Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1918-08-20
Labor Distribution
to be Controlled

an important step in connection with
the control" of the distribution" of
labor, so far as war industries are con-
cerned, and even the drafting" of la
Dor from non-essential into essential
economic significance and we print
herewith letter received the last of
July from the U. S. Employment Serv-
ice, Department of Labor:
On August ], the supplying of war
industries with common labor will be
centralized in the U. S. Employment
Service of the Department of Labor,
and all Independent recruiting of com
mon labor by manufacturers having |
payroll of more than 100 men will |
be diverted to the u. S. Employment |
Service. This is in accordance with |
the decision of the War Labor Poll
cies Board and approved by the Presi-
dent on June II. (The War Labor
Policies Board is composed of repre-
sentatives of the War, Navy, and Ag-
ricultural Departments, the Shipping
Board and the Emergency Fleet Cor
poration, the War Industries Board,
and the Food, Fuel, and Railroad Ad-
ministrations. It's chairman is Felix
Frankfurter, assistant to the secretary
of labor.)
The above action was found neces-
sary to overcome a perilous shortage
of unskilled labor in war industries.
This shortage was aggravated by an
almost universal practice of labor
stealing and poaching.
While the restrictions against the
private employment of labor apply
only to common labor at the present
time, these restrictions will, as soon
as possible, be extended to include
cruiting of skilled labor for war pro-
duction will be subject to federal reg
ulations now being prepared.
This drastic change in the nations
labor program has been found neces-
sary in order to protect the employer
and the employed, to conserve the la
Dor supply of the communities and to
cut down unnecessary and expensive
labor turnover (Which, in some cases,
is as high as 100 per cent a week.
and to increase the production of es-
sentials.
While non-essential industries will
be drawn upon to supply the neces-
sary labor for war work, the with
! drawal will be conducted on an equita.
2 BILE basis in order to protect the indi
Y vidual employer as much as possible
Under the operating methods adopt
ed, the country has been divided into
thirteen federal districts, each district
: in charge of a superintendent of the
u. S. Employment Service. The states
!, within each district are in turn il
charge of a state director, who has full
control of the service within his state
In each community there is beinl
+ formed local community labor board
q consisting of a representative of thu
: U. S. Employment Service, a repre-
+ sentative of employers and a repre-
sentative of the employed This boart
S will have jurisdiction over recruiting
+ and distributing labor in its locality.
survey of the labor requirement
is being made, and in order that eacl
! community may be fully protected
rulings have been issued that no labo
shall be transported out of any CON
= munity by the U. S. Employment Sery
: ice without the approval of the stat
- director; nor shall any labor be re
moved by the service from one stat
to another without the approval O
the U. S. Employment Service a
Washington. Every effort will b
., made to discourage any movement
u from community to community O
state to state by any other service.
, This labor program has the al
% proval of all producing department
Of the government, through the Wa
Labor Policies Board.
1t must be understood that farm Ii
=, Dor will be protected, for the indu
trial program distinctly includes sp
~ cal efforts to keep the farmer SUI
piled with labor.
The requirement that unskilled
Dor must be recruited through IL
sole agency of the u. S. Employmei
lie Service does not at present apply
IT, the following five cases:
rs ]. Labor which is not directly
to indirectly solicited.
&c .. Labor for the railroads.
e 3. Farm labor-to be recruited
III accordance with existing arrangemel
~ with Department of Agriculture.
e 4. Labor for non-war work.
10 3. Labor for establishments who's
IL maximum force does not exceed 100.
49, When the survey of labor requir
=, ments has been made and the aggr
- gate demand for unskilled labor
- war work is found, each state will
y, assigned a quota, representing Il
- common labor to be drawn fro
ID among men engaged in non-essenti
~ industries in that state.
i. These state quotas will in turn
- distributed among localities. With