The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-01-07
USES. ATTAINS
 STATURE AFTER
 STRUGGLE

Washington, Jan. 7-(UP)-The U. s. Employment Service was reaching manhood today after turbulent childhood.
 Born in 1918 and mothered by the Labor Department, it had lively time until shortly after the Armis- tice when it entered long period of neglect. During the years of prosperity 1t had no one to place in available jobs; during the depres- sion 1t had no jobs in which to place available workers.
 i' USES. became the foster child of the Federal Security Agency in 1899, but its effectiveness was neg ligible as the Social Security and Walsh Peyser Acts still left the major employment problems to the states. even providing the states with federal funds to carry out their work.
 While under the FSA, 1t concen- trated on implementing provisions of the Walsh -Peyser act for main tenance of a farm placement ser vice; a service devoted to securing employment for veterans; and maintaining a public employment service for the District of Colum- bia.
 Federallzed All Services
 The USES. appeared to be head ed for 8 more fruitful career after the attack on Pearl Harbor when President Roosevelt ordered federal ization of public employment servic- es, 8 move which became effective Jan. l, 1942.
 In preparing for the conversion, MT. Roosevelt informed state au- thorities year ago that 1t was es- sential that all separate employ ment services become a uniformly and nationally operated employ ment service in order that there be complete responsiveness to the de- mands of the national defense, and speedy. uniform, effective action to meet rapidly changing needs
 The outlook was good, but as labor shortages began to crop up III the industrial centers the USES. found itself without necessary funds and personnel to meet the resultant call upon services by employers.
 Just how bad a situation existed was revealed by War Manpower Chief Paul V. McNutt retently. Dur ing the first 10 months of 1942, the service, with 17,710 persons on its rolls, had lost 8,128 employees and had 2,641 vacancies at the end of October.
 No Pay For Overtime
 In attempting to meet the demand for their services, the employees of the service worked an average of B. 945 hours overtime monthly without compensation.
 McNutt attributed the heavy turnover in personnel to lack of funds and long hours. He said that at the time the service was trans ferred to the War Manpower Com- mission by MT. Roosevelt Dec. 5, conditions were deplorable, that the spirit of the service was broken.
 We expect to do everything in our power to strengthen it-not only to strengthen but enlar~p the en?- ployment service to do the job we expect of it," McNuGt saiu. 1 haven't been happy about it and I have been particularly unhappy be- cause of the injustice which these people have suffered
 [ McNutt has said he will go to the new Congress as soon as 1t conveneS to ask for more funds so that en- ployes of the service can get better pay and their working conditions improved.
 AS the center of all hiring in the war effort as provided in the Presi- dents manpower order, it will chan nel men to the places where they are most needed. It will call upon existing agencies, such as union hir- ing halls and company employment offices, but these agencies will be required to operate on a systematic and orderly basis under supervision of the service