Evening star., 1918-06-02

union men. In Sucn cases we Wouiu
not send them non union workers.
union men in non-union shops.
1--WE are trying to get all of the war
work done, and well done and with as
little delay as possible. Therefore, we
are striving to avoid controversies and
anything else that will hinder this
nation in its stern business of whipping
the Huns. It should be remembered
that an American soldier in France re-
quires the help of two industrial work
ers just back of the trench or battle line
and four more in this country. SIX work
ers must support each soldier with their
labor. That is the proposition that
faces the United States employment
service We know how and where to
get the labor. and getting 1t and dis
tributing it is what concerns us most.
We have no energy to spare for other
matters.
"Turnovers alone keep US hustling.
When a certain number of men leave
their employment a turnover has taken
place The maximum turnover. of
course, would be 100 per cent. In that
case all the workers in mill would
have disappeared from one day to an
other.
One establishment had such an ex-
perience, which, with seventeen others
in the same region. was doing work for
the Army, Navy and shipping board
This plant lost all of its laborers in
side of twenty-four hours and all were
new men. They went to work one morn
During the day they learned that 40
cents was being paid by the seventeen
other employers in the neighborhood
They didn't report for duty the next DAY
and l was called into the case "
makes me boiling mad one manager
told me. TO give negroes and Italian
iaborers s32O for eight hours and then
time and a half for two hours extra.
That's s4.iO a day. he said. Why, he
went OF, 1 have worked and worked
hard for $50 a month
That was a long time ago., l re-
marked. L was district manager for a
telephone company then and received
SO a week. Things have gone up
my mother used to send me to the
butcher shop at Waterloo, Iowa, for a
quarters worth of beefsteak. We had
ten children in our family. There was
plenty of steak for all Of US. and often
the butcher would add two pounds of
liver fer good measure. Now liver Is
so cents q pound
Among laborers. Of course" Judge
Densnore continued. there is more or
less moving around and the turnover
as it was in the days before the war.
Employment agencies fiourished then
and many corporations depended on
them for their supply Of labor, skilled
and unSkilled.
1T was not to the interest of 2 labor
agent to fill mill or factory with
steady and capable men. VINO would
stick, you see, establish homes and
put money in the bank. The agent
consequently would do no more busi-
ness at that plant. So in time the
labor agent often became remark
ably as.ute Individual.
''Turnovers were his bread and meat.
Therefore he mixed misfits. agitators
and trouble makers into the groups
Of men that he sent to manufacturing
establishments. and they worked up
strikes and other difficulties. SO that
the labor agent could maintain his
business as going concern.
THE national government makes no
charge for placing men,. The en-
plnyer pays nothing. and the travel
expenses Of the men, when It Is nee
essary. ere met with public funds;
The money SO advanced is returned
by the men as IT. is earned. This ar
rangement is war measure. but
would be sound, 1t seems to me. in
time of peace.
"Our object is to send men to places
men. We are very conscientious in
that respect. If we can place an idle
man in a factory-idle through no
fault of his own-and If that man
then esta b1ishes a permanent home.
sends his children to school and him
self becomes an active and useful
member of the community. the gov
ernment has performed service for
that man. for his employer and for
society at large.
employers until recently had sew
cral ways by which they obtained
workmen- They depended on labor
agents to a large extent. Sometimes
they had agencies of their own. often
they advertised in the newspapers.
to their gates. look over the hoboes
standing around and choose the ones
who looked best. Such methods. for
economical. They promote discomfort
ond NOV ement. Ordinarily settled
man is happier than one who is con
stantly changing his location. Also
he Is more prosperous. Now the ma
tional government having made a
careful survey of the whole country is
in a position to help the individual
workers and the employers of labor.
"If a man. cannot find work in the
town where he lives. we will find 1t
for him in some town nearby. His
home is not broken up and he loses
neither time nor se1f-respect.
"The unequal distribution OF labor.
a surplus here and a shortage some-
where else, has caused our people to
think that the war has drained tbs
nation Of its workers. AS have said,
there is no shortage in our labor sup
ply. We have the men and can do the
work.
"Once Samuel Brown. a farmer near
, Chicken Bristle, Mo-, needing a hand.
of the grocery store. Half a. dozen
stalwart idlers. all chewing tobacco
sitting on barrels and boxes. would
gaze at him indinerently. He would
look them over and then beckon to
the one OF his choice.
Samuel Brown would drive home
with his hand, work him twenty-five
hours a day and pay him $12 a month.
Samuel Brown was satisfied with the
state of society. but not with the
quotations for corn. pork and cattle.
These commodities and others have
shot skyward since those good old
Brown finds the grocery empty and
complains bitterly.
"All the workers. he says, have
gone to the munition factories. Sam
uel Browns knowledge Is superficial
Farmers who pay from $50 to $40 a
| month. board and lodging included
are getting the help they require
Those who pay from SIS to $40 a
month are not. The Department OF
Labor has made thorough study OF