Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-27
SQUARE PEGS FOR SQUARE HOLES
j.

WASHINGTON. August 25.-Somo ont
mas said that this war Is q war OF
caro- indexes. II 30, we need not fear
Tor the result. The United States Pub
lie Service Reserve. in It's Washington
oHlce, Is proving that the United States
leads tho world in the science CT card
indexing.
Ine reserve is preparing to card
index every patriotic man and woman
In The nation. President Wilson has
salo that this Is war. not OF armies.
out or whole nations; and also that our
own nation would volunteer for service
en- masse. The public service reserce,
which functions under tho auspices of
the Department Of Labor. is tho agency
which Will take care OF q nation OF
volunteers.
Tho public service rescrce asks
every man to come forward and say
that ne Is reay to serve the govern
ment' wherever no can be Of most use
IN the war emergency. In reply to this
oner OF service. the reserve gives him
certihcate Of membership, a bronze
button to wear in his coat, and the con-
seriousness OF having done his duty. Be-
!ore very long 1t may give him a new
JOB. which may or may not be more
pleasant and remunerative than the
ono he has to-day. but which will GER
talniy DC one whore he can serve the
national interest to better advantage.
ihis war will bring tremendous
changes In American Industry, IL Il
lasts as long as conservative predic-
lions forecast. 1t will mean great
SHIFTS In the location OF labor. transfer
OF workmen from industry to industry
ana from State to State. Sometimes
IL VIII mean the transfer OF n single
chemist from perfume factory 10 a
plant Tor the manufacture of ether or
posion gases; sometimes II will mean
the shifting OF 5000 mechanics from
the making of pleasure boats to the
making OF airplanes. How to find tho
man for each need as it arises, to lay
the national finger on him with tho
least delay and least Industrial dis
turbance-that is the problem of mo-
bilizing, the labor resources OF a ma
ton 1t Is task requiring some CEN
tral agency where needs and resources
may be brought together. The United
states Public Service Reserve intends
TO supply this agency. and eventually
II intends to have at it's fingers ends
the manpower OF the nation. The heart
OF the reserve Is a card-index
Hopes 10 List Millions.
Before Its work is done the public
service reserve hopes to list millions
or men who have volunteered to work
"hcre they can do the most good. Yet
Its system is such that II the govern
"ieht Cdiis lot single chemist or
single mechanic, the reserve will be
able TO turn to Its index and pick out.
not a thousand possible candidates, nor
hundred men who might fill the bill.
but one single man who is the man for
the place, and is ready to take II. Speed
efficiency. the eliminst ton of waste eff
Tort the reduction Of Industrial loss
to minimum-these are the things
that win wars and they depend not
upon herotsm or patriotism. but upon
scientific system. The system adopted
for inde1ing industrial volunteers is
the really vital point OF the public
service reserve idea. and 1t is an intri-
cate and interesting thing.
The ofNcials OF the reserve say that
they have completed tho experimental
period OF their work. in which they
have listed and indexed some 10000 or
$4,000 industrial volunteers from vari-
Gus sources. most OF them skilled tech
meal men. Now they are ready TO be-
gin work on a national scale. The task
will be taken up State by State. Penn
sylvania has been selected for the first
State campaign, and from the results of
the work there. the system will be fur
ther perfected to apply to every State
in tho Union.
So far the men who have offered their
services have only been divided into