Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-03
$4,000 WORKERS
= NEEDED AT ONCE
Philadelphia In d u S t ries
Alone Ask $4,000 Men,
$4,000 Women
HOPE FOR ADJUSTMENT
U. S. Employment Service Ad-
mits Labor Situation in
State Is Acute

7 With acquisitions already in from
Philadelphia war industries alone call
ing for $4,000 unskilled male laborers
and 10000 women workers, who are
urgently needed to begin work Monday,
only two counties in the State reported
a surplus of labor today to the head
quarters here of the United States EN-
ployment Service for Pennsylvania.
officials of the employment service.
while admitting the labor situation in
| almost every part of the State is acute
and that no immediate remedy is in
sight, are hopeful that. after n few days
more of operation, they will have so
organized the available labor supply that
an adequate adjustment can be effected.
York and Lancaster were the two
| counties reporting a labor surplus in
certain lines. York County has a few
more corpenters, clerks hlacksmiths and
machinists than it's industries need, while
Lancaster County has a surplus only in
| the supply of lathe men and saleswomen
From every other county demands for
all kinds of labor continue to grow.
Pittsburgh and Altoona were making
telegraph and telephone wires hot with
calls to the nearest Federal employment
Offices for miners. They do not require
have had previous experience and can
use an almost unlimited number at the
highest union scale of wages
Women Workers in Demand
The demand for women workers in all
sections of the country, and particularly
in the Middle West. is especially strong.
Thousands of women can be used in that
section. and in most instances employers
are willing to advance transportation
through the employment service. Penn
sylvania, unable at present to fill it's own
needs foS women workers. could give no
assistance to other States today in sup
plying that class of labor.
Under readjustment effected this
afternoon between the employment serv-
| ice and employers engaged in war
work. the latter will be permitted to
advertise for labor after a prescribed
! form, as representatives of the en-
! ployment service, but not as individual
employers Such advertising will refer
| all applicants to the Federal employ
ment office nearest to the prospective
employers. High wage inducements and
| other advantages over competitive en-
ployers will be barred from the ad-
vertisements.
Farmers Not Forgotten
In an open letter to the farmers of
! Pennsylvania, who are said to be having
great difficulty in obtaining sufficient
labor to harvest their crops, +. r.
Stevens. agricultural director of the
State Chamber of Commerce. assured
them today that their problem "is being
kept contantly in mind and that they
are not forgotten.
During the coming year" continued
Mr. Stevens, there may even be a de-
crease in the number of farm hands
that are employed for eight or twelve
months, but there will be more than a
| corresponding increase in supply Of helm
i during the season when it is really
needed Mr.. Stevens pointed out that
the Federal community labor boards in
each district have the power to close
the less essential industries during the
period Of greatest farm activity and tc
place their employees upon the farms al
the time needed"
Camden and Newark today made q
requisition for fifty young men. prefer
ably college men, to work as checkers
on the trolley lines in those cities, al
Sl4O month. Application should be
made through the employment office fol
college men at the University of Penn
sylvania, of which c. II. Chermap is ir
charge. Another requisition for check
ers came to the headquarters of the EN-
ployment service from a lumber concerI
at Thurlow. Pa, below Chester, which |,
offering $40 week for this work
One additional Federal employmen
bureau was opened today at 47O3 Frank
ford avenue, making the total in PhiIa
delphia thus far twelve.