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Witness 01 Labor Personnel Relations
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Witness 01 Labor Personnel Relations
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Robert Young
The Witness Starring Robert Young in the Witness. And here is your host in Hollywood, Robert Young. In the normal course of most any day, every one of us is a witness to matters of life and death. The way we involve ourselves in these vital matters makes our own lives worthwhile or meaningless. The human body is an amazing thing, but it is not a machine. It is capable of accomplishing an amazing output of work. Or it can idle almost to a halt. It thinks, it feels, it laughs, it cries. Because it is human. Brett Reed can prove it. Hey, Ed. Ed Parsons. Yeah, Brett, over here. Say, Ed, Milton Forbes is in my office. Said you just. You bet your boots I did. The bum. He slowed down my scheduled one hour. You know why? Sure I know why. He didn't show up till noon, that's why. I meant the reason why he didn't show up till noon. Who cares for's got a job to do and he didn't do it. I'm not afraid to run an assembly line just whenever the men feel like doing it. It's gotta be done every second, every minute of the working day. Otherwise I'd be fired. Well, I'm not letting Forbes be fired until I talk to him. I'll see you later. Rat. What did you. Wait a minute. Why you. You can't countermand my orders. Who the devil you think you are, Rand? Come, Larry. Watch this line. I've got business upstairs with that high polluting labor relations executive. Herman got in my department. Telling me abomo slows up things. Won't be fired, Brett. Now look, you telling me I don't know my job? I don't know how to run an assembly line. And you're the best supervisor in the plant. Of course you know your job. But I know my job too. I handle labor relations in this factory. And I intend to do it the best way I know how. How can you have any relations with labor that doesn't show up? Well, first I have to find out why Forbes didn't show up. Something wrong at home putting him under pressure. Financial problem? Ah, that's no concern of ours. A man's hired to work. And I promise you, Ed, if Forbes was just goofing off, he'll be fired. But he's a human being, not a machine. Oh, come off it, Brits. I have to meet that schedule. I'll tell you something, Ed. If you understand and help your men, you won't have to worry about meeting your schedules. Let me tell you a story. Oh, Brett, I don't have time for stories. You were in the war. I think this example may prove my point. And you'll remember too, I was a lieutenant in the Navy. We were just about due to sail for the Pacific war zone. Ready for sea, captain. All checked. Well done, lieutenant. We should get underway from Oakland in a couple of hours. Yes, sir. All the men back? The last of them are due in a few minutes, Captain Brett. Yes, captain. How do they look? Okay, sir. Good. I'd better check that radar equipment. If you've nothing else, sir. Good idea. Double check everything. Aye, aye, sir. Gangway there. Hi, Bud. Oh, hi, lieutenant. Gangway for Lieutenant Reed, huh? Hi, Joey. Good evening, lieutenant. Glad to see you back. Thanks, lieutenant. Thanks. It's open. Lieutenant Reed, can I speak to you, sir? Sure, Joey. Shut the door. Door. Sit down. What's on your mind? I wanted to thank you, sir. Thank me? You saved my life there last night. Saved you, Joy. What's this all about? Oh, you said you were glad to see me back, sir. Yes. Yes, that's right, Joey. I did. Well, it meant a lot to me then, so I. Well, I thought I'd come here and say thank you, sir. Well, that's fine, Joey. Are you in any trouble? Didn't you just get back from special leave? Well, that's right, sir. I like to tell you about it, but. Well, I have to go now. Well, sure, Joey. Come back before chow, okay? That'll be fine, sir. Thanks a lot. Hi, You Jo. You come to see everything's okay? That's right, bud. How's my bee gun this afternoon? Oh, she's fine and dandy, Joey. Gentle and sweet as a toy pistol. I don't envy any crap that flies over her when she's fired. That's it, Bud. That's what we're here to make sure of. You take a look, then. You're the man that knows how she works. Okay. M seems okay, but she's 4 0. Well, then it's up to us, huh? You said it. But no matter how good the gun is, it's up to the man who fires her. Well, better go test the others. Carry on. My wife's pretty young and we've got a couple of kids. Well, she's been sick, sir. And that's why you took special leave. I hope I could straighten it out. I got a doctor for Annie, and that's my wife. But she seemed better. But just before I left, sir. Well, she wasn't so good again. Does the doctor say what it is? He isn't sure, but he knows she tends to be anemic. I Guess she does a lot of worrying. Look, Joey, as soon as we get to Hawaii, you can put through a service call and we'll have someone keep in touch with her all the while you're away. You can do that, sir? Sure, we can do it. See here, Joy, we depend on you to service those AA guns. And you can't do that if you're worrying about your wife. As far as it's possible, it's your country's job to take that worry off your shoulders. That sure would make it