Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1918-10-16
DELAWARE LEADS
in LABOR ADVANCE
Official Shows What is Being
Accomplished Under
Federal Law
FUNCTIONS OF THE
BOARD OUTLINED

dent Of the United States Employment
Service. District No. 3, appears in the
current issue Of the U. S. Employment
] Service Bulletin:
Delaware may, perhaps, be recognized
throughout the United States as one OF
OF the smallest States, but the men and
women who abide in the historical
commonwealth, the first TO ratify the
Declaration Of Independence, are back
ing up the government in a very big
way in the present emergency.
So II is not surprising that the Com
munlty Labor Boards In Delaware have
been working efficiently since their
organization and are now on a strictly
cooperative basis, Withdrawing direly
needed labor from the less essentials
and placing this labor in essential in
dustry through the machinery Of the
United States Employment Service.
Service and Reserve In Harmony.
In Delaware there Is the closest CO.
operation and coordination OF the
activities Of the United States Employ
ment Service and the Public Service
Reserve. The director OF the Employ
ment Service, Mr.. A. G.. Benkhart, who
IN employment work, is universally
popular with both employers and work
ers. He has the reputation OF being a
"square-deal" man. The director OF
the Public Service Reserve. Mr.. Charles
Warner, is a progressive manufacturer
who has a splendid record of being alb
solutely fair In his dealings with labor.
Mr. Warner Is chairman OF the Labor
Commission Of Delaware and has been
Identified with many movements for
the betterment OF the conditions OF
both men and women workers. Thus, |
we have two big men who have the
confidence and support OF both labor
and industry. The program starts right
from the heads down.
Industrial Census Basis.
About two months prior TO the re-
celpt Of the organization orders from
the Director General, Mr.. Warner had
started machinery to take man
power census OF all the less essential
Industries, mercantile establishments, |
and otter activities in the State.
Delaware was subdivided into seven
districts. and these seven districts have
been preserved under the new order |
and are now known as Community |
Labor Board districts. The census Is
almost completed, and the full data and
record cards have been placed In the
hands Of the seven Community Labor
Boards.
Board No. 4, for example, which oom-
prises the city Of Wilmington, one OF
the greatest shipbuildlng cities In the
country, together with some Of the sub
urban districts, is now in full swing.
It IS composed OF Mr.. David Snellen- !
burg. chairman, representing the En-
ployment Service, a popular and pro-
gresslve merchant of the city, always
to be found at the forefront Of pro-
gressive movements; Mr.. C. d. Garrett
son, president Of the Manufacturers
and Employers Association Of Whining
ton and Mr.. Fred w. Sterile, secretary
of the Central Labor Union.
Methods Constructive.
The board at its first meeting classed
the less essential industries In It's dis
trict and bases its activities In releasing
the labor In this less essential list on
a purely cooperative basis. Employers
and employees in the less essential In
dustries and activities are not backed
up against the wall and classed as
n-essential," but TO them is ex-
planned the fact that II is their patri-
otto duty TO cooperate with the presi-
dent and the Employment Service by
supporting the Community Labor
Boards program. And they do CO.
operate. The methods used by all the
Community Labor Boards OF Delaware
are contsructive-not destructive or
arbitrary.
Omen Meetings.
The census cards show the man
power IN the less essentials are thor
oughly inspected by the boards, who
meet frequently during the week, hold
ing az least one "Open-tO-the-public"
meeting each week, when any persons
interested may attend the meetings and
see how the work OF the board is per-
formed In a fair and square, open, and
abOve-bOard manner.
No program will be a success unless
it has the support and approval OF the
public. The newspapers carry full and
detailed reports of the meetings Of the
boards-thus the people are let In on |
the ground floor and know exactly what
Is being done by the boards on behalf |
of Uncle Sam.
Results of First Day.
The first day that Community Labor
Board No. 1 got into harness and sent
ont its notices to workers employed In |
less essential industries and activities,
$50 notices were mailed directly to the
men who had been classed In the less
essential class on the Public Service
Reserve man-power census. In each
,ase a notice was sent to the employer
n the worker stating that the em-
1loyee had been called TO more essential
Industry. Copies of the call to en-
,loyes and employers are reproduced
herewith.
Within 2i hours after the mailing OF
he calls" GO of the workers called at
he main office OF the United States En-
,loyment Service, In Wilmington, and
we're assigned TO essential war work In
he shipyards, machine shops, or other
plants that had acquisitions for men
hey badly needed filed with the En- I
ployment Service. Employers who had
been notified that one Of their men had
been called after the whole program !
mad been explained to them, considered
II an honor to have the Government, !
through the Community Labor Board, J
ask them to display their patriotism v
ana cooperation by releasing the in
aiNlousl employees so called" fl
Members Work Together. s
neu Tie pleasure Of attending a /
meeting just the other day when az !
State Advisory Board. the seven co sa,o
munity Labor Boards, the directors .,
the Employment Service and publ;o
Service Reserve and Interested narties
were discussing the whole program In
conference. There was complete bar-
many evident Renrespntatiyes NJ lohon