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Show C&oAliutqttm by JameS Preston The government is deploying its forces and clearing its decks for the long, hard pull. Chairman Nelson Nel-son of VVPB has simplified his organization or-ganization structure and clearly de-fined lines of authority among Vice-Chairmen. The President has "drafted" Chester Davis as "food czar." WMC has created a new nine-man Labor-Management Policy Pol-icy Committee for great efficiency efficien-cy and better representation among the three major economic groups Industry, Labor, and Agriculture. Ag-riculture. The WPB realignment will give Mr. Nelson more time to look after af-ter broad policy matters and work out major plans. The magnitude of the new program was made known when Mr. Nelson told the Senate Military Affairs Committee that the United States will carry 80 per cent of the United Nations production pro-duction burden. WPB changes came at a time when the agency faces a tremendous tremen-dous task of rescheduling of war orders to meet shifting strategic needs. This means some disruption disrup-tion for war material manufacturers, manufac-turers, quick negotiation of new contracts, conversion to new types of production, and, in many instances, in-stances, resumption of some civilian civil-ian production on a limited scale. It also means a vast increase in smaller prime contracts and in subcontracting as well as changing chang-ing emphasis on such vital issues as manpower. Stressing this point, Secretary of the Navy Knox asked this question: "Isn't it true that pectations because manufacturers, the speed of production of all implements im-plements of war has exceeded ex-when ex-when they got into production, found that they could produce far more rapidly than the original estimates?" Mr. Davis, President of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, was given complete charge of food production and distribution activities activi-ties of the Agriculture Department Depart-ment and, at his own request, control con-trol of farm labor. He also would be given control over farm prices and enough steel to meet farm machinery needs. These moves would place Mr. Davis on a par with WPB Chairman Chair-man Nelson and Economic Stabilizer Stabil-izer Byrnes. While Agriculture Secretary Wickard's role is not clear, he will remain a member of WPB, the Economic Stabilization Stabiliza-tion Board, and the Combined Food Board. Congressional attitude toward business was reflected in the overwhelming over-whelming vote which the Senate and House cast in favor of legislation legis-lation to revoke the President's $25,000 salary limitation, and toward tow-ard agriculture in the passage by both houses of the Bankhead bill which would eliminate benefit payments pay-ments in computing, parity. The said, might raise the retail price latter move, Administrator Brown of foods by 7 per cent and add $1,500,000,000 to the consumers' food budget. |