White House Press Release, Statement by President Harry S. Truman

IMMEDIATE RELEASE NOVEMBER 29, 1945 387 STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT AT HIS PRESS AND RADIO CONFERENCE ON THE PROGRESS OF RECONVERSION In the first 100 days of reconversion, we have made the follow- ing progress: MANPOWER. The great part of the layoffs from war plants has now been completed, except in the shipyards. Employment in non-war activities has increased since VJ-day Total employment has now returned to the VJ-day level and is expected to continue to rise. Unemployment so far is less than had been expected. This means that the disruption of our economy has been less drastic than anticipated. However, we are still in a transition period. The rapid demobilization of the armed forces will und oubtedly increase the unemployment total over the next few months. During these first 100 days, 3,500,000 men and women have been demobilized. We have stepped the rate up to 50,000 a day, and expect to continue at this pace. PLANT RECONVERSION. The job of reconverting our plants from war to peace is virtually completed. Ninety-three percent of all plants have been cleared in 60 days or less after request. Two-thirds of these plants were cleared within 40 days or less. Twenty-seven billion dollars' worth of war contracts have been cancelled since the surrender of Japan. Approxi- mately one-third of the 122,000 war contracts cancelled since VJ-day have been settled. TRUMAD NARA LIFTING OF WARTIME CONTROLS. All war manpower controls were lifted the day after Japan surrendered. OPA has romoved several hundred items from price control, removed all rationing except for sugar and tires, and completed the pricing of reconversion goods almost 100 percent OPA has reduced orders and regulations on its books to 55 from a wartime peak of 650. ODT has 14 orders standing, as compared with 3,050 during the war. About 85 percent of wartime export controls have been lifted, and 75 percent of wartime import controls. PRODUCTION Most peacetime products are already in production or ready to roll. The metal-working trades on which we depend for most of our consumer durable goods are in such shape that they expect by the middle. of 1946 to ship goods at two and one-half times the 1939 rate. BUSINESS ACTIVITY . Business continue good. Here are some indica- tions: Retail sales, up 10 percent now as compared with the same period last year; steel ingot production, back up to 82 percent capacity today as compared with 60 percent capa city right after VJ-day; electric power pro- duction, now only 1.4 percent below the wartime peak. LABOR DISPUTES. There has been an upsurge of strikes since VJ-day. The increase has been due in part to the fact that all parties held their grievances in check during the war and observed the no-strike pledge. New strile S since August total approximately 1,500, involving about 1,500,000 workers. During the same time 924 threatened strikes were averted, involving about 400,000 workers; and 868 strikes were settled, involving about 525,000 workers. Labor dispute cases settled through November 24 numbered 1,821, involving about 1,150,000 workers. Time lost through work stoppages since August is estimated at 0.76 of 1 percent of the total working time available. OVER