Evening star., 1942-02-10

drove trucks, who loaded powder
bags, who riveted ships.
This meant more men back In the
mines, in the forests. In the fields
more men to delye for coal. more to
hew timber, more to move trains.
Next the factories, new and old,
started working around the clock.
This meant more men for three
shifts instead Of one.
An dali the time the American
women have made homes wherever
they have kept the dinner pail full
and have fallen in beside the men
wherever necessary.
America has started the march
to victory. Many have had to give
up establishing homes and accus-
toned occupations, but many more
will have to do likewise.
Must Reach Into Byways.
Up to now the average distance OF
movement Of workers into war in
dustry centers has not exceeded
from 100 to 200 miles. Only per
cent have come from farms and only
a few Negroes have been drawn in.
From now on the range Of move
ment will be longer as those close by
have mostly been employed. We
must reach back into the byways
and the hedges to seek out all willing
hands. More will be brought in from
the farms and the necessary and
valuable work of tilling the land will
be partially taken over by the wom-
en- and older workers. More Of the
minority groups will and must be
called upon. 1t must be remembered
that in the last war the worlds
record for driving rivets was broken
by singing rhythmic Negro crew IN
an American shipyard. Most Of the
foreign-born in our midst are loyal.
willing and able to do their patriotic
best.
Tn universal registration Of men
from 18 to IS to be completed soon
will provide an orderly means Of
sorting out aptitudes and will add
materially to our knowledge Of avail
able labor. 1t will enable us to set
up clear national policy for assist
ing every individual to make his
greatest contribution.
The necessity for migration will be
all the greaterr in the coming
months because some plants will
close for lack of materials and some
retail and distributive businesses
will lay of help because of the Short
age of goods.
To assist in this process Of reloca.
ton, the President has recommended
the extension of unemployment
benefits to tide the displaced workers
over until they can be readjusted.
We owe it to these industrial casual
ties to see that they are rehabili-
tated; we owe it to ourselves to At
them for a useful place in the war
effort.
Employment Service Expanded.
In all of this movement, the
United States Employment Service
is the active agent for bringing men
and jobs together. This organiza-
ton has been so expanded and
OIL UlldU ~ WoQl0 lAdl bly
be recognized as the employment
service Of three years ago. Instead
of 48 State-Federal services, we
now have a unified Federal opera
ton which can move men from
Georgia to California or from New
Mexico to Michigan, finding the
proper job in the new location before
he ever leaves home.
Economy in labor use must be
even more rigid in the future as We
approach the maximum use of
manpoWer. We cannot afford COM
petitive hiring methods through
which employers disorganize the
labor market by stealing labor one
from another. We cannot afford
the aimless movement of workers
who move without assurance that
they are needed at their destina-
ton. In crisis as grave as this
no waste motion can be counte-
nanced The United States Employ
ment Service must be used to the
fullest.
To find the right person for tn.