The union times., 1944-05-20
Sees Emergency Program Needed
Vast Housing And Public Works Plan Imperative To Prevent Widespread Suffering Would Cushion
 Industrial Letdown

the nations pressing economic problems, the A.F.L. Executive Council, meeting in Philadelphia, thls week took the following ac- tion:
 Tt demanded prompt ac- ton to create a reservoir of immediate postwar jobs through the launching of a vast housing and public works construction program the mo. ment the fighting ends.
 2-It condemned all pro. pOsals for labor cOnscription in war production and called upon the military authorities to restore the confidence of the American people by de- VelOping sound and consist ent policy on inductiOns into the armed forces.
 3-lt urged the leaders of congress to stay in session un- til enactment of cOmprehen- sive program to provide for human needs in the postwar period as well as the prOtec- tlOn Of property rights. The Executive Councils recom- mendatons for immediate action to provide postwar employment and to stimulate peace-time production fol- low:
 The Executive Council believes that the future welfare of America calls tor immediate action to provide postwar jobs for the millions of workers who will be released from war industries and the additional mil lions who will be discharged from the armed forces when the fighting ends. Obviously, the most critical pe- rlOd will be the interval between the abrupt cancellation of .war con- tracts and the reconversion of in- dustry to production for peace-time needs.
 It behooveS the nation to Drepare an emergency work program that can De put into operation during this ln-DetWeen period 10 prevent wide spread suffering and to cushion the shock Of sudden industrial letdown. "The Executive Council is con V1nced that one of the best possible expedlents would be the initiation of nationwide housing and public works construction program. Ihe construction industry re- quires no elaborate reconyersion. It is all set to go. The need for new housing in practically every American city and community ia acute and has been aggravated by the virtual paralysis of private con- structiOn during the war. Similarly. the need for new bridges, schools. aIrpOrts, roads, transit facilities and other useful and necessary public works is clearly apparent. It should also be noted that the initiation of broad housing and public works construction program would give employment directly to perhaps two million building trades workers and indirectly to many addi- tlonal millions of workers engaged III the manufacture of building sup plies and home equipment. Thus the new demands created by large-scale construction would galvanize into action plants and factories throughout the nation engaged in a wide variety Of productive enterprises.
 ''To avoid fatal delays in getting such a construction and production drive started, the Executive Council recommends
 "1-lmmediate conferences with industry, labor and Government representatives participating, to prepare the scope of the projected program, its timing, financing and encouragement.
 "Z-Agreement on how the nec- essary land may be acquired and the vast flow of materials provided.
 "3-Establishment of lines of demarcation by which the Federal Government will allow private in- dustry and private financing a clear field for launching and car rying out the home construction program.
 4-Acceptance by State and IO- cal governments, whose credit has been strengthened during the war period, of the responsibility for financing the projected public works program in SO far as pos- sible without aid from the Federal Government, which has been forced to carry the heavy burden of fi- nancing the war effort.
 5-FOrmulation of clear and definite understandings between management and labor in the con. structiOn industry to assure satis. factory and C00noroR;xo -oIoa: