Tar for the Nations safety"
General Asked to Testify.
1nquiring into reports that the
Army will have about 100000 men
overseas by the end of 1943, Senator
Bankhead and some other members
Of his subcommittee said thev saw
no need of increasing the Army's
size only to retain the remaining
o,0OO,0O0 in this country.
The committee summoned Brig
Gen. ldWal H. Edwards, Army assist
ant chief of staff in charge of or
ganlza ton and training, for a COM
parlson OF United Nations and Axis
military strength and for explana-
ton OF plans for soldiers kept here. |
Today's testimony was expected to |
end the inquiry.
Senators Nye, Republican, of North /
Dakota and Thomas, Democrat. of
Oklahoma, after hearing two weeks
OF testimony from military and ad- |
officials, said they be- /
lieved the program to increase the
armed forces to approximately
100000 this year would drain
labor sources to such an extent that
production OF food and armament
would fall alarmingly.
On the other side of the Capitol
d work fight" showdown was in
ulcated by the action of the House
Naval Committee in tacking onto a
minor bill a rider requiring Navy
yards to turn over to local selective
service boards the name of each
worker absent without prior au-
from his Job.
Chairman Vinson Of the commit
tee said he would call up the meas
ure for action some time next week.
Lyndon johnson.
Democrat, of Texas, its sponsor.
however, disclosed plans for going a
step further with separate bill COW
ering all employees of contractors
and subcontractors handling naval
work. His new measure also would
instruct the board to determine
whether those workers should be de-
ferred further from the armed serv-
ice.
1t Is on the new bill that the fight .
over revision of the Nations labor .
legislation may develop.
Several labor measures already |
have been introduced. chief among
them a measure by Representative /
Colmer, Democrat. of Mississippi, to |
set the standard work week at 48 /
hours.
Kilday Bill Moves Ahead.
Chairman May predicted that his /
House Military Affairs Committee (
would approve the Kilday bill today.
Only one witness remained to be
heard-Brig. Gen. Miller White. as
sistant chief of staff in charge of
Army personnel. He was expected to /
add War Department objection TO |
the bill, already opposed by Maj. |
Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, selectiye /,
service director.
AS Mr.. May planned TO press for /
prompt House consideration. Rep !
resentative Kilday, Democrat, Of !
Texas, sponsor of the bill, stood pat /.
in his contention that it would not
upset service plans to get more
fighting men-but would merely
guarantee that men with children
are not drafted while men without
dependents are eligible
The VINO 48-hour work week
rules. it was said. call for the abro-
CATION of all union contracts that
provide for a work week of less than
4s hours. but will require payment .
for overtime work when stipulated /.
in such contracts.
Reason for eXempting employers
OF less than eight persons from the
order is that applying il to such
small firms would raise great ad-
ninistrative and enforcement prob /.
lens without releasing sufficient
workers for war jobs to make the
task worth while, informed sources .
said.
AS for penalties for nOn-com-
pnance, Mr.. McNutt has told A press
conference, Il am not in a threaten
Ing mood indicating that the Gov
ernment is counting on voluntary
co-opera tiOn to Obtain general com