Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1918-12-25
FRANCE HAS MORE
men THAN JOBS
Returning Army to Civil Life
Brings Problems Unlike
Those in U. S.
WORKSHOPS Are WIPED out
Labor REIMBURSEMENT Is Subject OF
Greater Importance in France
Than in Any Other Bel
ligerent Country.

Paris.-Readjustme of labor after
rehabilitation looms as the biggest
after-the-war question in France.
A committee of members of the
French chamber of deputies has Off
cially asked the government what
steps toward labor reconstruction are
to be taken.
Appointment of a commission to
study the question has just been an
nounced.
Labor readjustment is a subject of
greater Importance in France than in
any other belligerent country-outside
of Belgium, perhaps-because so many
factories and commercial enterprises
have been destroyed by the war.
Workshops Are Wiped Out.
When the soldiers are demobilized
great number will not be able to
return to the work in which they were
engaged before the war. Their work
shops have been wiped out.
Many others who have been en-
plOyed on war work in munitions
plants will be thrown out of employ
ment For such concerns will have to
shut down while they adapt them
selves, many of them slowly, to
peace-time line of manufacture.
Another class of men, who have
been away at the front four years,
will find no places open because they
have been replaced by other labor
women, in numerous cases.
The government faces the problems
of having more men on it's hands than
it has jobs. A quick solution Is i'm
perative, according to the view of
prominent labor leaders.
Every other country except France
has thought about this matter" said
Emmanuel Brousse, French deputy
and member of the newly appointed
labor adjustment commission.
Britain has been working on the
labor question for long time. Twen-
ty-five commissions composed of spe-
cialists in various lines have prepared
a solution.
Germany had its after-war program
definitely mapped out. First the men
who in civil life were engaged in such
occupations as technical, commercial,
Industrial, financial and transport
were to be freed from army service.
Other kinds of workmen were to be
demobilized successfully.
| France must not lose a moment in
mapping out its labor readjustment
plan. Otherwise there will be social
! catastrophe"
Labor leaders in France point also
to the preparations in America fol
! distributing farming land to demobil
lied soldiers. But they remark that
this method of finding something fol
the ex-soldier to do is closed to the
| French.
Land Cultivated intensiveIy.
France has no vast unoccupied lands
as the United States has, except In its
northern African colonies. All Of
| France is cultivated intensively, leav
| ing none for reclamation by demobil
lied soldiers. And it Is calculated
that few will want to iea-e their owl
country for the purpose Of colonial
ton.
G. Fl. Roberts, British minister O
labor, recently discussed this subjec
before an audience of British soldier
at the British Army and Navy Leav'
club in Paris.
The British minister said temporal
lily unemployment difficulties of demo
blllzed soldiers would be met by
free out-of-work donation covering
period of II months after discharge
This will be additional to the month
furlough given each man on his dis
charge, during which time pay and a
lowances are to be continued.
The skilled workman among BIRTHS
soldiers, Roberts said, is safeguards
by the munitions of war act. givin
him the assurance of reinstatement |
employment. Committees. he salt
would establish employment agencie
in all cities and everything possibl
would be done to make labor resettl
ment as speedy and smooth as poss
bic.