The Mena weekly star., 1918-02-14
WANT VOLUNTEERS FOR U.S.SHIP YARDS.
Most Urgent Call for Skilled Work men to Offer Themselves for Service-Liberal Wage Re-
 Bins When Enter on Work.

Edward N. Hurley, chairman of the U. $. Shipping Board, Washing ton, D. C., writes as follows:
 MT. V. w. St. John, Chairman Polk County Council of Defense, Mena,
 Ark. Dear Mir. St. John Because of your official position, and the vital importance of the work of enroll ing the United States Shipyard Vol unteers, in which you are engaged, desire to lay before you state ment outlining the ship building 1 situation.
 The information herein con- tained is placed at your disposal for use as you may see fit in obtaining the enrolment of the necessary men for the United States Shipyard ! Volunteers.
 Our ship building program con- templates the construction of six million tons annually, but owing to the want of the necessary skilled men, we are not under present con- ditions in a position to turn out that tonnage.
 "The shipping board has the. money. It has the yards. It has the material. The housing question is being rapidly cleared up. All that is needed is to obtain the nec- essary efficient labor.
 Ut should be brought home to employers and to the employees of the industries of the nation that their own future depends on the construction of these ships. The fact is that the recent order issued by Fuel Administrator Garfield, in closing the factories of the whole. l country, and the more recent freight embargo issued by Secre- tary McAdoo, tying up all the freight with the exception of food | and fuel, came not because of the falling down on the pat of the ear- riers themselves, but because or | the lack of ships.
 Until we have ships to clear the Atlantic ports of manufactured | goods. for which eur army IT France and our allies are in need, these enforced holidays and em- bargoes must reeur, with the re- suit that no factory in America can be assured of running full time and no workman can count on contlnu- 1 ous employment.
 If you can drive this home to your people; if this lesson through constant repetition, can be thoroly learned, there is no doubt that you will get your quota of the necessary men,"
 Another letter from the United states Shipping Board says, in part:
 'The Shipping Board has an- nounced it's plan for the immediate creation of the United States Ship yard Volunteers-a reserve force of 250,000 skilled mechanics enrolled for service on demand. The Four | Minute Men began the campaign on January 2S It is up to you to keep it going until every skilled mechan- ic in your city knows the nations vital need of his services and has had a chance to yoluneer. Tell your people the story that 1t is Ships that will win the War. Tell | them the need of men in the yards that earnest skilled labor is the one element needed to assure theI success of the Shipping Board program-needed not for immediate service in the yards, but as a regis i tered reserve on which definite in dividual calls can be made from time to time, as men are required to do definite jobs in definite yards at definite times. Tell them that the man who can handle tool can serve his country-that he will be trained in the yards for work akin to his own trade. Tell them that patriotism calls-calls on the most efficient, the steadiest, the best arti- sans in America to volunteer; calls on their fellow citizens to value service in the shipyards az it de- serves and to honor the shipbuild- CTS as they honor the men in the | trenches.
 The Shipyard Volunteers are as- sured of generous wage from the day they enter in shipyard. They will also be placed in deferred class in the draft as long as they are working on ships. With these inducements, it should not need much appeal to patriotism to per- suade them to enroll; and yet in many respects patriotic appeal is the most important"
 Want 36 From Polk County
 Of the 2,50O workmen asked of Arkansas, Polk county is given 36 as it's part.
 The Following men have been ae pointed as enrolling agents in poih county: 1 Mcna--John II Hamilton.
 Hatfleld-Dr D. w. Cennally
 Grailnis- Alex Coyle.
 These agents have supply of enrolment cards and full partlcu- iJfs.
 |