The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1918-11-02
WORKERS WILL
Be CLASSIFIED
Employment Service At Request
Of War Industries Board Starts
National Labor Census,

Orders calling on the Community
Labor boards to make regular
monthly surveys of the labor en-
ployed in certain specified industries
will be sent to the federal directors
for the states this week.
These surveys, which were foretold
in the Employment Service Bulletin
of Sept. 81. are being undertaken at
the request of the War Industries
board, for the use Of that board and
Of the various branches of the Depart
ment of Labor.
They will provide a numerical clas-
sification Of employees in 8S specified
industries, covering the field of pro-
duction in which the War Industries
board and the Department of Labor
are most interested at the present
time. These SO industries include
those on the preference list isseud by
the Priorities Division of the War In
dustries board on Sept. 3, excepting a
few specific cases in which the infor-
nation required is coming in direct
from government sources. A few
ence list, concerning which the War
Industries board desires additional in
formation, are also included.
Scope Not Limited.
The present list of industries will
be extended from time to time. Com
munity Labor boards desiring to ex-
tend their survey from the outset over
Industries not covered in the required
list are urged to do so, subject to the
direction Of their federal director.
The list of industries for which a
complete survey must be made by all
Community Labor boards is printed in
the October number Of the Bulletin, as
is the form to be used in making the
survey. From a study of the form it
will be seen that the monthly returns
will give the Employment Service ac-
curate figures as to the number of
women replacing men in industry, the
number of common laborers employed
in all industries covered by the sur
vey, and other information of great
value to the Employment Service in
the conduct Of it's work. The wider
the scope which the individual sur
veys the more complete will be the
information placed at the disposal of
the Employment Service. 1t is en-
phasized that the requested list is only
the minimum required by the War In
dustries board at this time.
Must Be in Promptly.
The date of issuance of these in
structions is so late that it can not be
expected that full returns as Of the
LIST. of October can be secured early
in the month. They should be Sc
cured, however, as early as possible.
In subsequent months all returns
should be in by the end of the first
week of the month. The RESPONSE
biltty will rest upon the Community
Labor boards to see that this work is
done promptly.
One copy of each report should be
mailed to tn Bureau of Labor Statis-
tics, 1912 G Street, NV, Washington,
D. C. Another copy may be kept by
the Community Labor board or at
such office of the Employment 6erv.
ice as the federal director may direct.
Personal Canvass Necessary.
The methods of collecting these STA
tistics will vary in different communi-
ties. In some places there will be
very few, If any, industries which ara
listed. In other places a great num-
Der of them will be found. In cities
where large number of these indus
tries are located it is suggested that
Community Labor boards secure from
employers in each industry a. volun-
teer committee which will undertake
to get the information for that indus
try. In this connection it should be
borne in mind that at the outset q
personal rather than mail canvass
is necessary. In some places the in
formation can be collected by a men,
Der of the board or a subcommittee
over the telephone. The report for
each plant does not need to be signed
by member of the concern but
rather by the agent who collects the
information.
Federal Directors Responsible.
Statistics should be secured each
month from every plant, large or
small, engaged in manufacturing any
product listed on the list of indus.
tries.
Officers and subordinates Of the
Employment Service and the agents
of the Public Service Reserve should
be made available so far as possible
to assist in getting the information
While the Community Labor Boards
/ have been selected as the agencies
most available to direct the task 10.
cally, the work as a whole is under
the direct charge Of the federal direc-
tors for the states. who will be held
responsible for the progress of the
survey.
MUCH FOOD IS WASTED