Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-06-21
SHOWS AID FOR
SOLDIERS BACK
SEEKING LABOR
Employment Stations in Illinois
Obtain Jobs for 6,263 Former
Service Men.

During May the Illinois division
of the United States employment
service, which has an Office in Rock
Island, and cooperating agencies,
found jobs for 6,263 soldiers and
placed S0,305 civilians in employ
ment, according to a report made
public today
American soldiers overseas are
keenly interested in the prospects
of employment after return to this
country and discharge, according
to Harold Stone, director of oper-
atoms of the United States employ
ment service, who has just return
ed from France after establishing
the overseas work Of the federal
employment service.
"Talk to men individually and in
small groups" said Mr.. Stone to-
day. land you will find them anx-
ious to know of the employment
situation in this country generally
and in their localities. OF all the
men to whom l talked personally,
I found but one man who, although
he was not certain of getting his
former job back, was not interest
ed in the job question"
Mr.. Stone, who also is in charge
of the emergency bureau for re-
turning soldiers which the federal
employment service with the COOP
Grafton of the welfare and other
voluntary organizations has estab-
lished to supplement it's regular Of
fees, said that many men inquired
at the overseas headquarters Office
of the United States employment
service at Paris, for opportunities
in France and other European
countries, especially those with
knowledge of foreign languages.
There is probably not a soldier
in France who does not know, at
least in d general way of the gov
ernment's arrangements to assist
him to employment upon return to
this country, if he needs assist
ance," Mr.. Stone continued. with
the cooperation OF the army, Y. M.
G. A. and similar organizations, the
moves, speakers and other medi-
ums of publicity are being used,
and have been for the last two
months, to tell the soldier that if
he must find a new job to ask the
aid of the federal employment SER
vice through which all public and
private agencies are uniting to
help him get it free of charge.
I'm connection with giving this
information, we are urging the
men to go home after discharge
and not hang around the large
cities ii they don't live there, and
to be on the lookout for any radi-
cal agitator who may try to talk to
him. We also are making special
efforts to induce the men who
came from farms to return to agri-
culture and pointing out the adj
vantages of the farming industry
to others"
Under the system installed by
the federal employment service uni
der Mr. Stones direction and by
the orders of the war department,
every soldier is interviewed and
carded as to whether or not he
needs assistance to employment
The cards are filled out at the en-
centers and on the trans
ports, the commanding officers OF
every unit being charged with the
of this work.
Upon arrival Of each transport
the cards aresent to the national
headquarters for the United States
service in Washington,
where they are Immediately sorted
by states and relayed to the fed
eral directors of the federal em--l
ployment service for the states. |
The directors in turn redistribute
them among the Offices and spe-
cial soldiers employment bureaus
in the towns and cities to which
the men will go after discharge. In
this way. the local employment Of |
fees have opportunity to look up a |
job for a man in advance of his ar
rival.
Since the system was placed in /
operation more than 100000 cards |
have been received and distributed. |
and one-third to one-half of each |
consignment of cards stating that |
the men filling them needed assist !
ance to employment. The cards are |
reaching the headquarters of the
United States employment service |
now at the rate of $4,000 a week. !