The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1918-08-03
LABOR PLANS FAR-REAcHING
Most Drastic Government Action
Since Passage of Draft Law.

Since Passage of Draft Law.
Washington, D. c. July 20, 1918.
Editor Chief:
! We beg to direct your attention to
the plans of the u. S. Employment
| Service, and to the great effect which
| this program will have upon the in
dustrial life of the nation.
| On August the supplying of war
industries with common labor will
fbe centralized in the u. S. Employ
ment Service Of the Department of
Labor, and all independent recruit
ing of common labor bv manufac-
turers having a payroll of more than
100 men will be diverted to the u. S.
Employment Service. This is in ac-
cordance with the decision of the
War Labor Policies Board and ap-
proved by the president on June II.
(The War Labor Policies Board is
composed of representatives of the
war, navy, and agricultural depart
ments, the shipping board and the
emergency fleet corporation, the war
industries board, and food, fuel, and
railroad administrations. Its chair
man is Felix Frankfurter, assistant
to the secretary of labor).
The above action was found neces-
sary to overcome perilous shortage
of unskilled labor in war industries.
This shortage was aggravated by an
almost universal practice of labor
stealing and poaching.
While the restrictions against the
private employment of labor apply
only to common labor at the present
time, these restrictions will, as soon
as possible, be extended to include
skilled labor In the meantime, re-
cruiting of skilled labor for war pro-
duction will be subject to federal
regulations now being prepared.
This drastic change in the nations
labor program has been found neces-
sary in order to protect the employer
and the employed, to conserve the la
Dor supply of the communities and to
cut down unnecessary and expensive
labor turnover (which, in some cases,
is as high as 100 per cent a week. !,
and to increase the production OF es-
|sentials. q,
While non-essential industries will
be drawn upon the supply the neces-
sary labor for war work, the with
drawal will be conducted en- an
equitable basis il order to protect
the individual employer as much as
possible. s,
Under the operating methods
adopted, the country has been ,iivsd-
cd into thirteen federal districts,
each district in charge of a superln-
tendent oil. the u. S. Employment Ser
vice. The states within each district
are in turn in charge Of q state #dl-
rector, who has full control OF the
service within his state
III eacI. community there is being
fornaed local carnm al1or
fl,oard, consisting of represent tive
81 the S. Employment Service, q
representative Of employers and q, "a t.
representative Of the employed. rms
board will have jurisdiction over re- re-
eruiting and distributing labor IN us
locality.
A survey Of the labor requirements
| is being made, and in order that each
community may be fully protected
rulings have been issued that no Ia
thor shall be transported out OF any
community by the q. S. Empioym ent
Service without the approval OF the
state director; nor shall any labor be
removed by the service from one
state to another without the approval
Of the u. S. Employment Service at
Washington. Every effort will pc
tmade to discourage any movements
from, community = community OF
state to state by any other service.
/ This labor program has the ap.
proval of all producing departments
of the government, through the Wal
Labor Policies Board.
/ It must be uderstood that farm Ia
=lDor will be protected, for the indus.
1 trial program distinctly includes spe.
/ ciaI efforts to keep the farmer sup
j olied with labor.
/ The requirement that unskiiled Ia
li;or must be recruited through the