Evening star., 1945-02-04
Nam President Says
National Service Act
Will Cut Production

Will Cut Production
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Feb. Sra Mosher
president of the National Associ-
alton OF Manufacturers, said today
the proposed National Service Act
would prove "a national showdown
act"
Every factory manager knows
that this type of legislation may
very well decrease efficiency by as
much as 10 to 40 per cent" Mr..
Mosher said in a radio (NBC) ad-
dress.
IF the delicate mechanism we
call work tempo, which is the most
vital factor in plant efficiency, is
lowered by even 10. to IS per cent.
there isn't enough manpower and
womanpower in the country to turn
out the materials needed by the
Army and Navy" he said.
Mr.. Mosher said a NAM survey
of more than 100 war production
areas showed that schedules could
be met and In scores of instances"
were being met ION a community
by-community and plant-by- plant
basis"
'Compusion Will Fall
Saying blanket compulsion would
fail to produce the needed skills
where they are needed" Mr.. Mosher
declared:
IF we must have legislation at
all, let it authorize creation OF CELL
ings on civilian employment where
the type of trained worker most
needed is now to be found. Give
VINO such ceilings at the local level,
controlled referrals and compulsory
releases, and workers would still
have a freedom of choice of war
jobs"
Mr.. Mosher called the proposed
act a "work-or-jaip bill and said
that by putting conscripted labor
on a par with the armed services
it would damage soldier morale.
Survey Is Released.
Earlier the NAM released survey
of % war production areas which,
it said. supported its claim that
other methods would obtain the
needed manpower.
The NAM said its survey showed:
Lower employment ceilings in
less essential plants "can flush
enough needed skills into high pri-
ority war production to meet any
labor shortages which may result
from the prospective draft of 100000
war workers for service in the fight
ing forces.
Incorporation among industry,
labor and VINO (War Manpower
Commission) Offices in each critical
area even now is producing the
needed workers" for a shortage it
estimated at 10000.
Public Appeals Effective.
3-Similar cooperative effort has
been recruiting workers "by the
thousand" through public appeals.
ALSO effective are reduced abb
senteeism, efforts to eliminate labor
practices which retard production"
and shifting of skilled men to more
urgent jobs.
Constantly reiterated in the
survey replies" the NAM said, was
the assertion that production sched-
ules, while constantly pyramiding in
many must industries, were being
met community by by-community."
The NAM reported among specific
situations:
Detroit-unfilled jobs on priority
orders dropped to 1892 from 1929
since January IL. mot only said
it was easily meeting its own prob
lem, but was urgently seeking more
war orders to ease a total commun-
ity unemployment Of .70,000."
Philadelphia-18,000 persons reg
istered with the United States En-
ployment Service in a single week,
rs per cent of them referred to es-
sential establishments.
Schedules Being Met.
New Haven-''War production
schedules are being met in stride.
Cleveland-"Reported an upswing
in USES applicants to 5000 in one
day."
Chicago-"With a shortage of
4,399, needs only relatively few
4-Fs and skilled workers from less |
essential industries to solve its |
must requirements"
Baltimore 6,689 workers short
ending absenteeism alone" the
report added, would do much to
meet its shortage"
st. Paul-Reported "a quick in
crease in war work applications.