Evening star., 1945-09-02
Manpower Shortage
lis Chief Concern as
District Reconverts


still prevalent.
A survey by The Star among pri.
vate businesses showed yesterday
that manufacturers are rapidly re-
converting to peacetime production
with reduced staffs generally work.
ing 40 hours week. Department
stores, hotels, laundries, construc-
ton and other firms servicing Dis
trict residents reported, however
they could use more personnel and
their present staffs are still work.
ing 48 hours or more.
Reconversion has brought an un-
expected influx to Washington ho-
tells. Managers reported that the
ending of wartime contracts and
restrictions has caused large Or
ganizations throughout the country
to send representatives here to ter
inmate Government contracts and
thrash out problems of reconver-
sion.-
"They Don't Stay as Long"
One manager said his hotel had
as many demands for rooms now
as it had in the early part of the
war when contracts were being is
sued. But they don't stay as long,
he added. 1T appears that recon-
version problems get quicker action
than most visitors expected. They
certainly don't stay as long as they
did when they were reconvertine
from peacetime to war production.
Hotel staf1s still are working AZ
hours and employment managers
expect the situation to remain tina,
way. Most hotels reported they hac
more employees than before the war
but there were still shortages, espe.
cially among skilled help. Elimina
ton OF food rationing, they agreed
may cause an even created man.
power shortage in kitchen and din.
ing room help.
Department stores still are ad.
vertising for help and most EN-.
ployes are working 48 hours a week
With the lifting of ODT restric.
ton on home delivery of purchase.
November /, the stores are facec
with a new manpower problem o.
finding drivers as we'll as vehicles
One manager said there was littl,
indication yet that reconyersion |,
bringing in more peacetime goods
Power Firms Need Help.
Both the Washington Gas Ligh
Co. and the Potomac Electric Power
Co. reported manpower shortage
The 48-hour week still prevails ant
some persons are being hired. Va
cancies are being kept open for vet.
Grams who are beginning to return
in increasing numbers. PEPCO sale
its Buzzard Point power station re-
Gently had reduced its hours from
so to 48 due to employment of re.
turned veterans. The firm expect.
to employ many more persons sev.
eral months hence when material!
will be made available to expand it.
operations.
The closing down of Government,
agencies and the probable demoli.
ton of temporary buildings, with 8
consequent reduction in the de.
mand for electricity will be more
than offset by new construction, one
official said.
In the construction industry, still
stymied to large extent by con.
tinuing restrictions on materials
the manpower shortage continues Il
be severe. One returned veteran
who had acquired a highly prizec
priority to build a home, after sew.
eral weeks of searching for an arch.
itect not too busy to accept another
job, said he had been told by nu.
merous builders they could not &C.
cept a contract until January.
Manufacturing firms in the Dis.
trict and nearby are in the midsr
of reconverting to peacetime pro.
duction with reduced stats on q
40-hour week, but all had higf
hopes for increased employment
within few months when things
get started again" .
Quick Reconversion.
An official of the Briggs Clarifie,
Co., Bethesda. said reconversion was
finished one week after the Japa.
nese surrender when Sis employe.
were dismissed after cancellation oI
war contracts. About 500 now art
employed on a 40-hour week anc
there is sufficient backlog of or.
ders to keep them busy through the
next winter.
An official said the company hae
no retooling problem because it.
war contracts called for product!
it had manufactured in prewar days
An encouraging note also wa.
struck by officials of the Engineer.
ing Research Corp, Riverdale, which
laid off about 600 employees wher
its Government contracts were can.
celed. Its present $50 employees ar,
operating on 40-hour week ane
the company hopes to complete it!
reconversion to civilian aircraft il
30 to go days, an official said. TIL,
concern expects to need 1,500 EN-.
ployes eventually, he said. It's re.
tooling job from gun turrets, radal
equipment and riveting machine.
is minor, he added. and the turn.
over of employees, which dogged al
large employers during the war, ha.
disappeared.
Company Loses Few.
The Air-Track Manufacturin,
Co., College Park, said it was seek
Ing skilled employees. particularly
radio engineers and machine shor
mechanics. Few of its Government
contracts for electronic equipmen,
were Cancelled and the company dis.
charged only about 160 person.
shortly after the japanese surren.
der. Its remaining employees are
working 40-hour week, except II
MS !"