The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01
PERSONNEL WORK
Efforts to Take Advantage of Experts
in Camp.


The personnel department Of the
seth division, under the direction OF
Capt. ]. o. Strutz. is on the hunt Tor
men of every conceivable vocational
training. for every man who can DO
some specific thing well can be useo
to great advantage in his line Oh
course there are a great many JOBS
+b.+ cannot be used in the canton
ment. still nearly every man can 90
more than one thing and has no DOUBT
had some experience in some Work
that will be needed at some time
The effort is now being inaoe 70
get together all information about the
possibilities of every man for the dit-
ferent duties. Captain StrutZ is ask
ing all men to be sure ana lncluoe IN
his personnel report the kinds OF WORK
he has ever done. The fact that
man was the manager OF 1iour nm mn
should not make him overlook the
fact that before he became manager
of the flour mill he had trained dogs
been a real estate man, or when ne
was a youth he used to trim up heeIs
in his fathers cobbler shop. These
things may be of great advantage to
the division for there may be needed
| dog trainers or cobblers at any time.
one of the things that the personnel
| office must be able to do, is to place
their hands on the men in the division
when men of certain qualifications
and experience are wanted. One
would not think that the division will
! at some later date need opticians, yet
| it will need them badly some day, to
| inspect and correct the lenses in the
binoculars for the officers that depend
upon them in finding ranges for the
| big guns. 1t may be very important
to the division to have every tense alb
| solutely correct.
Cobblers are of course in demand
when the army is at the front for the
shoes above all else must be kept in
good repair. 1t would be impossible
for the men to carry great numbers of
shoes to the front and it is a great deal
easier for the cobblers to repair the
old ones than it is to issue new ones
| every time pair is worn.
The feet of every man as well as his
shoes must be in the best of shape
and it is of course necessary to have
men trained as chiropodists.
There is great imp rtance attached
| to the work of the men who keep the
watches of the division in order, for
| the work in the field is all done on
a time basis. In making a charge
from a trench. the artillery and in
fantry work 'gether, the artillery
lifting the curtain of fire as the in
fantry advances. Inasmuch as the in
fantry and artillery cannot at all times
the whole thing on time basis, and
so the matter of a few seconds or the
after of few watches being early
or late may cause the loss of our
own men. Watch makers are in great
demand at all times.
Animal trainers are used in many
ways, the handling of the dogs that
now work with the Red Cross and
hospital units and in training the
pigeons and other animals used in
various ways to carry messages and
do other kinds of work in the field.
Men who have had experience in
shipping may be t-rned into one that
could give valuable information in
loading a boat. Those that have beer
construction workers may be able tC
give assistance in the work or a like
work in the front or elsewhere.
Photographers, motion picture meI
and artists can be used to great ad-
vantage in accommodating. In fact
every vocation that is essential to civil
life can be used in some important
place in the army AMI it is desired tC
place every man where he can do the
most good and where he will natural
ly be most satisfied.
Every department must move by
itself and not be necessitated to de
pend on any other part for assist
ance. In this connection the change:
of men from one company to another
will sooner or later begin for it i:
desired to get the men of each voca
ton in one particular place.