South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-12-30
URGE SYSTEM OF
LABOR EXCHANGES
{ Effective Mobilization OF
Workers to Meet War
Needs, Essential.

Dor exchanges. centering in the fed
eral government, as a pressing war
necessity. was urged by the Ameri-
can Association for Labor Legisia-
tion. meeting Jointly with the Amer
lean Economic association and the
American Farm management asso-
citation at the University of Penn
syIvania amphitheater.
Effective mobilization Of the la
Dor supply 20 meet wars demands
upon factory and farm was urged
Ly Henry II, Seager, secretary Of
the United States shipbuilding ad-
iustment board. Prof. NJ. b. Ham
mond of Ohio state university. and
T. v. Wilcox Of the United States
department Of agriculture
Industrial Army InEortant.
Quite as important as mobiliz-
Ing the actual army is modifying
the Industrial army needed for the
production OF the food, munitions,
aeroplanes and ships we must have
20 win the war" declared Prof.
tnEAHE- VI AAAf OAAE VIC AftAFE C
sorted 10 the draft: for the other,
we must rely upon the appeal Of
wages fairly adjusted to higher 1iv-
Ing costs. Of decent and safe work
ing conditions and Of patriotism.
To these the hundreds OF thousands
Of workers needed will respond
provided machinery is created TO
connect them with the war indus
tries This calls for an efficient CO.
ordination OF federal. state and mu-
hicipal public employment bureaus.
Essential features Of such a plan,
according to Prof. Seager, are the
expaus on Of the federal employ
ment service under a director so
appointed as 20 be the official en-
ployment agent Of our war indus
tries. hearty cooperation on the
part Of the state and municipal en-
plCyment bureaus with the federal
system unified and strengthened by
federal agent i'm aid of these bu-
reaus. and the establishment of in
terstate clearing houses 70 draw to-
Eether wherever needed all OF the
labor resources Of the count.
Through such a system, and
only through such system" he
said. "can il poe determined wheth-
er we have plenty of workers for
the war Industries as is claimed by
Ilbor leaders. or whether wholesale
dilution of labor through the en-
rIoyment OF uuskilled men or wom-
ON and Of children. i'm place Of skill
.fr f.r- a
employers will he necessary"
cite Example of England.
How England erappled with the
problem OF the distribution of labor
when war broke out and the "chiei
means lay which this problem has
found "a solution" was discussed by
Prof Hammond. When the war
is over and a review Of the means
10y which victory was secured is
possible" ne said i'm his address on
lessons from English war expert
ence i'm the employment of labor, Il
Venture 20 say that there is no
piece OF pre-war administrative ma
Chinery for which Great Britain viii
DE more grateful than for her sys-
tenn cf labor exchanges"
Although fortified with an eff
Cient employment service system az
The outset England was neverthe-
less confronted on every hand with
problems Of labor mo, ''zatiOn sim
liar TO those now dIs1u. Sing the
United States. according 70 Prof
Hammond. including women's ad-
vent into mems occupations" the
the lighting fOrces-and the neces-
sity OF Withdrawing them later %
assist in the output OF munitions
the maintenance Of protective
standards in the interest both of
human conservation and Of maxi
mum and sustained output. trade
agreements between the govern
ment and the labor unions and the
encouragement of voluntary service
on the part or the industrial army
rather than the adoption Of meas
ures OF compulsion.
1T is obvious" concluded Prof
Hammond in summarizing Eng
lands war emergency measures for
industrial strength. that every
thing which tends to conserve our
Industrial efficiency is as important
as a means 20 the end-the winning
OF the war-as that which promotes
military efficiency"
Farmers Considered. Too.
II farmers are &C secure neCes-
sary help I'm planting and harvest
ing seasons TO insure feeding the
world" according 20 Mr. Wilcox,
efforts must he promptly directed
toward effective labor placement so
that the full man power Of the ma
lion may be available for both man
ufacturing and agriculture
Further appeal was made for n
nationwide employment service In
the discussion by Charles e
Barnes. director OF the New York
state bureau OF employment: Rex
r Willard OF the United States de-
partment OF agriculture, Morris l.
Ernst. manager of the New York
state clearing house for employment
offices. and Frank App OF the New
Jersey Agricultural college