Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1943)

30 MOTION PICTURE H ERALD July 31, 1943 Ask WMC For Branch Distributors Seek Relief on 48-Hour Week Order in Los Angeles Area The War Manpower Commission, through its Los Angeles office, was to be asked this week by the distributors to exempt exchange workers in that city from its recent order for a 48-hour work week. Washington exchange workers, first included in a 48-hour week order were exempted late last week, after distributor intervention. It was expected the petition for the Los Angeles case would be made by C. J. Scollard, Paramount chief of exchange operations, on behalf of all distributors. In Washington, last week, he presented the WMC executives with a letter signed by nine distributors. On Saturday, he was informed his plea had been granted. But it also was said that if distributors found it necessary in Washington to replace employees, they should henceforth do it through the United States Employment Service. Compliance Deadline Set for August 22nd It was noted that the suggested procedure again might raise the 48-hour week question, inasmuch as when applying to the service for new workers, the reply might be received that remaining employees .could shift to the 48-hour week and thereby eliminate the necessity for hiring additional employees. The Los Angeles 48-hour work week order came last Thursday, June 22nd, from the local office, through H. R. Harnish, "Area War Manpower Director." Compliance was ordered, with a "deadline" August 22nd, from all business and industrial establishments with more than eight full-time workers. Certain Employees Exempt From WMC Directive Automatically exempted from the order were : 1. Establishments with less than eight fulltime employees, not counting workers under 16 years of age. 2. Employers principally engaged in agriculture. 3. Employees of the state or any political subdivision thereof. 4. Individuals under 16, and individuals not available for full-time employment because of household responsibilities, physical limitations, etc. Mr. Harnish pointed out that each branch store, office, or plant of a firm is considered a separate "establishment" for purposes of the wartime work week order. The counties affected are Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside. Imperial and Santa Barbara Counties were exempted from the order, and San Diego already has the 48-hour week. Mr. Harnish declared an employer might request a minimum wartime work week of Exemption Staffs WMC DRAFTS LIST OF CRITICAL OCCUPATIONS The War Manpower Commission was disclosed this week to be preparing a list of highly critical occupations for which extraordinary consideration is desired of local selective service boards in determining deferments from military service, but there were indications that it would not cover any jobs in the film or broadcasting industries. Announcing that the list was in preparation, Paul V. McNutt, WMC chairman, refused to indicate what type of jobs it would cover, but said it would not affect present listings of key occupations for which deferments from induction could be granted. The present list of essential jobs cover a limited number of positions in the film and broadcasting industries. While no information regarding the super-list was forthcoming, it was generally believed it would cover a number of highly-skilled occupations in key production industries which were beginning to feel the pinch resulting from the induction of skilled workers. less than 48 hours for specific establishments if the 48-hour week : 1. Would be impossible in view of the nature of the operations of the firm. 2. Would not reduce the present number of employees or reduce the future labor requirements. 3. Would conflict with any federal, state, or local law or limiting hours of work. "The purpose of the minimum wartime work week is to help meet the manpower requirements of our armed forces, our expanding war production program, and our minimum civilian needs, by full use of all of our available manpower," Mr. Harnish said. Past Industry Practice Will Carry No Weight No weight will be given to the past practices of the industry with regard to hours, Mr. Harnish added. "We are concerned solely with whether the establishment may now change to the full war work week, not what is traditional in the past." Penalties for non-compliance might include prohibiting the hiring of any workers whatsoever, cancellation of all service from the U. S. Employment Service and the War Manpower Commission, and other penalties provided under Executive Order 9301, Mr. Harnish concluded. Meanwhile, in Washington, theatres remained subject to the 48-hour work week order. An exhibitor plea for exemption, made early last week, was rejected. 'Television for All After War9 Beat Predicts Television will be ready for every family's use "immediately after the war," Ralph R. Beal, research director for the Radio Corporation of America, said this week, adding no reservations or qualifications to his statement. "The flesh and blood of sight and sound" — as television has been described by some scientists— will be made available in home receiving sets with "screens" running in size from six to 24 inches in width "within the shortest space of time required to re-convert the radio manufacturing industry from war to peace production." Using telegraph and telephone as parallel examples, Mr. Beal pointed out that there was room for both sound broadcasting and television. "Unquestionably," Mr. Beal said, "television receiving sets will be within the range of the average pocketbook. And we expect to do a good job of programming without too many awkward growing pains." However, he added that at this time it would be impractical to name the price range of receiving sets in view of the "imponderables" of labor and raw material costs in the post-war period. Mr. Beal described for the future a network of automatic monitor stations employed to relay television's images and sound from a central transmitting tower to any desired distance. Thus a planned relay from New York to Washington could be extended to any part of the country. Action and sound can be relayed from a fixed stage, outdoors or indoors, and from easily handled portable equipment. Mr. Beal's prophetic statements are the first to come from a cautious television-scientist that national television broadcasts are imminent. Warner Employees To Seek Wage Increase Warner Brothers home office employees, through representatives of the Office Employes Union, Local 23169, AFL affiliate, expect to confer shortly with the management in an effort to adjust wages upward. A union spokesman stated that increases will be asked on the basis of merit and seniority, as permitted by War Labor Board provisions. On April 27th more than 100 union members of Warners were granted wage adjustments retroactive to August, 1942, with WLB approval. But the union considers August 10, 1942, as the contract signing date, and not April 27th of this year as the effective date, and is seeking a WLB ruling to this effect. SPG In Appeal to WMC to ■ Restore Studio Jobs The War Manpower Commission will receive the first test of its work stabilization order in Hollywood in the Screen Publicists Guild's appeal to that body seeking restorations to the payroll of discharged members of the Republic Pictures studio publicity staff. The SPG seeks restoration of the jobs pending outcome of a hearing before the commission, the date of which has not been set. Schnitzer Tours Exchanges Edward Schnitzer, United Artists western division manager, is currently touring the exchanges in his territory to discuss selling and releasing plans for Walt Disney's "Victory Through Air Power," Andrew Stone's "Hi Diddle Diddle" and James Cagney's "Johnny Come Lately." Cities he is covering include Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis, Omaha, Milwaukee, Indianapolis and Minneapolis.