Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-08-25
WILL ORGANIZE
BOYSTOREPLACE
MEN GONE TO WAR
Head of Movement Spends
Hour in Harrisburg; Has
Great Possibilities

Many public-spirited and patriotic
men are giving generously of their
tline ana means for the prosecution
o. the war. Among these is William
y. hall, of New York City, a son of
tne late Senator j. X. p. Hall, of
mead OF the United States Boys
working Reserve, connected with the
department of Labor at Washington,
ana the scope of the work is coun-
try-wide.
Mr.. Hall spent q few hours in
Harrisburg last night and in a brief
interview with a Telegraph repre-
sehlauVe outlined the purpose and
plans OF his organization.
NO more comprehensive movement
10 conserve the labor of the United
states has ever been conceived. 1t is
SO eminently practical that many of
the most influential business men of
the country are cooperating in the
work. Mr.. Hall was chosen as head
OF the Boys Working Reserve be-
cause of his special fitness through
long experience as president of the
Boys Club Federation of the United
states and his service in the Belgian
Commission with Herbert c. Hoover.
He has large business interests, but
these have been subordinated to the
duties which he has assumed at
Washington.
There are now $4,000 city boys
at work on farms in New York" said
Mr.. Hall; 5000 in New Jersey, 5000
in Maryland and $4,000 such boys
ana sons of farmers busy in Wiscon-
sin. Appeals have come to us for
boys for the beet sugar fields of
Utah. for the canning sections of
Virginia and from other sections
where the labor shortage or the i'm
y NaAt tn To l.. l.
acute stage.
During Labor Day week we are
going to make a big drive in Penn
sylvania for $4,000. 1t is not our
purpose to disturb the schools We
shall encourage in every way Voca-
ional training-Camps will be estab-
lished for intensive training of boys
for work on the farms so that a
central camp shall be able to supply
labor for the territory in which it is
located. 1t is opr plan to cooperate
with Y. NJ. c. A. and other boy
leaders.
In the shortage of labor which is
coming-which already exists - the
boys must be the obvious supply.
These boys will be paid from $40 to
$50 month and as a further incen-
tive we are supplying badges which
bear the United States coat of arms
service stripes will be given from
year to year
This agricultural army which will
supplement the other forces that are
being mobilized for industrial and
general business purposes, will bring
into active service some millions of
helpers throughout the country. In
New York there are 43, 900 less farm
helpers than a year ago at this time
The exodus from farms to other in
dustries during the last year has been
II per cent.
I'VE have in the United States
about six million boys between the
ages of 16 and 21 and 1000, 900 are
idle or go into unproductive employ
ment. At first the farmers were op-
posed to our work; now they are call
inc for help.
"The Federal government has es-
tablished the Boys Working Reserve
so that there may be a unification
of all efforts. Because all of the
United States is at war as a nation
1t is imperative that any mobilizing
of labor to meet the war emergency
shall be a coordinate effort so that
the labor may be used at the point
where it is most vitally needed. 1t is
also highly important that we have
Uniform standards of employment.
We are building for a ---ar or --~nrs.
The factories and other industries
have steadily drained the fields of
labor until there must be some
organized effort to supply the deficit
While it is the intention of the Re-
serve to enroll for industry, as we'll
as agriculture. the most important
problem before us at the present time
is that of supplying boys to the
farm -