Evening star., 1943-06-01
DC. Restaurants
Seek Older He|p
.ToAvertC|osinqs
Head of Association
Says Absenteeism
Increases Problem
BY MIRIAM OTTENBURG.

Crippled by 20 per cent short
age of workers, Washington restau-
rants and cafeterias are counting on
elderly men and women. many OF
whom have not worked in years, to
give few hours day to prevent
widespread closing of eating estab-
hShmentS here, a restaurant spokes-s
man said today.
Robert J. Wilson, executive secre-.
tary of the Washington Restau-
rant Association, said the restau-s
rants not only are losing men to,
the draft but also have lost a great
many of their woman workers TO.
the WAACS and WAVES.
IF we don't get people who
haven't been working" he said.
we Il be in a fix. Getting older peo-
pie TO work few hours day is the
only way We can keep going"
Turnover Reduced.
The employment stabilizatlou
plan which covers the eating es-
adjustments as an essential activity
definitely appears to be cutting
down turnover, Mr.. Wilson said,
During the past wear he said. turn
over has varied from so to 500 per
cent.
One of the reasons for the whole
sale turnover, he said. has been the
women who came to Washington
and worked in restaurants until
they could secure a Government
job
AbSenteclSm has been one Of the
curses of the restaurant business.
Most employers have to carry more
workers on their payroll than thev
actually use, he said. A restaurant
which uses 2l5 workers, he said.
may carry 26O workers on its pay
roll because number are absent
every day. In small restaurants en-
ploylng IS people, he reported, three
TO flVe are out every day
AS an example of the growing use
OF older people. he cited one restau-
rant where one-third of the en-
ployes are over so years of age and
some are over TO- A 72-year-old
woman is employed to wrap silver
IN napkins at the cafeteria counter.
Some Close Down.
Because of the SHORTAGE of helm
he said. some restaurants have shut
their doors. A number Of resta,-
rants close one Gay week, while
others cut in half their hours of
service or close early in the evening.
In many cases. it has been neces-
sary to shut off part of the res
taurant from service or use only
half drugstore counter.
In efforts to meet the situation.
the restaurant association, he said,
had petitioned business firms with
a number of employees to stageer
their lunch hours so the load of
service could be spread. Mimeo-
graphed lists of restaurants avail
able to large Office buildings also
have been distributed so employees
will not all descend on the same
eating establishments at the same
time
The Welfare and Recreation As
SociatlOn. which serves 10000 peo-
pie, mostly Government workers. a
day, reported it was short of su-
pervisors. cooks and bakers. spe-
ciallsts in all fields, part-time
cashiers and checkers and men for
the heavy work. Its home economics
specialists have been lost to the
armed forces and association units
are turning in requests for 35 to Is
more workers a day.
Heavy Turnover Cited.
Capt, Frank w. Hoover. general
manager of the Welfare and Recrea-
ton Association, said it had refused
to take on an eating unit for the
Navy and had had to relinquish an
Army unit to the Army post eX-
change for lack Of help to keep the
unit running.
AS an example of turnover he re-
ported that during the month of
April total of ga people worked
two days and never showed up
again
10 combat abSenteeiSm. the We'll
fare and Recreation Association has
asked War Labor Board approval
of a plan whereby bonus will be
given workers who are not absent
for month and are tardy no more
than two times.
The shortage of workers forced
the association to seek help in other
cities and the United States Em-
ployment Service has given permis-
sion for the association to recruit
out Of this area, which Capt. Hoover
said he believes would help solve
the shortage.