The Daily Alaska empire., 1944-06-22
Strained Statistics
Washington Post)

The alarmist statement on our manpower situation
 issued by the heads of the armed services in support of their demand for national service cannot be ac- cepted as it stands Messrs. Stimson and Land are | concerned with the demand for labor They warn they will need 900 for repacements this | year Such is the strain manpower, they
 imply that most of them will be drawn from vital Industries which must not only obtain replacements for their employees called to the armed services, but which must in many instances increase their working forces The reader is left with the impression of mighty strain manpower resources.
 But the facts don't bear out any such interpreta- tion. As against demand, must, of course, put supply and here the Stirnson- Land statement is silent. The sgnatories appear to imply static sit uation in manpower supply, but that is far from being the Judging from authoritative letter appearing in columns yesterday the Army itself could be combed for manpower and the vacancies filled by women the physically incapacitated Eighteen elders coming up all the time for induction Men have been laid off in war industries at the rate since last November that the figures of releases may be up to million by the year end. That has been due chiefly to the cutbacks in war produc- ton ordered by the military, not only because of changing lessened requirements, but also because fewer men needed nowadays to turn out the same uuanturn of war goods Moreover, there will be 400.- 900 youths who will of working age by the year end Thus the manpower situation, contrary to the armed services statement is easing not tightening
 Another point which needs to be clarified is the
 
 tory labor turnover To be sure, turnover is bad, but even this is improving, if divide turnover" into it's proper components namely layoffs and quit tances The former rate is going up But you cannot blame labor for that layoff is inducted by the cutbacks-by the decisions of the military that is, that they don't want any more of a certain war good If evidence is required of the unwillingness of to stay the job let us look at the quit rate. Out of every 1000 workers employed on February |, according to the armed forces, 65 quit On inquiry at the WING however, we find that its figures is 45 and this lower rate is on the decline.
 Moreover, not all of these quitters are un- patriotic. In rapidly changing situation there is bound to be lot of forced quitting men are being drafted, who are being shifted, and so on Ab- seneesm is the worst spot in the manpower situation in the factories though the armed service chiefs didn't mention that is time that the military ceased to strain at the statistics in order to prove case which upon equality of obligation and the prospect that the quit rate seems bound to rise when Hitler is
 licked Ex parte statements of this sort serve good purpose They reflect unfairly upon American labor and management which have done well in this war that at Teheran Marshal Stalin raised his glass to their achievements And they invite that schism between military and civilian which Secretary Stmson himself has depored s.e