The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-03-24

ly represents Ia
Dor in the OPM set-up. was think
ing considerably Of the registra-
ton systems obvious advantages
from the standpoint Of the work.
ingman also It promises to be an
excellent thing for EN- in the long
run. anyhow.
The schemes to get all unem-
ployed workers on the list; like
wise to get onto il all workers en-
ployed in non-defensive industries
who have, incidentally, the neces-
sary skills, Of various sorts, to
make EN- useful, by changing
Jobs, in defensive ones.
OF course, each registrant's
place Of residence, as well as his
name, will be recorded. Thus, If a
defense manufacturer at Podunk,
for instance, needs men and ap-
plies to the U. S. Employment
Service for EN-, the service will as
sign them to him from his own i'm
mediate neighborhood. He won't
have TO scout about the country
for 'em and they won't have to
travel perhaps long distances to
report TO him for duty.
This will count materially. It's
worse than a bother for newly
hired employe to have to trans
port himself and his family from
one place TO another and re-settle
in a strange neighborhood. It's a
near impossibility frequently, at
present.
Where TO Live
Right where he's been living for
quite awhile, a workingman usual
" has a home-rented, quite like
". but he's in it and can stay
there But he may not be able to
find one at some defense center
that he's just trying to move into;
such centers are frightfully over
crowded under existing circum-
stances.
I know personally Of working
man in Washington, where he had
a job and a passably comfortable
domicile. Washington's crowded
to the point Of suffocation, too, but
this chap was already installed and
in no danger Of being evicted t.
make room for some later arrival.
Well. he heard that he could
make more money at Norfolk, Va.
Defense work there is fairly per-
ishing for fresh hands. the bird re-
ferred to was technically equipped
for certain required tasks; so he
visited Norfolk to apply for a
billet
He found that, with overtime, he
could earn S14 daily, which was
highly satisfactory. Then he be-
gan to look for bed and board.
Soon he discovered that the best
he could do was at the rate of SIT
weekly. That doesn't seem TO be
excessive on Sl4 daily wage
basis. However, while the board
was o. X, the bed was in one room
with seven others-and he has a
wife and three children. He
couldn't find accommodations for
that outfit in Norfolk under about
twice S14 daily. Naturally he re-
turned to his job in Washington.
To be sure, the governments
building houses as fast as it can,
-for-War workers. but it hasn't got
'em yet. That's why OPM is so
anxious to avoid enforced migra-
tons Of defense-making availables.
There's no room for EN- where
they're needed.
Eligibles don't register directly
with the U. S. Employment Serv-
ice. They register with the state
employment exchanges, but the
latter are affiliated with the U. S.
service and turn their lists in to it.
OPMs clamor for registrations,
then, at todays juncture, Is to ia
cilitate defensive production, and
the howl for workers is due TO gain
volume as the program progresses
AS yet the famine for craftsmen is
only local, as at places like Nor
folk. but it's a safe bet that it'll
become national and a deal more
acute not more than comparatively
few weeks hence.
After the War
Ultimately, though, the war anc
defense activity will peter out. the
Jobs they're providing will peter
out by the millions also and Unclt
Sam will have unemployment or
his hands again, wholesale.
But this next time he'll have
complete list Of all workers II