The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1918-08-02
RECRUITING LABOR.

RECRUITING LABOR.
The American government realizes
that the labor situation created by the
war is the greatest handicap to the
efficiency of the big job it has under
taken. So the duty of removing tina;
handicap without disturbing further
the industrial and agricultural enter
prises of the country has been assign
ed to the U. S. employment service OF
the Department of Labor with the
basic plan that henceforth the EN-
ployment of all labor, either for gov.
eminent or private enterprises, shall
be made through the agencies of the
employment service. That is a long
way from CONSUMPTION of labor, which
has been advocated by some who have
become impatient with the situation,
but it is step toward systematic re-
cruiting of labor, which should stop
| IiO 6iCdt quilting vi ldUOlcI lIOIi
point to point at the bid of higher
wages.
Heretofore the labor supply was
demoralized because any employer
was permitted to draw his labor from
any other employer whom he could
overbid in wages. Men were shifting
back and forth across the country,
congesting traffic and losing time, &C.
complishing little for themselves and
little for their employers, save as the
whole of the shifting mass kept the
work going. 1t is a tribute to the
skill of American workmen that they
have accomplished so much under
such conditions, but it is shame
upon American industry that such an
inefficient system should have been
continued so long.
No other industry has suffered
more from this unregulated demand
for labor than has farming The army
drew men from all industries, includ-
ing farming, but other industries re-
cruited their ranks from the farms as
well as from each other. The farm
ers were unable in so short time to
adjust themselves to conditions and
stop the loss of labor by offering high
er wages or other inducements. Con-
sequently the most important industry
in America was on the verge of ire
mendous loss. Another year under
this haphazard method of filling the
ranks of labor in the big industries OF
the country would have put the farms
to ruin and thus undermined the IA
brio of the nations foundation.
Now this part of our war work is to
be systematized under the Depart
ment of Labor and President Wilson
has recommended the employment
service in these words:
"Such central agency must have
sole direction Of all recruiting of
civilian workers in war work; and, in
taking over this great responsibility.
must at the same time have power to
assure to essential industry an ade-
quate supply of labor, even to the ex-
tent of withdrawing workers from
non-essential production. 1t must al
so protect labor from insincere and
thoughtless appeals made to it under
the plea of patriotism, and assure it
that when it is asked to volunteer IN
some priority industry, the need is
real"
Columbia has one of the 500 agen-
cies established by the employment
service and the local representative
will undertake to supply labor for any
essential industry within his district.
He will also use his office to regu.
late the departure of laborers from
this district to other sections, under
taking to retard or prevent the shift
ing of labor from the farms and in
dustries of this district to other places
where they are not needed in essen
tial war work
Employers, whether on farms or in
mines and factories, IN Columbia AMI
vicinity will be aiding the govern
ment and also helping themselves by
submitting to the local employment
agent a schedule of their labor de-
mands, so that he may aid them in
keeping their work in progress.