Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-05-27
House Subcommittee
To Check War Jobs
Given S1-a-Year Men
By Froncis P. DouqIos

Lie I1OuSe monopoly SuDcOm-
mittee announced yesterday that
1t plans to look into the employ
ment Of "dollar-a-year" men by
the defense mobilization agencies.
"Dollar-a-year" men, a term
from World Wars I and II, now
are known technically as "W. O..
C." without compensation en-
ployes. Generally they serve on
leave from private industry which
continues to pay their salaries
which usually are larger than the
employees could receive from the
Government.
The w. o. c. inquiry is ex-
pected to be the first subject taken
up by the subcommittee when It'll
resumes hearings June II. The
subcommittee, headed by Repre-
sentative Celler. Democrat, of New
York, is part of the House Judici-
airy Committee.
FavOritism Involved.
E. Ernest Goldstein, counsel for
the subcommittee, declined to
specify what direction the forth
coming investigation would take.
But it was assumed on Capitol
Hill that the dangers of favoritism
would be at least one angle of the
inquiry.
Other aspects of the mobiliza-
ton program which the subcom-
mittee will look into were listed as
these:
l. Advisory committees which
are appointed by the National
Production Authority, the Office
of Price Sterilization and other
agencies. Appointment of = such
committees to consult with the
agencies is provided in the De-
Tense Production Act. Questions
have been raised whether there
has been adequate consultation in
some instances and whether, in
others, advisory committees have
gone beyond the strictly advisory
role.
Bonanza In Tax Benefits.
2. Tax benefits through rapid
write-offs of the cost of new plants
and facilities for defense produc-
ton. A House Expenditures SUBJ
committee has just issued a report
terming the program the biggest
bonanza that ever came down the
Government pike" The Monopoly ,
Subcommittee, however, is ex-
pected to take different tack (
from that of the Expenditures
Subcommittee. s
3. Pricing policies and activities S
of the OPS. (
4. The Defense Department and ,
Munitions Boards procurement &
programs. Il
Mr.. Celler said that it is the 6
intention of the subcommittee to
find out whether those portions +
OF the Defense Production Act c
designed to prevent the growth
of monopoly power are sufficient +
to meet the problems created by C
the mobilization program. a
1T is our further purpose" he ]
said. ito ascertain whether the t
clear intent of Congress that the il
antitrust laws be not disregarded il
in the course of the mobilization E
of our resources has been hon C
ored in the administration of the r.
Defense Production Act" n
May Favor Private Interests. u
There are now several hundred h
w. o. c. employees in the various T
agencies. The usual =,
criticism of the practice of their 4
is that they may be
inclined to favor their private in
terests over public interests. .!
Agencies meet this problem by .
ruling that no woo. employee I
may participate in decisions af- IL
fecting his company, a policy u
which the employees support I,
Fundamentally because it relieves V
them of some of the dangers of a
VI IIlC1Slu.
Heads of the defense agencies u
maintain it is impossible to Or II
ganize industry for defense pro- "
duction and carry out the other 81
jobs assigned without the help of IL
experts from the industries them b.
selves. The point is made also p
that men of the ability and ex-
perience needed are not available Il
to Government terms of employ n
ment of "dollar-a-year" men CT
when, as senator, he headed the h
Senate War Investigating Com st
mittee, issued an order in Novem- CT
Der that so far as possible opera Of
lions under the Defense Produc- T.
ton Act shall be carried on by :.