Evening star., 1945-09-06

tice Committee on a permanent
basis. I repeat that recommended
ton.
I. Wage Sterilization
Our national welfare requires that
during the reconversion period pro-
duction of civilian goods and serv-
ices-as full production as possible
go forward without interruption,
and that labor and industry CO.
operate to keep strikes and lockouts
at minimum.
Those who have the responsibility
Of labor relations must recognize
that responsibility. This is not the
time for short-sighted management
to seize upon the chance to reduce
wages and try to injure labor unions.
Equally it is not the time for labor
leaders to shirk their responsibility
and permit widespread industrial
strife.
With this objective in view, I shall
shortly convene a conference of
representatives. of organized labor
and industry for the purpose Of
working out by agreement means to
minimize labor disputes.
In the interim period, pending
the convening of the conferences, I
have called upon the representa-
tlves of organized labor and in
dustry to continue their adherence
to the no-strike, no-lockout policy.
During this interim period, labor
disputes which threaten a substan-
tlal interference with the transition
to a peacetime economy should be
submitted to the War Labor Board.
They would there be handled by the
board under existing procedures.
The country will expect parties to
any such disputes to comply vol
unfairly with the determinations Of
the War Labor Board.
The threat of inflationary bid
dlng-up of wage rates by competi-
ton in short labor market has
disappeared. Therefore, the War
Labor Board has removed the ne
cessity Of approving proposed vol
untary wage increases, so long as
they will not be used to obtain an
increase in price ceilings
Would Terminate WLB.
I have conferred upon the War
Labor Board adequate authority to
correct maladjustments and inequi-
ties in wage rates arising in the re-
conversion period which will tend
to interfere with the effective tram
sltlon to a peacetime economy.
The board should be terminated
as soon after the conclusion of the
Forthcoming industry-labor confer
ence as the orderly disposition of
the work of the board and the pro-
visions OF the War Labor Disputes
Act permit, and after facilities have
been provided to take care of the
wage stabilization functions under
the act of October 2. 1912.
Meanwhile, plans for strengthen
ing the Department of Labor, and
bringing under it functions prop
erly belonging to it, are going for
ward. With the return to a peace
time economy and the elimination
of the present temporary wartime
agencies and procedures, we must
look to collective bargaining and
voluntary arbitration as the best
and most democratic method of
maintaining sound industrial re-
lations.
g. Employment Service
Placing demobilized veterans and
displaced war workers in new
peacetime jobs is the major human
problem of our country's reconver-
sion to peacetime economy. 1t is
imperative that this work be done
swiftly and efficiently, and that men
and women lose minimum amount
OF time between jobs.
The next few months are crucial.
What we do now will affect our
American way of life for decades
to come.
The United States Employment
Service has an important RESPONSE
bility in the performance of this
task.
At present, this agency operates
as a national and centralized sys-
tenn with a free flow of information
among its Offices. Under the 1946
appropriation act, the offices are
to be turned back to the 48 States
within 80 days after the cessation
of hostilities.
Shortly after the declaration of
war, the Government realized that
the manpower Of the Nation could
be modified more efficiently if the
United States Employment Service
were centralized under Federal con-
troll Hundreds of thousands of
workers had to be recruited from all
parts of the country. Often, they
were wanted in regions far from
their homes. Certain areas had
surpluses of labor; others were des-
perately in need of more workers.
This situation could be met only
through a centrally operated en-
ployment service that covered the
entire Nation.
Problem in Reverse.
Now we are faced with this prob
lem IN reverse. Hundreds of thou
sands Of men and women will want
to seek jobs in towns and cities other
than those in which they worked
during the war. They may want to
return home, or they may want to
strike out In search of new oppor-
tunities in new surroundings. Mil
lions of veterans also will be coming
back in search of peacetime jobs.
They will want to know where such
jobs can be found, not only in their
own areas, but also in other parts
of the land.
The task of helping this vast army
of job seekers to fit themselves into
peacetime economy Is fully as diff
cult as the mobilization of manpower
for war. To make any decided change
in the machinery to handle this
problem now would cause unneces.
sary hardship to workers and vet.
erans. 1t would slow down the en-
tire process Of reconversion.
I urgently recommend that the
Congress do not yet return the EN-.
\