Evening star., 1943-09-05
Munpower
Continued From First Page.)

the War Manpower Commission by
Mr.. Byrnes, while he charged the
War Production Board with the res
possibility of adjusting production
programs to the labor supply. The
program goes into effect September
Is.
In making the program public,
Mr.. Byrnes said the plan, based to
a large extent on what was done
in Buffalo, will be extended to
other areas" if it is successful in
the West Coast area.
The program sets up the machin-
ery for cancellation of war con-
tracts, where necessary removal of
war production from the West Coast
by curtailments and by forcing
subcontracting" curtailment of less
essential production; controlled hir-
ing of workers and other measures
TO put the workers where they are
needed most.
The VINO is instructed to trans
fer workers from less urgent work,
"by direct recruitment and by ex-
ercise of authority to require re-
leases"
This was interpreted in some
quarters as an effort on the part
of Mr.. Byrnes to determine how far
the VINO would or could go with
out national service legislation.
Moves Authorized.
Where necessary, VINO also was
authorized to facilitate the impor-
tation of foreign labor, use of pris-
oners of war and use of troops.
There were also indications that
calls for military manpower might
be detected from the West Coast
because of the shortage of labor
The WPB was directed to exercise
its control in the adjustment of
military programs through its Pro-
duction Executive Committee, to
which VINO representative will
NC dppOAltCQ.
Pointing out that 1--WE have al
ready fallen behind schedule for
vitality important war items on the
West Coast due to manpower short
ages" Mr.. Byrnes reported that the
war work scheduled for the West
Coast this fall and winter would
require 100000 persons in shipbuild-
ing and ship repairs and 100000
more in aircraft construction.
at is obvious" he said, that
drastic measures are required to
increase the available labor supply
on the West Coast and to insure the
most efficient and economical use
of the available labor supply.
Must Re-examine Schedules.
'It :, also obvious that the pro-
duct IN program schedules for both
We. materials and civilian supplies
rlust be carefully re-examined to
make certain that the production
most urgently needed is not held
back by efforts to meet production
less urgently needed and that when
ever feasible work that can be done
elsewhere is shifted to areas where
labor shortages are less acute"
He said that if there Is still
shortage when the available labor
supplies are exhausted and "after re-
view of contracts it becomes appar-
ent that the war effort would best
be served by cancelling certain war
contracts In an acute labor shortage
area and placing these contracts
in another area where more labor
is available, such action will be
taken
Outgrowth of study made under
the direction of Bernard M. Baruch
and John Hancock of OWN, the
program calls for the following
steps:
/. Adjustment of production pro-
grams by the WPB to meet the
available labor supply as reported
and developed by the VINO.
2. Establishment of an area pro-
duction urgency committee to make
commentators for changes in
schedules of war factories or other
manufacturing to aid in the situa-
ton, and to determine which pro-
duction programs are most urgent
3. Establishment of manpowel
priorities and allocations to be car
ried out by an area manpower pri-
critics committee to be appointed
by the VINO. This group is auth.
orized to list establishments within
their area according to their urgency
and need for labor and to recon-
mend the maximum number of en-
ployes which any employer may hire
4. A review of all proposals fol
new facilities and all contracts in
volving increases in employment
This will be done by the area pro-
duction urgency committees. Flu.
ture expansions requiring manpow-
er on the West Coast will be avoid.
ed insofar as possible" it was said
Removal of Production.
5. Removal of war production
Sroin the West Coast where it viii
be advantageous to the war pro.
gram"
6. Adjustment of civilian produc,
ton and services insofar as sucl
action will make needed labor avail
able to essential war production"
In connection with moves to es
fablish manpower priorities 1t wa
directed that all establishments ant
services entitled to hire worker
shall select them from among thos
referred by the United States EN-
ployment Services or through othe
approved standards.
In the case Of agricultural EN-
ploymeT1t, the War Food Admin