Evening star., 1945-01-29
Manpower Bill!
ChangesBacked
ByWadsworth
New Yorker Moy
Sponsor Closed Shop
Ban Amendment
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.

Iho UilC I1OIoC OCSdll oCUdUC w.
day on the compulsory work bill
for men 18 to As, Representative
Wadsworth, Republican, of New
York disclosed that he probably
will sponsor two important labor
amendments, taken from the
original Austin -Wadsworth ma
tional service bill.
One is the anticlosed shop amend
ment, giving workers the option of
joining or staying out of unions when
they are assigned to war jobs.
The other is intended to protect
existing laws providing for collec-
tive bargaining and fixing wages
and hours.
This development further discour-
aged administration forces who have
been hoping to avoid controversial
amendments they fear may endanger
the bill. They admitted privately
that if these amendments are Of
fered by Mr.. Wadsworth they will
command strong support on both
sides of the aisle.
Variety of Amendments Likely.
Their fears are based on indica-
tions that opponents of the anti
closed shop provision will follow it
up with an amendment giving statu-
tory support to a proposal to pro-
hiblt any discrimination based on
race, creed or national origin.
7 Administration leaders expressed
confidence the bill would pass in
its present form, but there appeared
little chance today of avoiding a
wide variety of amendments.
The House is expected to adopt
this afternoon the special rule al
lowing eight hours of general debate,
and leaving the bill open to any
germane amendment. 1t probably
will be Wednesday before any
amendments are voted on.
While advocates and opponents of
this limited national service bill are
exchanging verbal blows on the
floor, party leaders will have their
last opportunity to appeal informal
ly to both sides not to go through
with changes that threaten to kill
the measure.
Job Choice Clause Mentioned.
Chairman May of the Military Al
fairs Committee, in charge of the
BILL said he would oppose revival
of the anticlosed shop amendment.
He contends the freedom of the in
dividual is protected by clause in
the bill requiring draft boards to
give a worker a reasonable choice"
of jobs.
1--WE will fight it out on the floor
and I believe we have enough votes
to win," he said.
i Even without those amendments,
organized labor will fight the bill,
Icontending that all essential man
power requirements can be met by
continuance of voluntary recruiting
methods.
Substitute Expected.
i When voting begins it is expected
that opponents of the bill will offer
substitutes designed merely to give
congressional sanction on the job-re-
feral system heretofore operated by
the War Manpower Commission.
Supporters of compulsory assign
ment of workers are expected to
point out during the debate that
manpower officials recently have
resorted to a different form of COM
pulsion by lowering the ceiling on
employees permitted in some nones-
sential plants as a means of in
ducing these workers to switch to
war plants in the same areas.
The success of the Russian winter
drive on Germany is working against
/ the bill by encouraging another wave
fof optimism that the European
phase of the war may soon be over.
Chairman May has warned, how
ever, that job controls will be more
necessary when victory comes in
Europe to prevent rush of workers
back to peacetime jobs before Japan
is beaten
| Labor Calls for Farley.
AS debate got under way, Spokes-
men for organized labor were urging
members to call an immediate con-
ference of management, labor, agri-
culture and Government officials, on
the theory that any existing or pros
pective manpower needs could be
met quickly by voluntary methods.
}. In letter to all House members,
AFI President William Green called
for defeat of the bill, contending it
is contradictory to be fighting to
!, stamp out totalitarianism abroad.
!; while at the same time through the
enactment of legislation we impose
it upon free labor here at home