The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1918-08-05
HOW THE RIGHT
MEN ARE FOUND
FOR THE WORK
Plant That Needed Ten Workers TO
Keep Going Gets Them in the
Nick of Time From Depart
ment Of Labor.

Our plant needs ten WorheIs' We
need them bad. If we can't get ten
of the right sort we'll have to close
down"
The sneaker was a factory owner
His plant was doing war work TOT
the government 1t was matter OF
great moment to him to fill those ten
vacancies. He had brought MS
troubles to e. NJ. Kline, manager OF
the District of Columbia Employment
Service station of the Department oil
Labor, and they were talking matters
over in Mr.. Kline's little office in the
rear end of the Pennsylvania avenue
store room, which is occupied by the
station. Did Mr. Kline think he could
find ten men?
Mr.. Kline thought he could, lie got
in touch with several of the $50 other
offices of the Department oil LABOR
Emnloyment Service, and within
day he had located station where
there happened to be surplus ol
that kind of labor. The next step
was to send out to that particular
office two men, representative Vi
the factory and representative Oh
the Department of Labor. They IN
torviewod the workmen, found them
satisfactory, and Immediately maue
.rrangements for bringing them 10
Washington to their new work.
IT is a simple enough proposition to
arrange for the transportation OF ten
men from a point in the middle west
n the District of Columbia. 1t Is
another matter to move 500 men, YET
that is the number which we're re-
Gently brought distance or l'i@o
miles from a district in the far south
IN northern Virginia. to help build
Camp Humphreys.
One of the contractors and mar
from the Department of Labor went
down to the southern othce Where
these men were registered and pro-
yided for transporting them TO the
north A train of eight cars was Sc
cured. six for white men and two lor
negroes. Rotations were one OF 'he
first considerations. An initiai supply
of $500 sandwiches was placed
aboard the train, together with coiiee
plenty of drinking water, and so on
II was arranged to have the stock oil
food replepished at various points Ell
route. Four men in each car were
picked to act as keepers of the larder
and they were given the somewhat
ticklish job of seeing that every man
got his share and was kept satisfied
and contented during the journey. NC
intoxicants were permitted, and the
car foreman was instructed to keeI
the men amused and occupied. II
order to do this effectively he had Il
have a touch of the vaudeville artis
in him.
When the train reached Alexandra
Va, army motor trucks met TN
workmen and carried them GU
through the woods to Camp Hum
phreys. There they found a square
meal waiting for them, and goo'
nights rest afterward. The next da!
they began work.
A typical branch office is a bus!
place. The Washington Office is
long-carpeted room opening directl!
off the sidewalk in one of the bus
and accessible portions of the city
On either side of the room, are desks
bearing signs which indicate the sor
of labor handled by the man II
charge. There is desk labele
skilled mechanics and helpers" an
other for Common and unskille
labor another, for Farm service
and other officials take care of clerks
professional men, and hotel and res
taurant helpers All sorts of me
apply for positions, and every kind @
help Is asked for. Side by side on tn
managers desk on June lay appli
cations, for common labor and re
quest for a skilled engineer, to whor
$4,000 a year would be paid On th
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