Republican farmer., 1919-04-04
SOLDIERS, FORMER PACKERS TO GET
 THEIR JOBS BACK

| was made by the Bureau of Public 1 Relations of the American Meat 1 Packers Association, and it included
 packing plants large and small, which do an aggregate yearly busi-
 ness of several billion dollars. The survey shows that practically every employe returning from mili-
 tary service and applying for his old 1 job has received it, or one just as ] good, and frequently better. Elm ployers interviewed stated unani- | mously that this policy will be con 1 tinued as additional men are demob- oIized.
 i The figures gathered indicate that from the packing industry as a whole, i about 900 men entered service, l enough. to make eight regiments at maximum war strength or a whole division with many left over. It is believed that the experience . with the re-absorption of those who 1 have been discharged will be of value i to other lines of industry in dealing 1 with their returning workers. 1 The percentage of men returned to work varies greatly. One company ] estimates that of their 6,O0O employees who took up. arms, about 1900 are again at work. Another company, 1 not far distant, reports that of its 1 500 men in service between 275 and 1 300 have returned to their jobs. A i third company calculates that 1900 men out of 7,5GO in uniform have | come back.
 The facts about returned soldiers, 1 gathered from executives, superinten- 1 dents and employment managers, may be summarized thus: 1 Many men have had their ambi- i ton awakened and are coming back
 more purposeftl.
 l Very few men acquired exag- 1 gerated idea of their capabilities. 1 Some men obtained in the army 1 special training which qualified them for better positions than they left. | Nearly all employees who went to war gained a keen appreciation of ! health and of recreationaI activities. Many plants are absorbing the re- ] turning soldiers without displacing 1 other workers. In cases where the i surplus of workers has been too great, l the emergency workers have retired
 with good grace in favor of ex-sol- diers. Few women are losing their i places.
 i Shifting within organizations caus- l ed by changing conditions has made ] the problem of accommodating the ! soldiers more complex. In one com 1 pany, it was found that the number ] of employees needed in the meat canning departments decreased from | 4O0O to 1.5O0. This necessitated ] great shifting.
 l Many returning soldiers have found 1 that their wage scale has been in- ! creased forty per cent. and more. | Practically all men were told when i they entered service that work would l be waiting for them on their return. 1 When the armistice was signed, some | of the larger concerns at once wrote i to their men in service inviting them l to come back, when discharged, to | their old jobs.
 1 A variety of plans were adopted 1 for keeping in touch with the men. 1 Some companies established foreign 1 offices to maintain contact with the i men overseas Others sent self-ad- dress could be recorded. These meth .es and checks, so that changes of ad- dress couIr be recorded. These meth
 ods will be continued as long as any
 men remain in service.
 There are numerous specific in- l stances wherin military training quail 1 flied the men for better positions 1 One employment manager said to an 1 investigator for the Bureau Of Pub i lie Relations: "There's certainly one 1 man who can have better position 1 than formerly as soon as he wants it.
 He had been a general roustabout "a sort of handy man-about the l Ia t0 h.
 taincy, the Crolx de guerre and other l honors. Hes in this country await 1 ing discharge. and responsible work
 is awaiting him."
 Most of the men are eager for inn | mediate work, but some of them wish l first to exhibit their trophies. Al employment manager said:
 we had little man weighing 1 sheep whom we called 'Whitey.' H, l entered service.
 "A few days ago he came bacl
 here his chest glittering with medals
 a bunch of German helmets tied to gether and dangling around hi
 neck, three German automatic rifle
 sIung over his shoulders.
 DO you want your job now
 Whitey!? I asked.
 "'Yes, I want it, he said, but |
 to stroll around a little.'
 We are holding his place fo
 him.
 Another man who had been a clerl
 at S25 a week entered service as l private, acquired a captains comnis
 sion, an acquaintance with the F'rencl
 language and @ wife.
 'I think I am worth more" h. | said when he got back
 His employers thought so, too 1 They placed him in their foreign de
 partment on salary of $50 weekly
 with assurance that this figure woula
 be increased substantially within few months.
 It is found in some instances that 1 by tacit agreement, preference in em
 ployment is given to ex-soldiers evel ! when they never worked previousl
 for the company engaging them. This was discovered when on
 superintendent ordered that a-u ex
 soldiers hired be listed on a coloret
 card. The returns showed that de
 partment heads. besides absorbing al
 of their own men returning from ser 1 vice. were giving preference to othe