Denver labor bulletin., 1918-08-10

"a 3SAdlk o~CI.
By WILLIAM B. WILSON,
Secretary of Labor in the Presidents
Cabinet.
Our increasing military ener-
gies are putting strains upon in
dustry which call for the most
careful husbanding of our man
power. We can no longer leave
our labor supply to the unreeu-
lated forces of competition nor
even the patriotic efforts of di-
verse agencies of the government
unrelated to a comprehensive pol
icy and unified direction. There is an
increasing shortage of unskilled labor
for war projects and likewise a short
age IN certain classes of skilled work
ers. The needed labor must be Sc
cured for war industries by drawing
upon non-essential or less essential
industries. This has been done large
ly at haphazard. A dispensable in
dustry competes for the labor of an
essential plant; instances are fire.
quent where one government project
secures men at the expense of an
other. As a result, the labor turn
over is alarmingly great, with a loss
IN war efficiency which we cannot af-
ford. Not the least of the conse-
quences of the existing situation is its
effect upon the morale of workers in
the restlessness which it produces and
even encourages.
Recruiting of Labor.
These are largely the natural con.
sequences of subjecting to a new ter
rific strain existing agencies and old
attitudes of mind. We can no longer
submit to these. The first problem,
therefore, to which the war labor poli-
cies board addressed itself was the
formation of plan to centralize the
recruiting of so-called unskilled labor
and thus to insure the fullest use of
such labor to the needs of the war.
Ihe board has arrived at a plan which
embodles the opinion of every produc-
ton department of the government
and is supported by the thought of
representatives of industry and labor
VINO have been in our counsel in work
ing out this problem.
Essence of Plan.
The essence of the plan is the recog-
milton that one centralized national
agency is demanded for recruiting the
workers for the nations war needs;
that the United States employment
service of this department is the
agency appropriate for this task; that
adequate resources must be given to
TINS service and corresponding effect
lveness must be secured to enable il
TO discharge the responsibility. Ac-
cordingly, every department of the
government, thru the strength at its
disposal, whether it be by the mechan-
Ism OF contract or by shutting off
raw material from recalcitrant indus
ny, Is pledged to the enforcement of
TINS plan. 1t will mean, of course,
that hereafter all private enterprises
in securing labor on a substantial
scale will be prohibited by the full
authority at the disposal of the gov
ernment. Time must be given to make
the needed adjustment, and, therefore.
it has been deemed wise to postpone
the installation of the new plan until
August 1, 1918.
Success Indispensable.
The proper mobilization and distri-
button of labor are themselves part
of fruitful and just national labor
policy, and without these we cannot
hope for progress in the solution of
other labor questions that call for
Settlernent- Inc success or the plan
is. therefore, Indispensable. While it
may encounter obstruction because of
minor selfish interests which it must
offend, we need not anticipate serious
difficulties if the public mind is fully
apprised and the nations under
standing of our purposes is enlisted.
The policies board, therefore, deemed
the public announcement of this pro-
gram of sufficient national Importance
to deserve. and indeed to cali for, its
public approval by the President.
The need for military supplies has
made the mobility of labor an impor-
tant factor in military operations. The
impulse of every department., board
and industrial establishment has been
to secure the labor required to in
crease their productive capacity with
out regard to it's effect upon the in
dustrial situation or the priority
claims of their neighbors. That con-
dition is rapidly being resnedied
thru the Capitalization of the re-
sponsibility for the mobilization Of
labor in the employment service Of
the federal department Of labor. Even
(CeDtinuod - Rn~a R~--,