Madison County Democrat. (London, Ohio) 19??-1958, 1950-12-22
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
Rev. William r. Ward, Pastor

the birth rate. Thus more mothers
will have to stay home to take
care of small children than was
the case in the previous war em-
ergency. Likewise, many women
who entered the work force dur
ing the last war are still in it.
thus reducing somewhat the ex-
pansion potential from the fe-
male sector of the labor market.
In all probability, the most that
could be expected under present
circumstances would be to draw
about 2 million people from what
might be called the inactive re-
serve labor pool. This would still
leave a deficit of about Is mil
lion needed workers.
Other sources, however, can still
be tapped. There are nearly 16
million people employed by manu-
facturers who are working only
about 41.5 hours a week. If the
work week were stepped up to Is
hours a week, it would be equiva-
lent to increasing this work force
by 8 percent, or nearly 1.3 mil
lion persons. 1t would be ,neces-
sary under existing law to pay
overtime wages for these extra
manhours but this might be
cheaper than recruiting and train
ing a temporary and inexperiene-
ed work force.
Additional defense production
workers may also be recruited
from employees who are present
ly engaged in the manufacture of
civilian type goods. the National
Production Authority has al
ready issued orders which will re-
duce the civilian consumption of
such metals as copper, alumni
um, nickel, tin, and zine. If the
present orders remain unchanged,
use of these metals for civilian
products by next March will be
cut from 20 percent to 35 percent
from the average amount consum-
ed in the first half of 1850. The
percentage reduction from the
autumn rates of output would
be much larger since production
was higher then than in the first
half of the year. Cobalt consump-
ton has already been reduced by
so percent and further cuts are
likely. This metal is used exten-
sively in radio and television sets
as well as base for enameling
steel domestic appliances.
While it may be true that man.
ufacturers of durable goods that
use these metals may be able to
obtain substitute materials, or
devise ways to produce them with
less metal, it is nevertheless ap-
parent that October-Novenber
production rates cannot be main
tanned indefinitely. In fact some
manufacturers of civilian goods
have already had to reduce out
put and furlough or lay off en-
ployees and this trend will I'M
doubtedly begin to accelerate
after the first of the year thus
m aking additional manpower
available for defense activities.
One of the popular business pa
pers recently published a story
of certain manufacturers lament
ing the fact that their employees
we're going to work Immediately
in defense plants after raw ma
terial shortages had reduced ci-
william output. They feared that
the employees would not return
until after the emergency was
over. Yet this is exactly the eff.
feet which these material con-
sumption limitation orders are ex-
pected and intended to produce.
A major problem that faces
both industry and government to-
day is how to achieve the switch
from civilian to military produc.
ton with a minimum of unem.
ployment.
From the foregoing it may be
concluded that labor markets may
be tight during the next year anc
there will be shifts to different