easier, Lieutenant. Last night I felt about ready to give up till you said that to me. Glad to see you back. It meant. Well, it meant I had someone who cared about my words. Well, sir. Well, it sure made a difference. Lieutenant. As soon as we get into port Joy, we'll make that phone call. Aye, aye, sir. All ready for practice firing, sir. Okay, Lieutenant. The aircraft towing the target should be within range any second. All guns ready to open fire at target bearing 60. When it is within range now, Joey, we'll see whether you've done your job. I trust my guns, Lieutenant. I believe in them. Target within range, open fire. That's pretty good, Brett. Yes, sir. Those guns are really accurate. Well done, Jody. Thanks, Lieutenant. It's my job to make sure they're always that way. Hello? Yes. Now I hear. This is Lieutenant Reed. Am I speaking to Dr. Garcia? That's right, Dr. Garcia. I'm talking from a destroyer on service in the Pacific. Can you hear me? Pretty well. I want you to do something for me. You're speaking from Annie Price's room in the hospital. That's right. Her husband is waiting outside my office. But before I bring him in, could you tell me the news about his wife? It's good, Lieutenant. Thanks, Dr. Garcia. Now, put her on and I'll get him. Oh, Annie. Annie, I can't believe it. Sure, sure. I'm okay. I'm just fine. What about you, Annie? How do you feel? Yeah. Yeah. Oh, that's great. Oh, Annie, Annie, give those kids a big hug and kiss from their dadd. I will. I will. And you do the same, honey. Anyway, I love you. Goodbye. All quiet so far, captain. That won't last, Lieutenant. You've done well to get this far without trouble. There's a flash now, sir. First gunfire. Yep. This'll be it, then. Hold your guns in good shape, Joey. They'll need to be. Yes, sir. They're in good shape. Bridge. Yes, yes. Bearing 60. Okay. Radar reports aircraft formation on screen, sir. Bearing 60. Distance 15 miles. Okay, we're Ready for him. Alert the gun cruise. Lieutenant. Aircraft approaching, bearing 60. Prepare to open fire. Here they come, sir. Open fire. Missed us that time, but they'll be back when they're crap down, sir, on the starboard quarter. Bearing one three zero. Okay. Another formation bearing one three zero. Sir. Aircraft approaching, bearing 130. Open fire when they are within range. Here they come, Joey. Captain SL's been hit. He's dead, Lieutenant. He said it's up to you now. You better start giving orders, sir. Firefighting party, proceed to number three gun engine room. Are you okay? We got hit. Forward a number three gun. Joey, check the light 88 guns and report back. Right, sir. Richly. Rich. Two a. Able. You okay, Sam? Fine, Mr. B. Baker. Rich to be B. Baker. Bud. Bud, are you there? I guess something happened to Bud. Shall I go see, sir? Yeah. Joey, get it in action if you can. We're going to need it. Yes, sir. Bud? Bud, you there? No, be. Baker to bridge. But's been hit, sir. I'll have to work his gun, baby. If you haven't got any fire, we're gonna turn you by hand, that's all. You can still fire them cannon shells. Easy there. Come on, baby. Come on. That's the girl. Be back with the bridge. B gun ready for action, sir. With wild power. I can operate her by hand, sir. That's fine, Joey. Stick down. Aye aye, sir. Aircraft approaching, bearing 5 0. Open fire when they come within. Come on, Pete, baby. Come on. Keep going. How far you. You hit them, honey. You hit them. Hit him. Hit him. After we came home, Joey Price got a decoration. That isn't the point of the story, Ed. I think I know the point. Well, to me the point was this, Ed. I wasn't glad to see Joey back. Never thought about it one way or another. Just one of those things you say without thinking. You're kidding. How honest. I knew no more about Joey Price when I ran into him that day than you know about Milton Forbes. But by a careless remark, I got into communication with him. And when the chips were down, we really worked together. Brent, I'll let you handle Forbes. Thanks, Ed. I'm beginning to appreciate the work you guys do in labor relations. I have to admit, I thought it was a fancy name for a goof off job. Well, you see, you've just proved again that human beings will always be worth more than machines. Put it there, Ed. You have been listening to the witness and here again is your host, Robert Young. The greatest danger in an age such as ours is the tendency to think in terms of output only when the intake is what brings about the greatest output. An automobile without gasoline is as useless as an electric iron without its cord. How is it possible to look at any great invention without thinking of the greatest creation of all? Man? And is it not the man who invented the machine? How do we keep a proper balance in our lives between the demands of an electronic age and man's humanity to man? I'd like to thank James Edwards, Nestor Paiva, Ivan Dixon, and Richard Reinhauer for sharing their talents with us. And thanks to each one of you for being with us. Transcribed in Hollywood the Witness is produced by Marjorie Hunt Pearson, directed by Thomas Freebairn Smith, and written by Lawrence Waddy. This is Art Gilmore speaking for the Episcopal Church, which presents the Witness. We hope you'll join us again soon for the next Witness.