Evening star., 1918-07-02
MOVING MEN FROM
WAR PLANTSEVl
Workmen Must Come From
Non-Essential industries,
Nathan Smythe Says.
EXPLOITATION IS CITED

ExPlUI IIAIUN - GtcU
Constant moving Of workmen from
one war plant to another must be
stopped and more manpower must be
recruited from non essential occupa-
tons for war Industries if the United
states is to win the war, Nathan
smythe. acting assistant director of
tho United States employment service.
told n group OF newspaper publishers
at conference here today.
The conference was called by the
heads Of the employment service to
discuss with the publishers the meth
DDS to be pursued by the employment
service when 1t takes over on August
1 the big task of doing all the re-
cruiting of non-skilled labor for war
Plans of Campaign.
After a brief Introductory talk by
John B. Densmore. director general
of the service, Mr.. Smythe related
details Of what the service proposes
to do in It's recruiting campaign.
Mr.. Smythe declared that the first
evil which the service must set out
to correct Is the competitive recruit
ing now going on between plants en-
gagged on war work. This competi-
ton. he said, has kept laboring men
jumping to first one plant and then
another by the lure Of a higher sal
ary or other inducement.
smyth continued, has created a
serious condition in the labor sit
uation, which, ii not Immediately cor
rected, will impair the effectiveness
of the governments war preparations.
Two Cases Are Cited.
To show the necessity for centralized
of labor by the government,
Mr.. Smythe cited two cases in which
he said the United States employment
service had found private individuals
in the south exploiting workingmen
by transporting them in trainloads
lecting a fee both from the workman
and the factory. In one case. he said,
the individual had even shipped the
men back to the first plant again aftsr
collecting the commission fee from the
plant to which he had taken them.
The United States employment serv-
ice, he said. will not attempt TO
mobilize skilled labor at the outset,
but on and after August the service
will endeavor to pool in one reservoir
all Of the available skilled labor of
the country, idle and engaged in nom
essential occupations, and then a1lot
them in the proportions In which they
s~I ,l~
States Holding Laborers.
The employment service has found.
he continued, that the various states
have endeavored to prevent 1aborers
war plants in other states. thereby
upsetting state Industries. Under. the
services plan, with all
private recruiting under government
control, Mr.. Smythe said the service
will be able to take a fair quota
vent the injustice of taking more un-
skilled laborers from one state than
from another.
He indicated that later on the serv-
ice will take over the recruiting Of
skilled labor. except that state quotas
for skilled labor will have to be ar
rived at differently, because of the
greater demand for this kind OF labor.
Must Stop Private Recruiting.
Mr.. Smythe said the War Depart
ment, Navy Department, shipping
board and other government depart
ments will notify all factories hold
ing government contracts that after
August 1 they must stop private re-
for unskilled labor and de.
pend upon the employment service for
the help they need. This order, the
service believes. will at least put q
stop to the labor turnover, even II II
the number of men they require.
Such retaliatory measures as cut.
ing off coal supplies and refusing to
give priority to the shipment OF ma.
terials will be taken by the govern
nent against any factory that de-
,lines to cooperate with the employ
ment service in its efforts to distrib-
Smythe asserted.
Cooperation Of Press Needed.
After a survey of the general re-
plan by Mr.. Smythe, other
cessity Of having the cooperation Of
the newspapers OF the country IN
making the work OF the employment
service a success by regulating ad-
that would conflict with
what the government is trying to &C.
William E. Hall, head Of the United
States Public Service Reserve, and Mr..
Densmore told the publishers present
that a set OF regulations would bs
prepared between now and August /,
which the service would call upon
newspapers to follow in accepting ad.
vertisement for laborers wanted.
Mr.. Densmore invited the publishers
to express their views on the pro-
posed regulations. and a lengthy in
formal discussion OF the problem fol-
lowed.
Publishers Heard.
A number OF publishers told the off,
cials present that they believed 1t
would be wiser to allow plants that
need men to advertise for themselves
under government supervision tnan
TO insert advertisements asking men
to apply at a United States employ.
ment service office.
These publishers pointed out that
an advertisement which does not
specify where the job exists leaves
the workingman dubious as to the
use Of applying to an employment
agency. On the other hand, the pub
fishers contended. IL the name OF the
plant is mentioned In the ad the la
borer realizes there is a job open
and goes direct to the plant.
Mr.. Densmore promised to give
careful consideration to all the sus-
gestions made by the publishers be-
tions.