Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-05-09

work; cared for five French war or
phans, in writing and personal at
tention. -
Winslow Lithgow Club: Supported
two French war, orphans; assisted
in sending clothes to seaport mission;
knitting and sewing for Red Cross:
$255 from entertainment.
Winslow Female Society Of Support
Of Gospel: to celebrate 100 anniver-
sary this year.
winslow Sebasticook Literary
Club: "Only one member has q maid
and most Of US do farm work" Out
lined work carried out: no war work
as club: almost every member a
member Of d. A. R.: comment on
dancing: visited Hull House in Chi
cago. and dancing made children
happy.
Lewiston Wednesday Morning
Club: Helped in Red Cross. in nation
al Y. M. c. A. var work; supporting
French war orphan.
Millinocket Child Welfare Club:
Reported as intensely interested In
child welfare work.
Industrial Conditions
Report Of industrial and social con-
ditions was not reported upon by Mrs.
| Ada Riggs Griffin according to the pro-
! gram. but instead H. B. Drawn. trav-
| cling examiner for the State of Maine,
! Of the U. s. employment service, U. S.
! department of labor. spoks upon the
| work undertaken and the accomplish
| ments of his department.. He stated
that he had been sent to the fedora
| ton upon the request of Mr.. HIGH
born. State director Of the U. S. en-
ployment service to tell what work had
been undertaken and what had been
done since last July. The department
was formed as a war measure and has
! not yet been established by the govern
! ment.
| Eight offices were opened in the State
| Bangor. Ciddeford. Lewiston, Bath. Au-
| gusta, Hou.ton and Rockland. There
| have been formed 20 community labor
! boards, representing the employ er. the
| employe and headed by neutral fair
| minded man. The country was. at war
when the work was started. 1t was
| almost impossible to procure labor to
do work to carry on work. The help
was secured by digging them out here
end there, whereve" they could, taking
them from all walks of life A good
many women were also placed by the
! department. Up to the signing of the
armistice everying was going along
smoothly. After the signing of the arm
, istice everything changed. The ship
yards continued work but many other
indus tries curtailed. Some stopped in
creased work slowly and some very
quickly. This threw onto the market
a large quantity OF labor. Maine didn't
feel the curtailment as quickly as did
many other states.
There was some curtailment in the
shoe industry, some in the wooden and
the cotton business, although there was
no curtailment in the paper mill busl-
ness. Up to February there were less
than 1900 unemployed in the State OF
Maine. among these being about AO
habtual .oafers. The sudden conditions
in Biddeford and Saeo threw 4ou CT 5000
more onto the market. Everything went
along smoothly outside of that. There
are now at the present time less than
llCO unemployed in the State. The con-
d tons at Biddeford are now normal
and the workers in Brunswick have
gone ack to work. One reason for tho
scarcity of work is because there is very
|; little building going on. The curtail-
ment in the l.. S. f. S. was made and
Offices were reduced down to two. The
! Maine Legislature. realizing the need
of the work. passed necessary funds to
. continue the work until Congress passes
an act providing for it. Every effort
has been made by the service to stabil-
F! ice labor conditions and every effort has
been doubled to put the returned foldied
/ back into his position. 1t is interest
d ers return to their former positions.
two Of the 30 have no jobs and the SER
vice is working to get those men to
work. Every employer has promised to
! keep the soldeS and many have prom
ised to also retain the berson who filled
his position during the war.
Since last July up to May 3 the fol-
lowing work has been done by the Maine
branch of the us. e. s.: 1919 men
have aprl ed for work: 10 2c3 have been
referred to position: 1858 have been
actuolly placed: 1883 women have reg
istered 1910 have been referee and 1919
women have been placed: independent
Of the number Of men above listed, IT,;
soldiers have asked for help 1851 have
been referred and 1867 have been placed.
TIE less empl ,yment there is the quick
e. it i: to get men to work. Mr.. Drawn
asked that the federation cooperate in
every possible way with the employ
ment service. If position is made
available they can certainly find man.
says Mr.. Drawn Of the employment
| service.
Art Report
Mrs. Henry w. Cakes of Auburn
/ reported for the committee on art as
follows: when your committee met
last summer to consider plans for our
Art Department It was a serious
question as to what we could do that
the ladies would consider worth while
in that time of stress and war. Many
felt that all their energies should be
directed to war relief and we realized
that art and other kindred subjects
must take secondary place. al
; though the trend of thought at the
biennial meetings had been that we
must keep up these departments as
one means Of keeping sane.
t For our first meeting, after much
care and thought and consultation
with representatives OF the Augusta