The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-09-12

The country Is engaged in Q poll. teal campaign, Each of the two ma. jor parties has endeavored Co state, with varying degrees of indefinite. ness, the principles by which lt is Go be bound, This situation leads to statements of eeneralitles without any consideration of the methods by which the objectlves are Go be achieved. It also leads to the prom ising of the impossible by political leaders,
 The Connecticut Economic Coun. oil states the facts as it sees them. We clearly recognize that the com. plexity of modern conditions makes it impossible to distinguish all of the factors which enter into the problem of employment, and the maintenance of national income on which 1t depends.
 Employment Since I9SS
 When Great Britain entered the War in 1889 industry in this ooun. try started at once to expand, We had then an average employment level of less than A5 million persons. No expert has been able Go predict an employment level after the war of more than 53 million persons, To come up to the level predicted as possible by the experts, would mean that peaeetime employment must be increased by some 8 million above the 1889 level There are now en- ployed (including those in the arm- cd forceS) some 6S million persons, To bring this down to Q 5S million level would require that some 10 million persons now at work must be laid of. What distribution of occupations can be made which will provide for the 10 million who will be out of work9
 Some of these prospective 10 mil. lion unemployed are women with families who will wish to return to their households, Others are men and women of advanced years who under normal conditions, would have retired from industry, and many of them will do 80 when the war is over, Others are youngsters of school age, who will wish to re. turn to studies ia school or college to raise their standard of attained education as high as possible. We believe, however, that more than half of them will not relish sitting down to books after the war is over They will want some immediate in- come, and also an occupation which makes an active demand upon the hands as well as the head. Some un. determined number will be the eas. ualties of the war who sadly Will never be able to return to employ. ment.
 No one can estimate with any ex. actness what proportion of the lC million In the armed forces will actually apply for jobs as soon a' they are released from the armed forces. Neither do we know how large any army and navy will bI maintained in time of peace. It ma. run anywhere from two to threl million for several years to come.
 In the face of all these uncertain, ties, 1t is conservative to estimatt that there will be from ( to s mil lion unemployed during the perioc of readjustment. This will be a vary. ing number, depending upon thu length of the war, the lapse of time between the close of the European war, the unconditional surrender oi Japan, and the speed with which reconverSion can be accomplished,
 ReoOnverSlOn Period
 On the side of jobs, as opposed tc persons, there will have to be an immense reSlluffling. Cutbacks may soon reduce the number of employ. ed in manufacturing industry bS one-third, It will take varyine lengths of time-from three months to a year-to effect reconversion tc peacetime production. During this period there unquestionably will bC mass unemployment,
 It is safer for the country to face this condition than to be misled bS impossible promises which cannot be met.
 Government Control
 From the "or else" pronouncement, | oAOodJ PQS VI VII Uy 41loAAy ~kN litical orators. failure to maintain full employment will be blamed or industry. A demand will then bt made that planned economy under government conrol be continued fol some length of time after the closC of the War, This proposal looks al the way from continuance of the al. location of raw materials, to thu planning of production itself. Thest ideas mean the ultimate setting uT of a system of State Socialism un' der which the government will b' the sole employer. The government will then determine the amounts tC be produced, including amounts tt be sold abroad, and the contracting for the delivery of these sales b, their allocation to particlar employ CTS. The government will seek tt continue, under the compulsion o labor leaders. the closed shop or thu maintenance of. union shop. I will attempt a shortened work-weel in order to spread the work at ar increased hourly wage, which will materially increase the cost and COT. respondingly reduce the market fo goods.
 All of the above ohiectiveg will b,