Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-27

some 0UU classes ana 8uDCIaS6eS, accord.
Ing to their training and occupations.
, The number of classes will be greatly
| Increased the work goes forward.
l. w. Litchfield. who Is the indexing
expert Of tho reserve, can take any
| mans volunteering blank and refer 1t
at glance to It's proper class and sub
class In tho 600: or you can ask him
for any kind OF man you choose
| from drill-press feeder to q veterinary
surgeon and he can turn to tho proper
division OF tho 600 divisions in tho
card index. and give you the names of
the men listed under that head. Moro
than that he can tell you how good
each man Is for the particular Job you
have In mind. where no Ia working and
what he Is doing. whether he Is will
Ing to work in Europe or not, what
his disabilities are, II any. where his
rather was born. and mass Of other
Information bearing on the subject
The indexing system is such that the
best man for particular Job can
usually be picked out almost literally
at a glance.
Indcxed Three Times.
Each man who volunteers for indus
trial service-and by volunteering is
meant an offer to serve either with
or without pay: man with wife and
seven children can volunteer as we'll
as anyone else-is listed on three sepa-
rate cards and indexed thrco times at
least. First he Is indexed on a white
work belongs. Second. no is indexed
on blue card. showing what work
he has done in the past. And third, he
is indeSed on red card. which shows
the emergency work for which his
training has fitted him in case OF need.
Each card contains all tho inrorma-
ton that Is contained on both the other
cards, 80 no matter from which anglo
MS case is approa ched-present. past
or emergency occupation-al the facts
t. ~
meal and abbreviated form, on q single
square OF paper.
For example. one volunteer 10 a chief
clerk In the division OF accounts in a
railroad. His white card lists him
with the bookkeepers. His blue card
lists him with clerical railway work.
ers. HIS red card shows that In Case
OF emergency demand he is capable of
doing tho work OF a statistical expert
There Is not much war demand for
ers, but there Is strong government
demand for statisticians. In classify
Ing tho men for emergency duty. the
expert must not only know what a
given man is capable OF doing. but
also what sort of men are most likely
TO be needed
Each Man Given Rating.
BESIDES the hare classification, the
index cards contain much other infor-
nation about the volunteers in abbre-
Waited form. For example. each man
Is given ra;ing--first class, second
class. third class or fourth class. rho
cards OF men rated first class have
their upper corners clipped, SO that a
nngcr run through the index turns up
the best men automatically. The rat
ing IL based on various things-age.
experience. training. education, stand
'ng. disabilities. and 30 forth The
application blank OF the reserve asks
scores OF questions. and the volunteers
arc encouraged to attach written state.
ments as full rs they care to make
them OF their experience and success
In any positions they may have held.
Inc application blank Is the result of
much expert bordering. and next to
personal interview. It gives the beat
possible Idea OF each mans possibfIi.
ties.
Both In the questions asked of the
volunteers and in the indexinE system.
the whole effort Of the men who de-
signed the system, was toward tho ut
most possible e1actitude. I'VE are no,
satished to know that man Is mu.
milton worker" said one of the Of.
ncers. we want to know whether his
experience was with bombs. cartridges.
commercial explosives, fuses. grenades.
smells or torpedoes. We want tho in
formation to be as specific as II pos
"ibly car. because when we get a call
Tor a man. II Is not for a munltion
worker. but for some very particular
kind OF a muniticn worker" This IN
war OF specialists.
The Public Service Reserve IS de.
signed to be Il clearing house for in
dustrial patriots, trained and untraJn-
cd. IT shout not be regarded prt-
lnartly as an agency for securing en-
pioyment. The Department of Labor
maintains national employment
agency. the function OF which ts to
secure work for men and women who
nave no work, and to get better Jobs
LOT those who are not satisfied with
the jobs they have already got Tha
Public Service Reserve, on the OTHER
hand. Is designed to find places for
men and women where they will be of
greater service to the nation II will
MAKE no effort to offer you better
JoD, out II the nation needs you. It
Will offer you Job where Won can
better help the cause