The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1943-10-08
Baruth May Help Out
In Manpower Middle;
Suggestions Are Made
BY JACK sTINNETT


ened out our rubber muddle is going
to straighten out our manpower
muddle, too?
1 mean the veteran Bernard M.
Baruch who is holding more con-
ferences on the benches of Lafay-
cite Park these autumn days than
ever he holds in his office.
Recently, the war Cabinets dean
of advisors has laid it on the line
in two red-tape slashing declara-
lions. In one he told Congress
either to give Gen. George C. Mar
shall everything he asks in the way
of manpower or fire him. This is
very much in line with Baruch's
idea of occupational deferments
first and dependency deferments
second. But even more than the
statements of General Marshall and
other military and Selective Ser
vice leaders, it put Congress on the
spot by making the father-draft
vote a vote of confidence for our
military leaders.
His second and more extensive
statement of manpower policy was
a report to War Mobilization Di-
rector James F. Byrnes, recon-
mending ways and means of break
ing the manpower bottleneck in
West Coast airplane factories.
The important thing is that if
this Baruch plan is successful, it
will become blueprint for the en-
tire country and would forestall ma
tional service legislation which al
most everyone agrees is necessary
evil if other efforts fail.
In view of this, some of the SAL
lent points of the Baruch plan are
well worth recording.
Most important is the suggested
system of labor priorities, which
would take out of the hands of the
employer the right to
hire, fire or hoard employees, and
out of the hands of the worker the
right to work wherever he chooses.
The Baruch plan suggests that WPB
determine, on basis Of production
needs, what factories should hire
and which might even have to turn
loose some workers they now have.
However, Washington would only
determine the factory priority rat
ings. The actual details would be
worked out by local committees for
Baruch is an apostle of decentrali-
cation.
Baruch also would have a more
positive policy on essential labor
deferments and suggests even re-
turning to essential Industry men
now in service. He opposes the sys-
tenn of temporary deferments TALL
of which are supposed to expire the
last Of November.)
He suggests that some part-time
schooling system be worked out to
give back to industry at least a
portion of the more than 1900, 900
youngsters who have been contrib>
uting to the war production effort
but who now are returning to
school.
He wants all war production COM
munities to wage a real battle
against labor turnover more than
100 per cent in some areas) by i'm
proving housing, transportation, day
for the children of work.
ing mothers, maximum of enforce
ment of price and rent ceilings, ad-
justed shopping and personal service
schedules.
He favors wage incentives but
thinks they should be determined
locally, not by blanket policy.
He wants re-examination of the
farm labor deferments to be sure
farms don't become hideaways for
workers.
And he prefers change in the
costly cost-plus system of letting
contracts = a system that many
others also feel opens the door to
waste, extravaganza and labor
boarding.
TWO HERE FROM NOME