Evening star., 1945-03-21
Forced Labor Transfer
system Endangered
By VINO Controversy
Ry the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
The War Manpower Commits
sion's policy of forced transfer of
labor was touch and go today.
The whole national system of
moving workers from low to high
priority war jobs is endangered, off,
cials acknowledged, as a result of a
charge that it was used in New Bed
ford, Mass, to demonstrate a need
for national service legislation.
The charge was made by WINGS
National Labor Management Com
mittee, whose function is to help
formulate manpower policy and to
make recommendations to the COM
mission. Members signing it repre-
sented labor, industry and agri-
culture
Although VINO Chairman McNutt
chose to ignore the committees as
Sertions dealing with national serv-
ice, it was clear manpower officials
are apprehensive of spreading de-
fiance of the labor directive.
The committee loosed its barrage
late yesterday against the so-called
forced release program ordered for
the Massachusetts, communicated
thus far Stunned there.
Use as "Catspaw" Charged.
In a statement splitting with Mr..
McNutt, the committee declared
WS5C onnoorad 70 I,o,o k,na,, ,,col
as a "catspaw' and New Bedford
as guinea pig" by certain Gov
ernment officials in Washington who
favored national service legislation. &"
The committee, also referring to
"WMC proposals ruled out by a
War Department representative, i"
said further that the New Bedford
program apparently was an at
tempt to persuade the country and
Congress that the voluntary system
had broken down and that compul-
sion must be accepted"
Commenting on this, Senator
johnson, Democrat, of Colorado.
ranking member of the Senate Mill
tary Affairs Committee, said:
Il rather believe that myself. 1t
(the New Bedford situation) has
been used constantly by proponents
of the Work-or-jail bill. I don't
know whether it was created for
that purpose or not, but it has been
used that way both in commit
tee and on the Senate floor"
Senate and House conferees now
are attempting to reach a compro-
mise on manpower control legisla-
ton.
Abandonment Urged.
The forced release program,
which the WING Committee said
should be revoked Immediately in
New Bedford, was ordered in effect
there to channel about 200 textile
workers to jobs in Fisk and Fire
stone tire cord plants.
This was to be accomplished by
lowering the textile mills employ
ment ceilings. Of the first group
of 80 workers designated for trans
fer, however, only one agreed to
switch jobs. The others appealed
to VINO in Washington.
The committee, saying the les
sons of the New Bedford case will
have a salutary effect upon the
country" added it is "unshaken in
its belief that free men are more
productive than forced labor"
Members contended they were not
In disagreement with the principles
of the program, but objected to it
being Laid down on a 'take-it tor
leave-it' basis" by VINO Washington
officials.
Free citizens resent the imposi-
ton of action which they feel is
tyranny" the committee statement |
said. Noting that VINO regula-
tions require full consultation with
the area committee before the forced
release program may be- put in ef-
feet, the committee said this was
not done in the New Bedford case.
Members declared they had re-
fused to hear the New Bedford
worker appeals from the directive
To do SO, they said. would COM
pound the irregularity committed
in the institution of the order . ="
In a statement replying to the
committees charges that he had
turned down recommendations for
settlement of the dispute four times,
Mr.. McNutt said no plan agreeable
to all interested parties had been
submitted yet.
He added that when one is re-
ceived the forced release will be
suspended, but that in the mean
time II have no alternative but to
continue application of the national
VINO program of war service trans
fers in New Bedford"
Plan to Be Tried Elsewhere.
Spokesmen for the committee said
Mr.. McNutt was opposed to suspen-
sion because he believes it might
jeopardize the forced release pro-
gram in other areas where it is in
effect or proposed. The plan has
been ordered in effect, with some
notifications, in Chicago, Newark,
Philadelphia and Allentown, Pa.
I'VE are convinced from the clear
evidence, painstakingly reviewed
during a half dozen long meetings,
that there was an attempt to create
a situation which could be called a
failure of the voluntary methods,
so that force could be used" the
committee said.
I'VE resent this attempt to in
volve conscientious citizens of New
Bedford in what they were told was
a true recruitment program, only to
have them find in the middle of
their effort that such was not the
case"
The statement continued that
the citizens of New Bedford, "once
freed from the threat of bureau
cratic coercion, can solve their |
program satisfactorily