Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-06-06
Our National
Labor Policy
by Frederic ]. Haskiu.


of the Labor Policies BOARD tho United
States government hns IN operation
machinery for the distribution of labor
and The solving of labor problems gener.
ally, which is comparable N scope ana
authority 10 the Labor Ministries oi orr
Allies
II has frequently been said that this la
labor war and the fact that WI hoit nc
whoc-souled patriotic effort ot the m
divldual American workman this nation
would hc helpless against f'ernany is
apparent This Is the first war ~ history
where the organized effort of the millions
at home has been as essential 20 siiccess
as the proweas Of the soldiers on the
battlefield
Long before America entered the war
the other hcllgcrcut nations had found
il necessary 10 give tho labor problem
careful specinlized sturdy III order that the
latent power of the man behind the man
behind the gun might bc utilized IN the
fullest extent The problems 10 be solved
by these labor experts were gigantic.
There was IA the first place. the necessity.
Of converting the comfuercti factories 81
The nations INTO war plaut@ and training
men who had, perhaps been making
kettles, ~ Inc quantity manufacture oi
shrapncl helmets
10 take fheir places IN the trenches the
danger of alor shortages . 1fuc appar-
enf. uneRilcd labor had ~ be atlcd upon
10 do the work skilled men had ol"aYs
done IN times Of peare even then The rnnks
nj labor were all too thin md an3thcr
step that of calling women IntoipdustTY
wholesale was taken
WOMEN 1T FIRST
~ first the women worked mainly n
so-callcd non-cqsential industries hen
rs the dram on man-power Kept on.
women were called upon 20 do he ~oFk
of skilled mechanics m war plants and
one by ono the non essential indisf RES
| closed herr doors or were converted INTO
strictly war plants For instance, IN the
year 1915 there wiil not be manufactured
IN England one single automobile Tor
| pleasure purposes
These two steps. tie placing q labor
/ and tho substitution Of unsklIied Tor
! skilled employees, soon received t"P
| technical names. ALLEGATION and 'di'ii-
! ton There we're however, two oth'F
| matters Just as important to whicf care
| fa consideration hns had 70 bc Rlfen
all the warning nations
The first of these vas the Standord1a-
| fnn of wages IN war plants engaged
/
| found TINT without some action of thus
| nature tho labor turnover. 9r drit .
employees from one industry - another
| would be very serious handicap -
| production Competitive wage -.tl's
| offered by manufacturers ~ the same cry.
anxious "a nll their war cont racts assisted
IN his turnover Mechanics working n
msnition plants would find tnat ~ near
! bv shipyard they could get FIVE dollars
/ Fl week more for practically the shme SORT
IL work 4 wholesale exodus w1lld
+ follow and while the building q ships
would proceed mcrrily the output q tie
nanltian factory would bc seriously
eDrtalict! Standardized wage -~aiea Tor
! ai skilled trades and common labor had
| therefore - be fixed hy the governmcnf
IN order that work might proceed II 81
! war plants on an even basis
rnB NATTER or TREATMENT.
The other problem concerned tho just
! treatment II w0rkmcn by herr employers
n 4a5ch matters H. good living and working
conditions. as we'll as wages high enough
- meet soaring prices and share n war
proffs ON The part of those who 10 he
actual work II production Disputes
hetNcc.t EMPLOYERS and employed are lls'
as natural in wartime as IN times ot peaee
bat aS strikes in war threaten me Wfilafe
Of Il entire nation, the government soon
! realized the necessit. of taking on rs own
shoulders The responsibility of settling
labor troubles ana netting out punishment
~ the g.iItv when strikes waskoats ar
other troQehI threaten t2 throw monkey
wrench into the machinery Il VAR pro-
duet.an
In England and France these various
problems have been net bx The establish
ment of separate departments & the
government. known a. Ministries q
Munitions. IN the various divisions
uhIeh Is vested responsibility for tue
success Of the nation entire laher
policy In America however / ha, been
thought best - leave ali labor matters
in the hands Of the Department y Labor,
inside which have been established three
major boards charged with consideration
Of all the problems outlined above.
These boards al OF them pat INTO
operation sinee the beginning u the wear
and now getting fairly under way 80 that
survey Of their responsibilities can be
made in the present instead of The future
tense are known Is the United States
Fnplovment Service. the Labor Policies
Board. and the National War Labor
Board.