Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-10-31
FEDERAL SERVICE
ONLY LABOR SOURCE
FOR NEXT 60 DAYS
Representatives of Industries Take
Drastic Means to Cope
With Situation.
HIRING AT GATE TO END

/ What Is regarded as the most drastic
measure takep IN any State to cope with
| the vexing and serious labor situation
| materiali1cd last night when 300 repre-
| spntativCS ot Delaware industrial con
| Germs assembled IN Eden Hall upon invita-
i tion ot the Community l.ahor Board
and the directors of the nited States
! Employment Service and the Public
. Service Reserve decided that for period
of SIXTY days. beginning at such time -
may hc designated hN the community
| Board every industrial establishment m
| this district shall ccasc hiring at the gate
but shall secure All skilled and unSkIllcd
! labor only through the United States
Employment Service
The move was only taken after cX-
haustivc discussion during which voices
were raised in doubt rs to the advisahility
and effectiveness Of the idea but at the
end there was not a dissenting vote
The matter must now ~ before the
Director General OF the | nitcd states
Employment Service for his approval
before the Community Board has power
10 act upon tho suggestion hc approval
of the Director General Il lS thought Will
H. promptly gwen. as the need for more
help ir the local war plants i m"st vital
and only the most drastic action. u Is
sand, viii bc able 10 provide the help
needed
Another decision of equal Importance
which the Community RwArd announced
its Intention If enforcing. is the requiring
of laborcrs applying for work 20 show
proper release signed by their previous
employer This action i intended e
sreak UP the practice 81 men drifting
from one Iob io another
AIR. EE>KHART SPEAKS.
Charles Warner, state Director OF the
| nIted States Public Service Reserve,
stated the object of the meeting and called
upon 4 G. Pcnkhart State Director Of
the United States Employment Service,
to take the chair
Mir. Renkhart briefly outlined the
cause al the present labor shortage,
attrihuting the greater part u il 60 the
enormous labor turnover gong ON day ny
dav IN this citv. which il has seemed
impossible heretofore 20 check He re-
fcrrcd to the enormous GROWTH Of the
[ nited States Employment Service IN
this city during he past year and promised
a most hearty cooperation with the
industrial establishments nj the procure
ment OF Iaborers and holding the same.
service. SAID Mir l5enkhart Is
the slogan Of the nIted states I'm.
pIovrneut Service. and this we offer YOU
What we most need now - - greater
cooperation and the gradual elimination
Of the labor turnover
David SnellenDug chairman Of Com
munty Labor Board No l. spoke Of the
recruiting of common Iabcr by taking
from the less essentials for war work,
and of many of the difficulties encountered
in the task set them He urged that all
employment Al the gate cease for a
certain period and that every one in need
,f help should try the experiment OF
applying 10 the lnlted States Employ
ment Service for II.
HOW IT WORKS N NEw CASTLE.
! Wesley Morris chairman Of the
Community Labor Board Of New Castle.
told Of the success with which the manu-
facturers Of New Castle had met by the
adoption Of the plan suggested last night
The ONLY drawback TO their successful
operation had been due To the fact that
Wilmington was still hiring At the gate
and thus had drawn many 81 their
euplovee to this city Mess Whining
ton abandoned the practice New Castle
would necessarily De compelled a. return
TO the same methods that prevail here
G. - Garretson a member oi the
community Labor Board representing
the employers. frankly stated that the
manufacturer did not like The prospect.
bnt there seemed tu rc no other way out
az the difficulty Of securing labor than by
giving the United States Employment
Service chance to Show what it could do