New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-12

America. Several places were open to him
in this country, but the opening on the
southern continent in this hemisphere
seemed to him more promising. In this
connection, on the latest bulletin of the ser
vice there is a request for salesman to go
to China, and very likely before this is
printed some adventurous young American,
possibly one of those who are so bemoaning
the fact that they didn't get to France be-
fore November II, has started for the Far
East in response to it.
Never has there been the demand for
farm labor in midwinter that exists at pres
ent. Not only that, but there is a graft
flying tendency on the part of returning
soldiers and sailors to 60 back to the farm.
They have grown accustomed to life in
the open, and many who had left the farm
Cor the city going back, while city-bred
boys in some numbers are refusing to be
confined to pavements and gasolene smoke
after being demobilized. The wages Of
fered by farmers may hold little appeal for
munitions workers, but they are better than
Uncle Sam pays the lads in khaki and blue.
In New York State they run up to $75
month, and this is clear, for on the farm,
of course, board and lodging are included
IT. the terms. The Employment Service is
making a special drive for farm labor, in
order to insure adequate food supply
and is meeting with considerable success.
The discharged soldier or sailor who
wants job, then, has only to walk into
some branch of the United States Employ
ment Service and answer few questions.
His name, present address and home ad-
dress go onto red card, which, when COM
piete, contains a lot of information. This
covers how many dependents he has, his
age, race and citizenship, whether or not
he speaks and writes English, his usual oc-
cupaton, the wages and hours expected by
MIN, what other work he can do, if any.
when he can take a job, the name and adj
dress of his last employer and the wages
received.
I have purposely omitted two questions,
in order to make special point of them.
They are, "Where do you prefer to work ?"
and "Will you work elsewhere ?" 1t is these
two, or particularly the first, which make
much work for the New York headuuar-
ters of the Employment Service. During
the period when we were sending troops
across the water thousands of boys came to
embarkation camps near New York and re-
NAMED long enough to obtain leave suff-
cicnt to visit the metropolis, often for the
first time. Also, ever since we got into the
war our warships have been in and out of
the port and their sailors have had op-
portunities to get acquainted with New
York. These boys were so we'll treated here
that they would like to come to New York
to live. Wherefore a great many cards
which are being filled out at camps far re-
mote from the Atlantic seaboard-for it is
the general plan of the War Department to
deroblize its forces within $50 miles of
their homes-answer the first question:
New York"
1T is not so easy to carry out this plan to
deMoplllze the boys near their home towns
because of the extensive shifting between
units which has gone on in the United
States army since all distinctions between
regulars, National Guard and National
Army were dropped Not only in France,
where requirements have completely de-
stroyed any local character companies or
regiments may have had but at the train
ing camps in this country and England
groups of boys from a single city or county.
who have gone into the service together,
have become widely separated. On this ac-
count demobilizations at Camp Mills and
Camp Upton do not include only soldiers
from New York New Jersey MANY of ,
them come from the South and West. But
their registration cards with the Employ
ment Service branches at those camps are
handled through the New York office.
Many of these boys-and this applies. as
n ho
New York-say they would like work in
Ne" York They, too, have been in this vi
ci1llty long enough to get leave, and have
been entertained in the city to an extent
which makes it seem wonderful place to
them. There is, of course, the possibility
tfat some of the returning soldiers and
sailors have been entertained. with
inc large number of free shows. dances
concerts, meals and so on which are Of
tered. Possibly some who haven't STRENGTH
OF character to stand being lionized will no
somewhat demoraized, but the thought Of
that is hardly likely to give pause to the
generous New Workers so anxious to show
the boys how welcome they are.
% get back to the boy who wants lob
and has registered with the Employment
Service, when his card gets to the clearing
rouse at New York headquarters of the
service the first thought is of his old lob.
unles he has made it clear that he doesn't
wish to go back to it, A letter goes at once
to his former employer, who is asked
whether he will give the returned soldier.
sailor or marine his old place or some ouner:
II another, at what kind of work. and in
either case at what wages. At the same
time the Office writes the applicant himself,
offering all assistance, stating that the ex-
amner in charge of the Office OF the service
nearest where he wants to go has been no.
tilted and suggesting correspondence with
him, and asking him to notify this Office if
he gets a job in some other way.