Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-19
LABOR SUPPLY
NOT DEPLETED
Demand for Women Workers in
Chicago District Is About
Normal.
SHORT OF SCHOOl-TEACHERS
No Shortage of Farm Help in
Middle West and North
west
OF SCHOOL-TEACHERs
tBy Associated Press.1

dustrial manpower has not suffered n
serious depletion as result OF the
United States first year in ;he world
war so far as indicated in recent sur
veys of the general labor situation
conducted by the United States En-
ployment Service and the Illinois Free
Employment Bureau. Except in GER
tain skilled trades these bureaus find
there is no marked shortage OF labor.
the chief problem at present being dis
tribution.
The labor turnover SO far this year
has been greater than in previous
years. This is attributed to some ex-
tent TO unusual opportunities for in
dividual betterment offered by plants
working on war contracts
On average 100000 persons are
obtaining employment through the
Chicago district Office OF the Federal
bureau as compared with a total of
$4,000 during the last fiscal year. This
huge increase is accounted for by the
recent reorganization Of the bureau
for service as the national machinery
for the mobilization and distribution
Of the country's labor. AS such IL has
handled the applications OF hundreds
of thousands Of workers registering
with the Public Service Reserve. in
GLIDING more than 100000 mechanics
for shipbuilding.
A system OF daily surveys shows the
bureaus were the greatest shortages or
surpluses exist, and with this infor
nation IL is able to make economic
distribution. Manufacturers are being
urged to use the government agency
as far as possible in order to reduce
the labor turnover and uneconomic
competition between Industries essen
tial to the war.
At the State employment bureau
5000 persons sought work in March,
and there. too, the demand is in about
equal balance with the supply, except
In few trades. Positions were found
for nearly all the applicants.
The demand for women workers is
sa id TO be about normal only in
few isolated cases have they replaced
men called to the colors. few plants
engaged on war contracts have en-
ployed large numbers OF women with
out difficulty.
MANY women teachers are said to be
leaving the school-room fer more re-
munerative employment, and the draft
has drawn so heavily upon the already
scant supply OF men teachers that sew
eral states report the situation alarm
ing for next year. A survey of thirty
seven States just completed by the pro-
fessional service division of the Fed
cral bureau shows that during the pres
ent school year West Virginia was
forced to close between $50 and 200
schools because OF the scarcity of teach
ers. In Montana and Wyoming. about
two dozen schools were closed for the
l.; IJ.p u ire
North Carolina. Delaware. Mississippi.
Alabama, New Mexico, South Dakota.
Wisconsin and Indiana report n mark
ed shortage The bureau has 700
teachers applications and coo vocan
cies listed. but a large percentage of
those seeking positions. It is pointed
out. are not oualified for work in the
departments where the greatest de-
fciency exists.
NEW DEPARTMENT TO
LOOK AFTER RAILROADS
To cope with what Is expected to be
an unprecedented railroad labor short
age later in the year, new depart
ment of the United States Employment
Service has been organized to handle
railroad labor for the Western re-
Eional district. BY order OF Director
General McAdoo. the railroads have
abolished their labor bureaus and the
government agency will recruit their
men. as we'll as direct the distribution.
In event Of m acute shortage of work
ers in maintenance of way departments.
1t is planned to suspend work not alb
solutely necessary and send men from
these locations to points where they
are more urgently needed. A great
~
left the roads because OF the higher
wages they can obtain in mines or fac
tories.
SO far, the farmers OF the Central
West and Northwest have had little
difficulty in finding enough help. Most
of them demand experienced hands. but
are being urged by employment Of
icials to accept more men from the
public service reserve. which consists
for the most part Of students. In a
few Western States the harvest labor
question is being taken up by commu-
mites. each community modifying
emergency workers to help near by
farmers. Mobile forces OF harvesters
are also being organized to begin with
the Kansas winter wheat harvest and
move northward through the Dakotas
and other Northwestern States where
the wheat is ready for cutting after
the Kansas harvest is over. These men.
with the hands available from the pub
lie service reserve, are expected to
furnish ample farm labor.
An innovation in the Federal EN-
plovmcnt Bureau is department or
ganized TO aid crippled soldiers re-
turning from the war. The committee
for the handicapped, private organi-
zation. has just been merged with the
service. 1T will list positions disabled
men can I'LL and help them re-estab-
lish themselves in civil life.