Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-12
Five Million Boys Modified to Work ON til

~ NE OF the very latest subjects
III IL for study in the new curricu-
" ~ 1um created by war is boys
summer semester in this
course has been undertaken by men
scattered over the country and ordi-
narily engaged in Strengthening out
quite different problems. And prob
lens" is the word, according to the
Department of Labor. which has ac-
cepted the services of William E. Hall
as national director of the seasons
study. How this enthusiastic. expert
enced young man. working in conjunc-
tion with the Department of Agricui-
ture, and under the Department OF La
Dor for the Gamers and farmers VINO
need help. is progressing is worth
A want ad for 10000 boys appears
to be rather a large order. yet this
number being put on farms WORK:
under the direction OF the Initeo
States boys working reserve. is up Tor
consideration. Mr.. Hall reports that
almost half that number of youths IN
this country between the ages of sin
teen and twenty-ofie are unemployed
during June, July and August He
doesn't believe in idle boys. regardless
of the shortage in labor just now, and
ne Is credited with knowing something
of the subject of boys" through what
IL characterized as his untiring efforts
in establishing and maintaining clubs
for them in New York city
The phrase the mobilization of boys"
sounds like the last war cry of Ger
many, though. in fact. such q phrase
Is In constant use by the officials of the
reserve. Several governors of states
have come to Washington to talk the
matter over. Gov. Sleeper of Michigan
being among the last to visit the De-
Michigan wants boys for fruit picking
as well as harvest field work ana
chores" Any one who has eaten
peaches from Benton Harbor. Mich.
state that is across the lake from Chi
cago as an admirer of the Windy City
once put 1t in locating the state Of
hemlock and spruce
On his return to Lansing. the capital
city. Gov sleeper namsd a state director
for the boys WORKING reserve, and
since then a csllyfor 100 lads for gath
ering crops feT canneries has reached
the Offices offthe reserve. There was
an offer accompanying to give trans
portation~ and lodging also.
From Utah j. Edward Taylor. the
state director. whose headquarters is
in Salt Lake City. telegraphed during
the latter part of June to announce to
the Department of Labor the placing
Of twenty-five boys day in the sugar
beet fields. He added that $50 appli-
cants had rushed in at the first call for
help. on farms.
The reserve. while a national or
sanitation said an authority on the
subject. at the general headquarters
here. us working through state and
local bodies. merely aiming to CO.
ordinate the work of these various
state organizations toward helping to
solve the present emergency labor
shortage on farms and in industry. The
majority of the boys are sent to the
farms either singly OF i'm small
groups, but wherever practicable they
are sent in camps of twenty-five or
more. They go out from there to the
surrounding farms every morning. The
boys in these camps have a leader. who
is either a Y. NJ. c. A. man, teacher
in some agricultural school or some
one who Is used to handling boys.
When the boys go out on the farms
sing1y the federal reserve impresses
upon the local body the Importance of
having some supervisor or instructor
who will make regular weekly trips
TO the farms to see that the boys are
being well treated and that the con-
ditions under which they are living
are what they should be in every re-
spect These inspectors also take up
the adjustment of any question of
wages which may arise For instance
in one place some boys were hired by
. farmer. They lost three days be-
cause Of rain, yet insisted that they be
paid for that period. This had to be