Evening star., 1952-02-10

Unemployment Ills OF DeGrolC alle
other automotive centers.
And it is as good as certain
the industry will get more o
Lost Of Series Of Articles on industrio
Unemployment.
scarce aluminium and scarcer cop.
per-enough to make well owe
the 100000 cars and 10000
trucks which have been prescribee
as the "diet" of the mammoth in.
dustry in the April -May-June
quarter year.
There is virtually no chance
however, the industry will be al.
lowed to make enough civilian
vehicles to effect a cure OF its
economic troubles. That woulo
take more materials than coulo
safely be spared by the defense
program. About the best Detroit
can hope for is that it will be
given enough of the stuff to make
cars to check the rising unem-
ployment. not enough to turn II
back.
100000 Out of Work.
The only other way Of providing
jobs for the more than 100000
Detroiters who are out of work
would be to bring defense con-
tracts to the half-idie factories.
The Government sent a special
"task force" to the distressed areas
to see just what can be done along
the defense contracts line. Their
report has not been completed.
But actually there is very little
that can be done on that score In
the way of short-term help.
Headed by r. E. Gillmor. an
industrialist with a record Of pub
lie service. the group gathered
pounds of facts, figures and
opinions in a dozen lengthy ses-
sions with all sides concerned with
the problems.
There are available acres Of
unused plant space. But the de-
fense contracts which could be
channeled in for quick effect in
providing jobs are few and Of a
type that would use little man
power.
No Immediate Help.
And the big contracts, the "ele-
plants" of the defense program,
which may be placed in the dis
treSsed areas, the ones requiring
large numbers of workers, offer
little help for months to come. It
takes more than a year to tool
up" for the big jobs, to produce
things like tanks or airplanes.
The automobile industry al
ready has a sizable slice of the de-
fense program. It's untitled wea-
pons orders are in excess of SIS
billion, more than SO billion to be
filled in the Detroit area. But
most of the plants to produce
these goods will not be in opera
ton full-tilt until late this year
or in 1858. because Of time re-
quired to tool up" and delays in
getting equipment. Only 10000
Of the Detroit areas $4,000
manufacturing workers now are
engaged in defense work.
Contracts for over 5000 million
worth of munitions were let the
past month to Michigan manu-
facturers. Many more elephants"
are needed to provide jobs in
1853 and 1854 and probably will
be landed by the industry.
Quick Relief Needed.
But that doesn't offer cheer to
the family man whose unemploy-
ment compensation is running out
now. The really serious. pressing
problem is to find ways of Great
ing jobs the next nine months or
so before the big defense plants
start hiring workers.
The "quickie" defense contracts,
the ones which could be fitted into
auto plants with a minimum of
re-tooling, would use very little
of the surplus manpower. Some OF
those might call for production Of
helmets, "jetisonable" gas tanks
for aircraft, or military trucks.
An official of the Studebaker
Co., said that the 800 men turning
out $25 million in civilian trucks
on the assembly line in South
Bend, Ind. probably could handle
an order for 1925 million in mill
tary trucks with little extra effort.
The big reason would be much
greater cost Of the military vehicle
because of requirements for extra
equipment.
Could Fiji Requirements.
The masS-producing auto indus
try could fill all requirements for
such simple things to make as
helmets and gas tanks in short
order.
In any event. MIR. Gillmor
leader of the task force" told
the manufacturers that not much
could be done in the field OF
"quickie" contracts before July /
because defense funds for this
fiscal year are largely committed
He said that from the stand
point of getting quick defense jobs
to absorb the unemployment, the
solution rested largely with thu
manufacturers themselves. HI
suggested they:
/. Draw back into Detroit anG
other distressed areas all contracts
which had been placed outside, II
areas of labor shortage.
2. Seek sub-conStracts from Tho
aircraft and instrument indus.
tries which are heavily loaded
with work.
Study Job Creations.
The Gillmor group is solely con
cerned with seeing what can b.
done about creating jobs through
the placement of both long ant
Short-term defense contracts. Tn
L.. ~