The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-02-11
MunitiOn Workers. Are Fed
Back into Labor Market
Without Hitch
COMPANY HUNTS UP
NEW POSITIONS
Generalization of Concern S War Work
ers Began Immediately Upon Signing
of Armistice-2O, 900 Were Released
in Space of One Week.

in Space of One Week
WILMINGTON, Del, Feb 1.-THE de-
mobilization of war workers engaged in
manufacturing explosives, loading shells
nd other military work in the du Pont
lunition plants, which began when the
rmistice was signed Nov. IL last, is now
learly completed and more than 10000 of
nese workers have gone back into the in
ustries of peace. When hostihties ceased
he company had approximately $4,000
Zen and women engaged in war work. In
edition to these S,643 of the company S
)rmer employees were wearing the nation s
inform, having gone into the various
ranches Of the service either through
nlstment or draft, Every effort has
cen made to care for these returned sol
ers and sailors and great number of
EN- have resumed their old positions;
ut the return of the greatly expanded
ar plants to a peace basis has made
impossible to find places for all.
The release of the men and women was
ccomplished in every instance without
owding the labor market in the COM
unities near the plants. They We're fed
elk into ordinary pursuits gradually and
nusual efforts were made to place them
new positions. The principal work 1f
ie employment service of the company
nee the armistice was signed, has been
rected toward transferring the wal
orker without confusion into peacetime
tdustries
At various times, in the rehabilitation
recess, large numbers of men We're re
ascd For instance, at one of the wal
ants 1000 men left in one week Al
mother, approximately 5000 were re-
ased in period of two weeks. At an
1her plant nearly $500 were transferred
D peace industries within two months In
ne interval between these large demobil
alton movements small groups were con
family released, the plan being never to
It the men go in haphaZard fashion like
to result in labor congestion, but al
ays to see that they were able to pas
iroctly to peace time work.
The employment service, when large
umbers of men were being demobilized
ivited representatives, of important EN-
loving interests to come to the plants
tates Employment service and Other
rye industrial enterprises The dn Pont
Employees were interviewed by these rep
sentatives and were taken over directly
nd their transportation paid to new field,
| labor. This plan was so successful thai
the case OF one war plant. on the da!
| It aside for a large rehabilitation move
| tent. there were not enough men released
| satisfy the needs of these outside rep
| esentatives.
The du Pont war worker, before HI
as released, and before he received hi
| ay envelope, was told that these outsid
rents were there to offer him a job
| liked it, he engaged with them at once
| the mean time he was allowed to leav
| is wife and family in the company villag
| the same rent and under the same con
itions as when he worked there. Later
hen he was fixed in his new location
| sent for his family.
| There was certain number Of me-
no did not wish to take any of the pc
tions offered them. They wished to II
arm to their home towns Many of theT
eleved they would get back the old job
hey held before the war Still other
| new oil JOBS IN Otnef localities ana Wdn
1 to 90 to them. When these cases wer
ona fide and the company was convince
hat it was not merely an attempt to &C
zee railroad passage, their transportatio
vas paid.
Another successful plan to place me
as that of keeping in touch with ges
lumber of peace-time industries, especia
in the districts where the plants wei
coated. As soon as it was discovered thu
peace-time firm needed employees of
ertain type their representatives were i
vited to visit the shops, talk to the mt
nd engage them on the spot. The
FONT company then arranged their releas
other cases, groups of men who h;
cen trained by the du Points to sta
{ high efficiency during the four yea
! # war work were held, even though the
9as not enough work in their line to Ike
hem busy, sntil such time as places COZ
We found for them with firms that we
i n need of mechanics of their special t
. mt Woodworkers, welders and otl
J Ugh class mechanics, trained along spec
: ines, were thus placed.