Montana labor news., 1945-08-23

entire reconversion program as 1t re-
lates to workers on the positive use Of
the stalling tactic. We get a lot OF
chin music from wPB, from the oPA,
War Labor Board and Office Of Wal
Mobilization and R~econversion. But
when the echo dies away there's not
even a solid shell to remember.
Enough has been demonstrated ever
since We Day to permit the charge that
it is the federal governments intent to
delay, hesitate, revise and amend its
policy-and then send it for review
and reconsideration. The idea is that
if this Ear be kept up long enough,
now that Japan has surrendered, the
labor market will ease up-and Big Bust
ness can get tough and write its own
ticket for the postwar period.
Here's an example. The Office Of
War Mobilization and R%econversiOn has
the legal, the statutory authority, to
force action on a real program. The
WIPE has the personnel, the program
and policies ready. But the OWN will
not give wPB the authority to act.
This policy or lack of policy makes
American industrialists stronger in their
dealings with workers while the picture
as to wages only emphasizes the fact
that business is in control despite an
order by the OWN TO the WLB to act.
Public WLB members have been CON
sidering a new policy since the time Of
the U. S. offensive in France. They in
creased their studies considerably after
We Day. But aside from talk, from
in%ter-office memos, nothing has been
done.
Fearful Of postwar initiation, the adj
ministration's policy is slowly but surely
setting the stage for the catastrophe Of
deflation and widespread unemployment.
That is the end result Of the technique
of the studied stall. While the govern
meat hesitate and revises, cutbacks and
d%owngrading are taking their toll and
swelling the lists of the jobless.
In Detroit the automobile industry has
been given quotas for production this
year based on a policy Of keeping the
manufacturers in the same relative com
petitive position they held in 1889. Henry
Ford, whatever his labor policies, has
said he wants an increased quota and
says that if he gets it he can keep $4,000
workers on the payroll-men and women
who otherwise will be applicants for I'M
employment compensation. But the
government, through WIPE, said No, thus
contradicting the oft-repeated admins
tration slogan Of full production for
full employment"
Willow Run, the great mass produc-
ton bomber plant built by the U. S. and
operated by Ford, is closed down and
the Army now intends to use this giant
facility that cost more than 500 million
as a garage for war-weary bombers."
The United Auto Workers CCIO) has
advanced a couple Of suggestions to cor
rect the situation. One was to use Will
low Run as a cooperative owned by work.
ers to produce railroad rolling stock and
prefabricated housing. The other calls
for setting up a couple of new agencies:
the housing production authority and
the railroad equipment authority, to
lease idle U. S.-owned wal plants to
private industry or to cOoperatives.
The need for action is not confined to
Detroit. These government plants are
scattered over the land. The problem
is vast. Unemployment breaking out
first in the major centers is spreading.
It means terrific loss in payrolls-and
unsold goods on the shelves Of big and
little businessmen.
You can't assure 60 million jobs by re-
vising a tentative memo.