The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-27
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
IN OR RIM A TON
Blu REAU
FREDERIC j. HASKIN. Director.
Washington, D. c.
|sELECTIyE SERVICE FOR LABOR
Washington, D. c.

newspapers, SO far as its relation to Ia
Dor in war industries is concerned
This will be the result of President
Wilson's recent order centralizing the
recruiting and distribution of workers
in the United States employment SER
vice. Hereafter no employer, engaged
in war contracts, may seek his own
help. As much help as he may have,
without handicapping other war manu-
facturers, will be procured and sup
piled to him by the government.
This action has been made impera-
tive by critical situation. The war in
dustries of this country are now short
tabout 100000 unskilied laborers. AL
most as great A.shortage exists in re-
gard to skilled workmen. In one plant
alone-a plant working on the manu-
facture of heavy caliber guns-there
is need for more than 2,000 machin-
lists.
There are three large contributing
causes to this state of affairs. The
working of the selectiYe draft took
large numbers of workers, skilled and
unskilled, from the labor market, and
placed them in the, ranks of the ma
tional army. The almost complete
cessation of immigration since the out
break of the European war in 1914
also added materially to the shortage,
since perhaps a third of our unskilled
laborers have been recruited from the
foreign born. Following these losses
and partly as a result of them, came
competitive bidding for labor or la
Dor poaching" among the industries,
resulting in the constant shifting of
workmen from plant to plant This
shifting has robbed many of the most
essential war industries of mel, and
has produced in the workers, a rest
lessness great ydetrimental to their
efficiency.
The government believes. that, with
the adoption of the Capitalization pol
icy, the distribution of labor can be
controlled, and confusion and unrest
| eliminated.
For the time being the policy in
its entirety will app only to the un-
skilled or common laborers but
sooner or later it will be extended to
embrace all skilled trades and crafts.
This will come. probably, immediate
| ly after the unskilled labor problem
has been satisfactorily adjusted. BY
the end Of the year employment de-
partments and agencies under private
control will have ceased to exist for
| as long as the war lasts. and perhaps
forever. Already employers have
been forbidden to compete openly for
skilled labor.
The undertaking is delicate as
well as a. stupendous one, and each
| new step by the government will oe
taken with the greatest care. Both
|
| a considerable latitude at first. No
employer will be compelled to accept
Internationally the workmen sent 10
| him by the employment service; nor
will he be restrained from hiring men
who come to him of their own accord.
The laborer, on his side, will not be
| urged to aece work he does not de-
sire He may take or leave the job
| offered him by the government. In
the second event the employment serv-
Ice will endeayor to find him job
ore suited to his tastes. No black
lists have been made; nor will laborers
| be sent to plants where strikes are
| under way. No other restraint than
sense of duty will be used to keep the
| laborer>in his place.
But pr mpt punishment is promised
for the employer who willfully vio-
lates theSedict of government I'M re-
gard to soliciting labor. All reported
violations will be carefully investi-
gated and, if the facts of the case war
rant, the supply of materials to the
| offending concern will be stopped or
curtailed, and, by arrangement with
| the fuel administrator, the, allowance
of coal will be held UP. Publicity of
| the most "pitiless' sort will be given
to the corporations or individuals con-
victed of disobeying the order.
| Labor will be supplied to industries
according to a priority list similar to
| the one used by the railroad admins
| tration- last winter. This will not be
hard and fast rule, however. for the
relative importance of industries
varies with~changes in the war situa-
| ton. Thus, tho ordnance is always
| badly needed. the need for one sort of
ordnance may be more imperative at
| one time han another. AS far as
possible, local labor demands will be
met with the local labor supply. Where
| the supply is inadequate for all needs
| 1t will be distributed among employers
| requiring comparatively small num-
bers of vTorkmen. The larger re-
quirements will be filled with work.
men transported from other states.
The method of handling the labor
supply problem has been worked out
| on a plan somewhat similar in opera
ton to the machinery of the selective
| draft All of the recruiting and dis
tribution will be conducted by agents
of the public service reserve, the re-
cruiting wing of the employment
service. N this they will be assisted
| by local CONF unity labor boards and
| state labor boards. The apportion-
ment will be made by boards, de-
| termined by the United States employ
ment service and approved by the war
labor policies board. so as to insure
fair contribution to war work from all
parts of 80 country, and to prevent
4 any community from being unduly
drained. The total demand has been
divided among the various states and
each will -ubdivide its quota among its
| variou' committees Estimates have
| already been made as to how great
proportion of the working force of
the vario1I states have been drawn
into war industries, and as to how
much unskilled labor is engaged in
non-war industries. Quotas will be
| revised and restated every two
months.
The demand for labor is being de-
termined mostly thru orders for
workmen and thru estimates of fu
ture requirements. A careful check
| on the demands and estimates Is be-
ing kept by the local boards. Firms
have been known to call for 1000
men week when they could not put
| more than 100 to work. Then, too,
the emploXer engaged in mon lessen