The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-09
POSITIONS OPEN ID RETURNED SOLDIERS,
 STATE EMPLOYERS
Employment Bureau Holds Conference With Employ ers-Plenty of Jobs for
 Alabama Boys

All Birmingham boys who have been in the army will be given back their old positions or new positions equally as good, according to statements made by representatives of employers at the Chamber of Commerce conference with agents of the United States employment service yesterday afternoon. The confer ence had been called by State Director George B. Tarrant of the United States employment service, but because of ill., ness he was unable to be present
 In the absence of MT. Tarrant, C. B. Rogers presided and stated the purposes of the meeting was to bring about har- mony and cooperation among the fed eral agency and the employers and to straighten out any differences that may have existed.
 Representatives of a number of the larger employers of labor in this district were present and each one, when called upon by MT. Rogers, stated nis company was holding open the places vacated by the Birmingham boys when they entered the army.
 WORK FOR ALL THE BOYS
 "I see no reason to get excited over
 
 dent of the Alabama company. There is going to be work for all the boys when they come back, and for a great many more in my opinion" Others eX- pressed the same sentiment Most of the company representatives stated that their companies could give employment to a great many more men than they now have on their pay rolls.
 It was explained that the method fol- ,,1o Pit,tr soldiers as they are discharged from the army is to station representative of the employment service at each demo- obligation canip, whose duty it is to ascertain the place of residence and former occupation of each soldier and to communicate with the state agency Of his state, who in turn communicates with the local agency nearest the sol diers home. The local agency then ascer- tains if the place vacated by the soldier when he entered the army is open for him and if it is not an effort is made to find new place for him.
 CIVIC BODIES COOPERATE
 Secretary Fenimore of the Chamber of Commerce and Secretary Harold of the Civic association, stated that their or ganzations were cooperating with state Director Tarrant and the local office of
  would continue to do So
 It was brought out at the conference that large number of soldiers from other states were either coming here for employment or writing to the federal employment agency or the Chamber Of Commerce or the Civic association for information relative to the prospects of work if they come to Birmingham. A large percentage of the visitors and writers are skilled mechanics or artisans, or highly trained technical men who want to make a change. They state that they have heard a great deal about Bir- mingham and Birmingham industries, and believing this to be an opportune time to locate here they are desirous of obtaining whatever information that may be given them.
 LIST OF SOLDIERS
 Col Bibb Graves, commanding regi- ment composed largely of Alabama boys, at Camp Gordon, in a telegram to the Chamber of Commerce and the Civic as- sociation few days ago stated that he had a list of Jefferson county soldiers, together with the names of their former employers and the character of their york; and asked these organizations to interest themselves in placing these men with their former employers. Both or ganizations assured Colonel Graves they would do whatever they could along this line and requested him to forward the list he had part of this list has been received by the Chamber of Commerce and General Manager Fenimore stated that he would turn it over to the federal employment director.
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