New-York tribune., 1917-06-03

llONs III lLO OdplIVi az CNAN'i'S -
Mr.. Croxton maintains a central
clearing house for the twenty-one
branches. and TO this central Office
daily reports are sent from each of
the branches, and they in turn re-
ceive reports and instructions every
day. Transfers Of labor from one
Office 70 another are handled through
this Office. Three supervisors, each
expert in employment problems, work
out Of the central Office, one Of them
visiting each branch at least once a
week, giving personal directions to
superintendents, helping them to
solve knotty problems, auditing rec
ords and reporting 10 Columbus the
conditions at each Office.
Labor Needs Of State
Thoroughly Canvassed
Besides the labor division which
directs this organization. the Ohio
Council Of Defence has an Agricult-
ural and Food Division, and the work
Of each division is closely connected
with the other. Under the Agri-
cultural Division there are ffty-fve
paid county agricultural agents, sci
entifcally trained men, whose busi-
ness it is TO assist farmers in tech
nical matters like preparation Of
soil and seed. elimination Of pests,
etc. Associated with them is an un-
paid food commissioner in each
county, and under him are township
food commissioners, one in each
township.
Through these men the labor needs
Of every agricultural district in the
state are canvassed. A printed
schedule is handed to every farmer
inquiring as TO the number of acres
Of various kinds of crops he has
planted or expects to plant, and what
labor he will need: experienced, in
experienced; men, women, boys, girls
or married men with families; when
he will need them, how long he will
want them, what wages he will pay,
the kind Of work they will have to
do, the lodging accommodations ne
has, and so on. These Applications
for Farm Help" are distributed to
the employment bureaus according
to the district in which the farms
are located, and the superintendent
of the bureaus are instructed to
make every effort to fill the orders.
When the bureaus get the detailed
information regarding specific farm
jobs it is surprising to sec how many
men can be found TO fill the places,
although, of course, the entire de-
mand can never be supplied. Many
of the farmers offer comparatively
high wages-S4O, S45 and more a
month-with board, lodging, laundry
and other privileges. These places
are filed with little difficulty. Other
positions at from S25 to $40 a month
are attractive to many low-paid
workers in the cities, such as Office
men, foreigners and wage-earners
employed in industries not connect
ed with supplying war materials.
Advertising, soliciting and public ap-
peals through speeches and news
stories bring large number Of these
to the employment bureaus, and, by
careful selection on the part Of the
Office force, most Of Them can be
fitted into farm jobs that hey can
do.
In Cleveland a separate depart
ment of the State-City Free Labor
Exchange is maintained for farm
workers, and four clerks are kept
constantly busy interviewing and
registering prospective farm hands,
calling farmers on the long-distance
telephone to arrange details, sending
men out to farms, taking them TO the
stations, buying railroad tickets,
checking baggage, etc. The Office is
kept open till 9 o'clock in the even
ing, and farmers are encouraged TO
meet applicants at the Office, make
their own bargains and take the
men with them TO the country.