Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-03
Jobs For Ex-Soldicrs
Is National Problem
By Frederic j. Haskin.

about the streets Of the large cities, with
outob II or even prospects OF Jobs, has
aroused the government to the need oi a
spectral employment system 20 take care oi
\ situation thai y rapidly developing into
y serious problem.
After several conferences, the federal
employment service of the Department
of Labor. the Council oi National De
fcnse and the nited War Workers have
cpmhincd to form a sort OF employment
ne through which II will bc next To Inn
posSIblc for any soldier, sailor "r war
worker inadvertently To ship.
Take the case of the soldier No man
will be permitted 20 leave = dcmobliza-
tion camp without thorough instruction
and advice as 10 the employment OPP
portunIties awaiting him on his return TO
his town home. First, a representative
of the United War Workers will explain
them to hlm, talk over his abilities with
him and attempt to gndc him to a
coneenial Job Second, a representative
of the United States Employment Ser
wee will talk 10 him 90 over the list oi
employment opportunities IN his partlcu-
lar section of the country with him, and
trv To- tit HIM INTO one ot them.
KNOWS LABOR NEEDS.
SuDnoSe that before the war "A man has
been a plunbcr IN Milwaukee His na-
tural inclination would hc tn 20 back to
Milwaukee and plumbing. But the en-
ploymcnt service agent uay know that
Milwaukee has all the plumbers IL can
possibly keep busy, and his duty there
fore Is to advise the man either 10 accept
some other form of employment in Mil
waukec or to 60 10 some other town which
is desperately IN need of plumbers
But how, you mav ask. does the en-
plovment service agent obtain tins de
tailed knowledge Of what Is needed III
various cites The answer Is that the
employment service Of the Department of
labor has kept Its finger ON the pulse Of
industry for the past three years, and
knows accurately what the opportunities
for employment are in all sections of the
country. Such information as II does
not happen 10 have II is now gathering
Ii has over |, $50 community labor boards,
composed each of one representative Of
cmplovcrs, one representative of labor
and one representative of the service. II
also maintains $50 employment officers.
and has q staf of volunteer agents in
various places In addition 10 these
facilities, II is now opening bureaus for
returning soldiers, sailors and war work
ers IN every CITY and town IN the United
states.
These burcaus are under the direction
Of the community labor boards, wherever
there are such boards, and under the
direction of the community council OF
defense where there is no community labor
board. Each bureau Is 20 have a bureau
manager and working staff. Its duty Is To
canvass its locality for employment op-
portunities and 70 tabulstc them This
information NAV be furnished the en-
rlovrnent agent at the rehabilitation
camp whenever he writes for information.
and IN return the employment agent may
furnish the bureau with the army record
of applicant, whose name has been sub
mitted Tor POSITION.
IN TOUCH wT9H CAMPS
In this vsy the bureau Is IN direct
touch with Cverv rehabilitation camp.
and the government Is IN touch with both
Ii has its forces working on every soldier
M camp, and equally strong forces work
lng on the EMPLOYERS in the mans homo
town. All the man has to do Is 20 apply
- has local buvcau Tor returning soldiers.
sailors and war workers when he goes home
and he Is almost certain & find a Job
waiting Tor him.
This much the government has done
The rest must bc done by each community
and each family. certain responsibility
rests lpon the community III the matter
81 employing men who have gone 70 war
t. insure its peace and prosperity.
1t Is the duty OF every community
saws the Department OF Labor, TO see
that every possible opportunity is gwen
- them 10 get lobs-ard the best Jobs for
which they are QualIhed These men gave
UP then work al the country call with
cut hesitation To some OF them their
old positions are open; with Others such
d, not the case. still Others hsve acquired
ncW purpose and strength and in many
cases new skill which fits them for better
work than they did formerly. II Is both
a national and community duty - sec
Gl4t as they come back. everything IS
done TO enable them 70 return % the posi-
tlon IN which they can do the most ef-
itctIve work.
FAMILY SHOULD AID
certain responsibility also rests upon
y mans family, which should encourage
aud and him III getting work. The gov
crument. through the woman S committee
81 the Council Of National Defense, Is
seeking the support OF every mother, wife
ard sister IN tins important phase of re-
construction For experience has shown
that II y hard for q returning soldier to
ss.ttle down 10 the routine 81 1 working
Inc After the Civil War many men were
out Of work for two or three years, and
soIne men who had made particularly good
soldiers, absolutely refused 10 accept
civilian jobs.
- Psychologists INFORM US that certain
amount OF difficulty IN settling down 70
work Is to bc expected oi a large proper
tion oi our discharged soldiers and sailors
u hen Il man l. ii camp Or aboard ship he
lives a relatively irresponsible existence
While hc i called upon 10 work hard,
and must sleep, eat ana amuse himself
according 70 army regulations he IS re-
li"yed Vi the responsibility Of providing
Tor himsch aud family Tie duc- NOT even
hato 10 decide what proportion Of ms
income shall bc IHeted out % hi- wife.
I he government decides II for him
Tbs tact thar nearly every action he
peri Jrms j. It obedience u mIhtar or
der J. ari IS prove destructive % IN
GfVldual initiative. " hcn tho man = dis
charged ant her j. no longer 4 higher
authority to order every detail of his
existence i j. apr III become dlsorderly,
o. at least without plan This swift
Transformations rom excessive discipline
10 absolute liberty has turned many a
hurd-W orSIng man into q careless idler in
tle past
BAD FoK ALL CONCERNED
Rut however natural this attitude Of
the discharged soldier il is a had thing for
eberyone concerned iCr the man himself,
iDr his family, his community, and for the
nation /. tends 70 social dlslUgauization
thus the government Is seeking the co.
sf.aratiar ~ .verVbody in helDipp evpryy