The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1918-08-09
new LABOR PROGRAM !.
HAS BEEN APPROVED
Supplying Of War Industries
With Common Labor Will Be
Centralized in u. S.

On August l, the supplying Of wal
industries with common labor was
centralized in the U. S. employment
service Of the department of labor,
and all independent recruiting OF COM
mon labor by manufacturers having
a payroll of more than 100 men will
be diverted to the U. S. employment
service. This is in accordance with
the decision of the val labor policies
board and approved by the President
on June II.
The above action was found neces-
sary to overcome a perilous shortage
of .unskilled labor in war industries.
This shortage was aggravated by an
almost universal practice Of labor
stealing and p%oaching.
While the restrictions against the
private employment of labor apply
only to common labor at the present
time, these restrictions will, as soon
as possible, be extended to include
skilled labor. In the meantime, re-
cruiting of skilled labor for war pro-
duction will be subject to federal reg
ulations now being prepared.
This drastic change in the nations
labor program has been found neces-
sary in order to protect the employer
and the employed, to conserve the
labor supply of the communities and
to cut down unnecessary and expen-
sive labor turnover (which, in some
cases, is as high as 1O0R a weekly
and to increase the production of es-
sentials.
While non-essential industries will
be draw nupon to supply the neces-
sary labor for war work, the with
drawal will be conducted on an equit-
able basis in order to protect the in
dividual employer as much as posi-
BILE.
Under the operating methods adopt
ed, the country has been divided into
10 federal districts, each district in
charge of a superintendent of the U.
S. employment service. The states
within each district are in turn in
charge Of a state director, who has
full control of the service within his
state.
In each community there is being
formed a local community labor board,
consisting of a representative of the
U. S. employment service, a represen-
tative of employers and a represen-
tative of the employed. This board
will have jurisdiction owe recruiting
and distributing labor in it's locality.
A survey of the labor requirements
is being made, and in order that each
community may be fully protected,
rulings have been issued that no labor
shall be transported out of any COM
munity by the U. S. employment
service without the approval of the
state director; nor shall any labor be
removed by the service from one state
to another without the approval of
the U. S. employment service at
Washington. Every effort will be
made to discourage any movements
from community to community or
state to state by any other service.
This labor program has the ap-
prevail OF all producing departments
of the government, through the war
labor policies board.
1t must be understood that farm
labor will be protected, for the indus
trial program distinctly includes spe-
cial efforts to keep the farmers sup
piled with labor.
The requirement that unskillec
labor must be recruited through the
sole agency of, the U. S. employment
service does not at. present apply in
the following five cases:
l.. Labor which is not directly Oh
indirectly solicited.
2. Labor for the railroads.
8. Farm labor-to be recruited in
accordance with existing arrange
ment with department of agriculture
4. Labor for non-war work.
5. Labor for establishments whose
maximum force does not exceed 100.
When the survey of labor require
ments has been made and the aggre.
gate demand for unskilled labor ir
war work is found, each state will,
be assigned a quota, representing the
commo labor to be drawn from
among men engaged in non-essentia
industries in that state.
These state quotas will in turn be
distributed among localities. Within
each locality, employers in non-wal
work, including those who are onl!
partially in war work, will be asked
to distribute the local quotas from
time to time among themselves
Quotas by localities and individual:
r to be accepted as readily as the!
r for Liberty Loan and Red Gross
campaigns. This plan of labor quotas
is a protection for all communities.
The object is to keep any communit!
from being drained of labor, and t.
use local supply, as far as possible