The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-25
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM A TON
BUREAU
THE JoRPR PROBLEM.
Washington, d. C

Washington, D. c., Dec. 22-Tne
fact that many discharged American
soldiers, sailors and war workers are
loafing about the streets of the large
cities, with6u. tobs or even prospects
of jobs, has aroused the government
! to the need Of special employment
system to take care of a situation that
is rapidly developing into a serious
problem.
After several conferences, the fed
eral employment service of the de-
partment of labor, the council OF ma
tional defense and the united war
workers have combined to form sort
of employment net thru which it will
be next to impossible for. any soldier,
sailor or war worker inadvertently to
slip.
Take the case of the soldier. No
man will be permitted to leave a de-
mobilization camp without thoro in
strucefon and advice as to the employ
ment opportunities awaiting him on
his return to his home town. First,
representative of the united war work.
ers will explain them to him, talk over
his abilities with him and attempt to
guide him to a congenial job. Second.
a representative of the United States
employment service will talk to him;
go over the list of employment oppor-
tunities IN his particular section of the
country with him, and try to fit him
into one of them.
Suppose that before the war a man
has been plumber in Milwaukee His
! natural inclination would be to go
bafk to Milwaukee and plumbing. But
the employment service agent may
know that Milwaukee has all the
plumbers it can possibly keep busy.
and his duty therefore Is to advise
the man either to accept some othor,
form of employment in Milwaukee or
to go to some other town which is
desperately in need of plumbers.
But how, you may ask, does the
employment service agent obtain this
detailed knowledge of what is needed
in various cities? The answer is that
! the employment service of the depart
ment of labor has kept its finger on
the pulse of industry for the past
three years, and knows accurately
what the opportunities for employ
| ment are in all sections of the coun-
try. Such information as 1t does not
| happen to have. it is now gathering.
boards. composed each of one repre-
| sentative of employers, one represen-
tative of labor and ope representative
of the service. 1t also maintains $50
| employment officers, and has staff of
volunteer agents in various places. In
| addition to these facilities, 1t is now
| opening bureaus for returning SOL,
diers, sailors and war workers in
every city and town in the United
| States.
These bureaus are under the direc-
| ton of the community labor boards,
Ewherever there are such boards, and
under the direction of the community
council of defense where there is no
(; community labor board. Each bureau
is to have a bureau manager and
| working staff. Its duty is to canvass
its locality for employment oppor-
tunit.es and to tabulate <hen This
4 f<- -
ployment agent at the rehabilitation
camp whenever he writes for infor-
nation, and in return the employment
| agent may furnish the bureau with
the army record of applicant. whose
name has been submitted for a posi-
| ton. In this way the bureau is in
| direct touch with every rehabilitation
/ camp, and the government is in touch
| with both. 1t has its forces working
on every soldier in camp, and equally
strong forces working on the employ
ers in the mans home town. All the
man has to do is to apply to his local
| bureau for returning soldiers, sailors
and war workers when he goes home,
and he 10 almost certain to find a job
waiting for him.
This much the government has
done. The rest must be done by each
community and each family. A GER
tain responsibility rests upon the COM
men who have gone to war to insure
its peace and prosperity.
I 1t is the duty of every community"
says the department of labor, ito see
that every possible opportunity is
given to them to- get jobs-and the
best jobs for which they are qualified.
These men gave up their work at the
country's call without hesitation. To
some of them their old positions are
open; with others, such is not the case
Still others have acquired new pur-
pose and strength and in many cases
new skill. which fits them for better
work than they did formerly. 1t is
both national and a community duty
to see that, as they come back, every
thing Is done to enable them to return
to the position in which they can do
the most effective work"
A certain responsibility also rests
upon mans family, which should
encourage and ,aid him in getting
work. The government, thru the
Woman's committee Of the council of
national defense. is seeking the sup
port of every mother, wife and sister
in this important phase Of reconstruct
ton. For experience has shown that
1t is hard for a returning soldier to
settle down to the routine of a work.
ing life. After the Civil war many
!, men were out Of work for two or three
4 years, and some men who had made
particularly good soldiers. absolutely
refused to accept civilian jobs.
Psychologists inform us that a GER
, tain amount of difficulty in settling
2 down to work II to be expected of q
large proportion of our discharged
soldiers and sailors. When q man is
in camp or aboard ship he lives a rela-
: lively irresponsible existence. While
, he is called upon to work hard. and
must sleep, eat and amuse himself ac-
cording to army regulations, he is re-
iieved of the responsibility of provid.
' ing for himself and family. He does
. not even have to decide what proper
. ton of his income shall be melted out
to his wife. The government decides
1t for him. This fact that nearly every
: action he PERFORMS is in obedience to