Wanted: Glamor Jobs

In Washington, Congressmen droned over the Murray Full Employment Bill. In Manhattan, Henry Wallace's publishers rushed his Sixty Million Jobs into bookstores. Throughout the U.S., politicos and pundits considered the plight of jobless war workers. All agreed that it was sad.

The workers themselves last week attacked the unemployment problem in their own sweet way. It was a little different from the way the Congressmen and pundits saw it. From Indianapolis a TIME correspondent wrote:

"People probably were never choosier. They're looking for 'glamor' jobs in the so-called 'glamor plants.' No more ordinary factory surroundings for them. They're used to music and news broadcasts and de luxe cafeterias. And they've heard so much about the wonderful times ahead . . . that they're willing to wait.

"At the U.S. Employment Service office, the personnel man told one job applicant that he could start at 70-c- an hour, would then get three automatic raises bringing the rate to 85-c- , plus premium pay which would send it to $1 an hour. The applicant replied: 'That would be all right if you got in the top bracket right away.' He got up and left.

"The Indiana state automobile license division reported that never before have so many people written 'no occupation' when filling out their license forms."

No Slop Jars. Across the land, the workers objected to lower pay, less interesting peacetime jobs. After all, prices were still geared to war. At a Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce meeting, husky C.I.O. boss Philip Connally shouted:

"Rosie the riveter isn't going back to emptying slop jars."

A Miami reporter also visited the USES office. He listened while a discharged sailor applied for a job. The interviewer picked a dozen job cards from his file and said: "Got one driving a dairy truck."

"No, I've done dairy work," said the sailor.

"Drive a food truck at $35 a week?"

"Mmm, that doesn't appeal."

"How about a fish truck at $45?"

"Too smelly."

"An ice truck?"

"Did you ever try juggling ice?"

The interviewer was running out of cards. Finally, he said: "Look, you like people and you have a nice personality. How about driving a bus?"

"Well, that sounds pretty good," the sailor said, and took the card.

The next person to step into line commented: "That was pretty tough." But the USES interviewer replied: "Oh, no. You ought to hear some of the others."

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