Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-06-07

wv TAShINGTUN, u. e., June 3.-With the or
w ganization, just completed, OF the labor
policies board, the United States govern
ment has in operation machinery Tor the distrl-
button of labor am the solving OF labor problems
generally, which is comparable in scope and autnor-
ity to the labor ministries OF allies.
1t has frequently been said that this is LABOR
and the fact that without the whOle-souled pa
triotic effort of the individual American workman
this nation would be helpless against Germany Is
apparent. This is the first war in history where
the organized effort of the millions at home mas
been essential to the prowess OF the
soldiers the battlefield.
Long before America entered the war the other
belligerent nations had found it necessary 10 give
the labor problem careful specialized study IN or
der that the latent power of the behind the
man behind the gun might be utilized to the luliest
extent. The problems to be solved by THESE laooi
experts gigantic. There in the nrSJ place'
the necessity of converting the commercial factories
of the nations into plants and training men
who had perhaps, been making kettles IN the
quantity manufacture of shrapnel helmets' Inon'
and more men were called to take tneIl
places in the trenches the danger OF LABOR snort
ages became apparent; unsk1lled laDor hau 70 p1
called upon to do the work skilled men had al
ways done in times of peace even then the RAMS
of labor all too thin and another STEP tnaI
of calling women into industry wholesale: was
taken. At first the women worked NANNY III So
called non-essental industries Then, as the uraln
on manpower kept on women were calleu , uP
tn do the work of skilled mechanics in war plants,
and one by one the non-essential industries coseu
their doors or converted into sLrlcIH mai
plants. For instance, in the year 1910 Cnele W."
not be manufactured in England one single du'o-
mobile for pleasure purposes
These two steps, the placing of labor and the
substitution of unskiled for SIX led employees soon
received two technical names ALLEGATION" and di-
luton" There we're, however, two other matters
just as important to which careful consideration
has had to be given in all the warning nations
The first of these the Standardization of
wages in war plants engaged in similar classes of
work. 1t found that without
ton of this nature the labor turnover drift
of employees from industry to another would
be very serious handicap to production. Com
petitive wage scales offered by manufacturers in
the same CITY, anxious to fill their war contracts,
assisted in this turnover. Mechanics working in
munition plants would find that at a nearby ship
yard they could get five dollars week more for
practically the same sort of work. wholesale
exodus would follow and while the building of
ships would proceed merrily the output or the
munition factory would be seriously curtailed.
Standardized wage scales for all skilled trades
and common labor had therefore to be fixed by
the government in order that work might proceed
in all war plants even basis.
The other problem concerned the just treat
ment of workmen by their employers in such mat
tiers as good living and working conditions, well
as wages high enough to meet soaring prices and
a share in war profits on the part of those who do
the actual work of production. Disputes between
EMPLOYERS and employed just as natural in
wartime as in time of peace, but as strikes in war
threaten the welfare of the entire nation, the gov
eminent soon realized the necessity of taking on
its own shoulders the responsibility of settling la
bor troubles and melting out punishment to the
guiltv when strikes, lockouts or other troubles
threaten to throw a monkey-wrench into the ma
chinery of production.
In England and France these various problems