Evening star., 1945-03-23
House Easter Recess
May Further Delay.
Action on Manpower
Conferees May Leave
Issue Hanging Until
Two-Week Holiday Ends
BY J. A. O'LEARY,

Inc HOUSE decided today to
take an Easter vacation of at
least two weeks and thereby
raised the possibility that the
controversial manpower issue
may be left in the air until late
in April unless conferees reach
an agreement within q day or
two.
As the conferees prepared to re-
assemble this afternoon, Majority
Leader Mccormack told the House
that after March u ethere will be
no program" of House business
until April 10, and possibly ! few
days longer.
In response to questions about
the status Of the manpower bill,
Chairman May Of the House con-
ferees expressed hope an agreement
would be reached with the Senate,
but admitted the possibility Is
remote. ,.
There seems to be quite 4 de-
termination on the part Of the
Senate conferees to stand for their
measure" Mr.. May said. "The
House conferees, of course, are
standing for the House measure"
May Cites House Rules.
Mr.. May later told q reporter that
under House rules the conferees do
not have to come back to the House
for instructions until negotiations
with the Senate have been in prog
ress for 20 days, and indicated he Is
not disposed to take that course be-
fore the recess starts next Wednes-
day, unless some compromise be-
tween the House and Senate bills
is worked out.
The only purpose in coming back
for instructions without a compro-
mise would be to give the House an
opportunity to stand pat on its COM
pulsory work-or- jail bill Oh. end the
fight by accepting the milder Senate
measure.
The Easter vacation Of the House
will be taken by . series Of informal
three-day recesses. Meanwhile, the
Senate is expected to remain at
work on the Mexican water treaty.
The conferees may decide the fate
of the Austin compromise plan this
afternoon.
The proposal of Senator Austin,
Republican, of Vermont would fol-
low the indirect recruiting methods
of the Senate bill to obtain workers
for war plants wherever possible,
with authority to use the labor draft
principle of the House bill as q last
resort.
Senate Support Not Solid.
| House conferees indicated yester-
day their willingness to consider this
basis of compromise, by offering
further amendments to the Austin
bill, but there are no signs yet that
the other Senate conferees are ready
to 60 along with their Vermont coll
leagues plan.
Although it stresses use of the
labor draft only in those areas
where local priority and labor-man-
agement committees find that Wal
Manpower Commission employment
feelings have failed, some of the con-
ferees regard the Austin measure
as more stringent than the origina'
House bill, because 1t applies. pen.
alties both to employers and EN-.
ployes, and would make it possible
to freeze" all workers in essentia
industries.
The bill the House passed applied
only to men 10 to As, who were mad.
subject to the draft-law penaltie,
of 10000 or 5 years If they dis,
obeyed . local boards order I,
work. The Senate bill applied pen.
alties only to employers for hirini
any one, regardless Of age or sex
in violation OF War Manpower Com.
mission ceilings.
| II all efforts to reach q middl,
ground fail the conferees probably
will so back to their respective
houses for further instructions, bu'
lx1- -