Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-29

letter from j. b. Dcnsmora director
OF the United States Employment Ser
vice Of the Department OF Labor. call
ing to his official attention the nation
wide crusade to be instituted through
out the country on August /. for the
purpose Of recruiting every man avail
able for service in some industry that
Is considered essential toward the win
ming of the present war.
Tho letter is self-cxplanatory and
reads as follows:
We beg to direct your attention to
the plans of the United States Employ
ment Service. and to the great effect
which this program will have upon the
industrial life of the nation.
ON August |, the supplying OF war
industries with common labor will be
centralized in the United States En-
ploymcnt Service of the Department of
Labor. and all independent recruiting
OF common labor by manufa Cturers hav
ing ray roll OF more than 100 men
will be diverted 10 the United States
Employment Service. Thisis in accord
anco with the decisien of the War
Labor Policies Board. and approved by
the President on June Il. (The War
Labor Policies Board is composed OF
representatives OF the War. Navy and
Agricultural Departments. the Shipping
Board and Emergency Fleet Corpora
ton, the War Industries Board, and
the food. fuel and railroad administra-
lions. Its chairman is Felix Frank
furtcr, assistant to the Secretary OF
Labor.)
OVERCOME SHORTAGE
IN WAR INDUSTRIES
THE above action was found neces-
sary to overcome Il pcrilous shortage
Of unsfllled labor in war industries.
This shortage was aggravated by an
almost universal practice OF labor
stealing and poaching. While the re-
strictions against the private employ
ment OF labor apply only to common
labor az the present time. these re-
strictions will, as soon as possible. he
extended TO include Skilled labor. In
the meantime, recruiting of skilled Ia
Dor for war production will be sub
jcct TO Federal regulations now be-
ing prepared.
This drastic change in the nations
labor program has been found ncces-
sary in order to protect employer and
employed, to conserve the labor supply
OF the communities and to cut down
unnecessary and expensive labor turn
over (Which, in some cases, is as high
as loo per cent Il week. and to in
crease the production OF essentials
While noncsscntial industries will be
drawn upon to supply the necessary
labor for war work. the withdrawal
viii be conducted on an equitable basis
in order TO protect tho ividunl en-
p!oycr as much as possible.
Under the operating methods adopt
ed. the country has hcen divided into
thirteen Federal districts. each dis
'rict in charge OF "A superintendent of
the United states Employment Service.
The states within each district are in
who has full control Of the service
within his .tutc.
Local. BOARD FOR
EACH COMMUNITY
In each community there is being
formed a local community board, con-
sisting OF representative of the
United States Employment Service q
representative OF employers and u re-
preventative OF the employed. This
board VIII have Jurisdiction over re-
cruiting and distributing labor in it's
locality.
~ survey OF the labor requirements
is being made. ana in order that each
community may he fully protect ed,
rulings have been issued that no labor
shall be transported out OF any com
munity by the United States Employ
mcnt service without the approval OF
the state director: nor shall any labor
be removed by the service from one
state 10 another without the approval
o. the United states Employment Ser
vice at Washington. Every effort will
he made TO discourage any movements
from community TO community or
state TO state by any other service.
This labor program has the APP
prevail of all producing departments
OF the government through the War
Labor Policies Board. 1t must he un-
dcrstood that farm labor will be pro-
tectcd. for the industrial program dis
tinctly includes special efforts TO keep
the farmer supplied with labor.
The requirement that unskilled la
Dor must be recruited through the sole
agency or the United States Employ
ment Service does not at present apply
in the following five cases: a. Labor
which is not directly or indirectly
solicited. CO Labor for the railroads.
CD Farm lahor--to be recruited in
accordance with existing arrangement
Win the Department OF Agriculture.
Cd Labor for nonwar work (5D
Labor for establishments whose maxi
mum force does not exceed 100,
EACIi STATE TO RI1
ASSIGNED IT'S QUOTA
when the survey OF labor require
mcnts has been made and the aggre-
gate demand for unskilled labor IN war
work is found each State Will be as
signed quota, representing the COM
mon labor 10 be- drawn from among
men engaged in noncssentiaI industries
in that state.
These state quotas will IN turn be
distributed among localities. Within
each locality employers in nonwar
work. including those who are only
partially In war work, WIFI be asked
to distribute the local quotas from time
TO time amongst themselves. Quotas