The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-07-28
AeRlcuLruRAL CAMPAIGN
National League for woman's Service
Assists Washington.

Assists washington.
| After surveying the woman labor
needs Ct fifteen states in which fac
tories have received large numbers OF
government contracts, and supplying
hundreds Of women operatives to ex-
pedite war orders. the bureau of reg
istration and information of the ma
tional league for womans service, in
cooperation with the department of
labor at Washington has launched a
campaign to recruit women for agri-
cultural work with view to gliding
the solution of the FOOD supply prob
lem by making up the deficiency of
farm workers. Literally thousands
of women are expected to be called
| upon for patriotic service in the form
OF farm work.
The shortage of men farm workers
IS already becoming severe, accord
ing to a report of the bureau. ana a
serious situation is developing in
view of the army's absorption of
large numbers of the agricultural pop
ulation, and the fact that farmers
have increased their acreage and that
the canneries located throughout the
country, in order to handle the in
creased production, are needing more
help than ever before the bureaus
plan for supplying this help has been
approved by Secretary Wilson of the
department of labor and is based up
en- cooperation with various existing
agencies. A formal announcement
by the national league for woman's
service, whose branches throughout
the 80 states in which the league is
now organized viii assist in the work
explains the program as follows:
Through the state farm help spec.
ialists and all other existing agencies
the bureau is securing information as
to the amount and kind Of labor need.
ed in each locality, and ascertaining
to What extent women can operate
machinery and do other agricultural
work without physical detriment.
Meanwhile, the machinery for regis
tering women and placing Them at
work is being organized
~ in each state whero there nre indi-
cations of shortage of farm labor,
an agricultural chairman is appointed
by the bureau. She will get in touch
with the state agent in charge Of tho
farm help and the state agricultural
committee. Through them she obtains
information as to how much woman |
labor could be used in the state, for
what work. where, and when. She
finds out what training in agriculture |
can be provided either by state or pri |
yatc agencies. and gets allinforma-
tion concerning existing training |
courses.
On the basis OF this information. |
the chairman appoints local assist |
ants and takes registration through |
such registration agencies OF the bur
eau as have already been established. |
or through such other agencies as de- |
sire TO cooperate. This registration |
is taken in duplicate on blanks fur.
nished by the bureau, and one copy
is sent to the nearest federal employ
ment Office and the other retained.
The applications are classified and
filed according to kind of work and
experience. and kind OF training de.
sired.
Through the local divisions of the
national league for woman's service
and other cooperating organizations,
arrangements are being made for
Transporting and housing large groups
OF women. Committees made up of
women of experience as well as prom.
inence have been organized to over
see the various phases of the move
ment, so that everything possible
will be done for the care and comfort
of the women workers. their hours.
wages and general well-being.