Imperial Valley press., 1944-03-12

Charges by Russ Nixon, Wash-
ington representative of the United
Electrical, Radio and Machine
Workers of America, CLIO, that
$4,000 workers in small arms am
munition plants would be laid off
before April l through war con-
tract cancellations and cutbacks,
today focuses attention on one of
the toughest of the readjuStment
problems faced by War and Navy
Department, War Production Board
and War Manpower Commission Of
ficials.
These officials, while admitting
that Nixon had put his finger on
one of their worst headaches, deny
his charges that in scheduling cut
backs and layoffs, Baruch report
proposals for planned reconversion
were being violated, that no con-
sideratiCn was given to manpoWer
ALLEGATIONS, that most efficient
plants were closed down while least
efficient plants were kept in opera
ton, that preference was shown
privately-owned plants over gov
ernment-owned plants. that pre-
| ference was shown to the cider and
more established plants in the east
over newer plants in the middle
west.
Specific layoffs which Nixon list
| ed were these:
$4,000 at U. S. Cartridge Co., ST.
Louis Mo. government.
26O0 at Western Cartridge Co,
East Alton, III. (private.
$500 at Twin City Ordnance,
Minneapolis, MINI. Cgcvernment.
5000 at Evansville Ordnance,
Evansville, Ind. (private'.
1000 at Des Moines Ordnance, Des
Moines, Ia. government.
1900 at Remington Arms, Bridge
port, Conn. (private).
VARIOUS AMMUNITION TYPES
While these figures are confirm
ed by War Department and Man
power officials, they do not appear
! to tell the whole story, and a closer
look at the entire small arms pro-
duction picture today help clarity
this situation and illustrates some
of the problems that keep procure
ment, production and manpower
officials in a sweat, not just in this
one industry, but in all war plants.
There are three sizes and three
types of small arms ammunition
80, As and .50-caliber ball, armor-
piercing and incendiary. Not all
plants make all types, but some
make more than one.
Demands for the various types
vary with the tactical situation.
Some campaigns use less than was
anticipated, and surpluSes develop.
When Surpluses develop, what do
procurement officers do-stop pro-
duction regardless of where it may
hit, to save the taxpayer money, or
keep en- full production to keep
people employed?
Total employment in all small
arms ammunition plants as of Jan.
81 was 92,700. Total cut5acks
scheduled must, unfortunately, lay
off Al, 300 men, or about As per cent
OF the working force.
LAYOFF FIGURES
On cutbacks in the industrial
east, which are in Glass l, critical
manpCWer shortage areas, layoffs
at Remington in Bridgeport will
be from 1900 to 1900, at Winchester
in New Haven from 5000 to 100
The total layoffs will be 4200 out of
TOO, or a so per cent layoff, which
is greater than the cut in the west.
Both these cutbacks, it should be
pointed out, are in private plants.
That does not appear to be the
whole story, either. In July, 1943,
employment on small arms am
munition at Winchester was 670O
soon to be cut to 100, or over 30
per cent; while employment at
Remington was 10000, coon to be
cut to 1900, or IS per cent. So the
east, in tight manpower areas, has
taken more of a cut than the mid
west
The four government owned
! plants at st. Louis, Salt Lake City,
Denver and Minneapolis, employ
ing 10000 out of $4,000 small arms
ammunition workers, will be cut
back to $4,000, or 81 per cent.
War supply is admittedly the
most tickle business in the world.
Readjustment of these varying de-
mands isn't easy. In the process