Evening star., 1943-02-11
THURSDAY
Still to Be Clarified

The first thing that occurs to 80 per
cent of the forty hour a week en-
ployes is that the Presidents execu-
tive order means a 80 per cent in
crease in pay. Thousands Of them
were figuring it out on paper yester-
day, to see what it would come to.
Perhaps they will get it. But it is
significant to remember that the pur-
pose Of the order was not to grant a
blanket 30 per cent pay increase to
uncounted thousands of employees.
The purpose Of the order was to in
crease war production by lengthening
the work week
Personal emphasis on the pay in
crease feature is normal and very
human. But it is also indicative of
the widespread confusion which has
attended the Presidents latest exer-
else of his seemingly limitless execu-
tive authority.
Transition to the forty-e eight-hour
week is desirable move. We might
be better off if it had been taken
long ago. Yet it is also a tremen-
dously complicated transition, which,
one would naturally assume, had
been preceded by many months of
careful study.
But if months Of study preceded
this sudden move. then the Govern
ment was woefully deficient in its
announcement Of the change to
the public. This highly significant
move was announced to the people,
through press and radio, while Gov
ernment information agencies were
fumbling around trying to find out
what it meant. Officials made con-
Trajectory interpretations. One of
them said definitely that domestic
servants were affected, only to be
corrected by another one who said
they were not. One emphasized the
mandatory provisions of a change
TO the forty-eight-hour work week,
only to come along twenty-four hours
later explaining that all employees
would not have to work forty eight
hours, or necessarily receive 80 per
cent pay increase A contractor told
The Star yesterday afternoon that
he could obtain no information what
ever from the Government on when
or how he was to modify his existing
contract specifying forty-hour-
work week.
Unfortunately, this confusion in
the announcement and lack of
knowledge in the Government con-
corning its many ramif1cations sug-
yests that the Presidents order, and
Mr.. Byrnes' good speech, were impro-
vised under pressure and timed to
meet some unexpected situation
AS one reads the order and the
amplifying statements from the War
ManpoWer Commission. it becomes
increasingly apparent that there is
no point, in many cases, in increas-
Ing the work week unless employees
are thereby freed for war work or
unless war work is speeded. In many
cases, increasing the work week
would produce neither of these
benefits. Nor is it clear how such
industries as the grocery industry
or other marginal" lines of industry
can arbitrarily increase costs Of pro-
duction without increasing prices.
Would the price increase in this case
be justified by the additional man
power made available for war work?
The order and the explanations
which accompanied it. in other
words. leave too many questions un-
answered. too many confusing pos
slbilites. to have been very carefully
prepared in advance. And while these
points eventually will be clarified
there will be another exhibition of
confusion and uncertainty from
Washington. This is not a healthy
thing, and there has been too much
Of It already.