The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-13
ENROLL FOR SERVICE NOW
THE TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
IMPORTATION BUREAU
BY Frederic }. Haskin. Director.
Washington. d. G.

pubic service reserve j MS pTeethf-
zation is d newly created division OF
the ieoa-tment OF labor. IT is p. e.
parin;; 70 solve tho enormous problem
of putting the nation 81 a war basis
industrially- 1t wants every Ameri-
can 70 put his name on the Official
rolls. with statement of what he
can 40 and the assurance that he is
ready to d. 1t.
1t makes no difference whether you
are a plumber or college president,
truck driver or the most expert OF
scientists-here is the chance to salts
fy that desire of yours, which has
been growing ever since April =, to do
your bit for your country. With your
name on the rolls of the public serv-
ice reserve, you can go about your af-
fairs with an easy mind, secure in the
knowledge that when you are needed,
you will be called for.
Enrolment in the public service
reserve does not lessen any mans liza
bility for military service. 1t is in
tended to find places for those who are
lot called for active service, both the
ones who are over the age limit, those
who are far down on the draft lists
and those who are exempted by the
boards If man is serving his coun-
try more effectively in his present ca
pacity than he could otherwise, then
the public service reserve will leave
him where he is. If he is fit for work
more important and essential, he will
De offered a chance to get it.
Two things are worth. noting about
this new system. First, it is a sitting
of volunteers. The men enrolled will
be the men who come forward and
offer to serve where they can do most
good. So many thousands of men
have already done this that some
anizatton to take care of their ap-
plications was absolutely necessary In
fEV ,, -.
industrial volunteers will reach into
the hundreds of thousands, if not into
millions. The public service reserve
hopes to be able to put its finger on
any man, or any number of men, need
ed in any department or any industry
necessary to the successful conduct of
the war.
The second point to be noted is,
that the filing of your application for
membership in the public service re-
serve will not necessarily be followed
by the offer of a new position the
next day. For the moment the gov
eminent has more offers to serve than
it has positions. There has as yet
been only mere beginning of the eX-
pansion of the administrative offices
that the war will surely bring. The
draft has not yet cut into the labor
supply. Offers of service exceed the
demand. And yet. if anything is GER
tain, It is certain that within the next
lew iilOHlHS men Will ne ne6O6Q DN the
tens of thousands. There will be a
general shift in the industrial situa-
ton Certain necessary industries will
expand, and they will have to draw
on other industries for men, The way
to bring about this reorganization with
a minimum waste of efficiency is to
have on file at a central headquarters
the names of hundreds of thousands
of workmen. along with an exact
statement of what they are doing and
what they are able to do.
Each man whose name is on file
will be in effect volunteer. He will
have signified his readiness to serve
where he can do the most good. He
will nave described his present en-
ployment. So when a need for men
of a certain class arises anywhere, in
any necessary industry. by a process
of selective volunteering, the public
service reserve will be able to take
the least essential men from its rolls
and notify them of the chance for
service that presents itself
This applies not only to laborers.
and to workmen in all the skilled
trades, but to engineers, scientists, spe-
cialists, and all classes of professional
men as well. For every man, no mat
ter what his occupation, there is some
one position where he can be of most
use to his country. 1t is every mans
duty to find that position, in theory:
but practically the task is an impos-
sible one for each man to undertake
for himself The public service re-
serve offers every man a simple meth
cd to meet this obligation. 1t furnishes
an application blank. When that blank
has been filled out and returned to
| Washington, the man who signs it
| knows that he has done what he can.
He has put his case in the hands of
experts, who will let him know when
and where he is needed
This is very critical period in the
| war from an industrial and admins
trative standpoint. The executive de-
| tries are going to need large numbers
of men, but their expansion is only be-
! ginning. They will need those men
in three months, in six months. in a
/ year. But the men are volunteering
now. and they want to be accepted
right away. A typical case is mai
who writes from New England, en-
closing half a dozen letters from great
corporations testifying to his executive
| ability. ~ have written twice al
ready" he says, to the council of ma
| tional defense, Il would like to be of
service to the government at once"
This is an instance of what We are
doing" said an official of the reserve.
This man is not needed today. In a
| few months, it is highly probable that
we will want him badly. But by that
| time we would lose track of him, and
! he might feel disgruntled as well. We
ask him to become a member of the
! reserve Then he can have the con-
! seriousness of having done his duty,
and when the day of need comes, We
can notify him at once"
| The public srvice reserve is
| analogous in the industrial field
/ to the Derby recruiting scheme
| in England in the military
field. The arrival of a crisis is
| invariably accompanied by a, wave
of fine enthusiasm that swamps the
| administrative offices with offers of
service The offices. however, ne ed
! time to expand their organization and
the necessary industries before they
can take care of the rush. And while
| that time is passing. the precious en-
thusiasm cools This is human nature.
In England. the recruiting offices
were swamped. Men were turned
| away for lack of facilities to handle