Evening star., 1944-03-08
The Real Trouble

dustries, based on the most recent
compilations, makes it clear that
this is the real root of our grave
manpoWer problem. If there were
some way of controlling this con-
slant shifting from job to job
throughout the country. it probably
is no exaggeration to say that we
could produce the necessary imple-
ments Of war without any addition
to our present working force. In
other words, there would be no need
to draft" labor recruits If the men
and women now in the labor force
could be persuaded or required to
stick to their jobs.
A few excerpts from the owl re-
port will serve to show how serious
this matter of labor turnover is.
For the first time since the United
States entered the war there was a
net loss in our working force last
December. For every thousand
workers employed in December,
and excluding layoffs. 81 workers
quit, were drafted or were dis
charged for every 81 hired. Thus,
industry suffered net loss of three
workers per thousand during that
month.
Some examples of what this
means in terms of specific industries
might be cited. There has been a
delay-an unnecessary delay-in the
production of destroyers and light
cruisers for the Navy s. at 81 the
Kearny, N. j.. plant of the Federal
Shipbuflding and Drydock Com
pany. That yard needs 5000 work
ers above its present employment
of $1,000. During the past five
months it was able to hire 8,1O0
: workers, but it lost almost 1000
workers who left their jobs for one
reason or another. Another yard at
Port Newark, N. j., has a critical
program of landing craft and de-
stroyer escorts. It's employment
dropped from $4,000 at the end of
August to 1880 at the end of
January-a decline of eight per
cent. During that period more than
10000 workers left the yard, and
despite promotional campaigns it
was impossible to recruit even an
equal number of requirements.
These are but examples of what
is happening in key war produc-
ton centers in many parts of the
country. Some of these missing
workers, of course, were drafted.
But by far the great majority
simply quit for some reason of their
oWn-some to drop out of the work.
ing force entirely; others to look
for another job somewhere else.
And while this has been going on
the armed services have not been
getting the equipment that they
need and should have had. Surely,
when thousands of other men are
giving everything to the war and
in a year expected to bring the
costllest invasion of all time in
terms Of human lives and human
suffering, it is not too much to ask
that those Americans who have
been permitted to remain at home
should be required to stay in the
civilian posts where they are most
urgently needed.
1t has been demonstrated, how
ever, that the voluntary" controls
are not an answer to, the problem.
They have helped, perhaps, but the
| fact remains that at this late date
essential war workers are quitting
their jobs pretty much as they
please, and the price is bound to
come out of our military effort. BY
this time, it is evident that the only
solution lies in congressional action.
If Congress is not willing to adopt
a national service act authorizing
a civilian draft of men and women
for war work, then, at the least,
there should be legislation to require
those who have voluntarily gone
into war work to stay there. And if
we have any adequate appreciation
| Of our obligation to the men who
| have been and who soon will be sent
into battle, we will see to it that
! they are given this measure Of sup
| port without further delay.