OVERTIME. Owing to the increased activities of the division and notwithstanding the fact that additional clerical assistance has been secured, it has been necessary for the employees of the division to perform a large amount of overtime work, which it is very gratifying to note has been given most willingly in every instance. An examination of the records indicates that a total of 2,117 hours overtime has been performed by the employees of the division during the fiscal year. CONCLUSION. Tribute should be paid to the faithfulness of each and every employee of the division. By their untiring efforts they have made it possible to keep its work nearly current, and I express the hope that the estimates submitted herewith will be approved by Congress in order that with the additional help they may be relieved from the necessity of further overtime work and the chief of the division, in order that he may give more time and attention to administrative matters, be relieved of much of the detail he must at present assume. Respectfully submitted. Hon. W. B. WILSON, Secretary of Labor. H. A. WORKS, REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR GENERAL, U. S. EMPLOYMENT SERVICE. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, SIR: There is submitted herewith the Second Annual Report of the United States Employment Service, covering the fiscal year ended June 30, 1919. The year's work naturally falls into two periods that occurring before the signing of the armistice and the time that has since elapsed. In view of this fact the general comments submitted concerning the work of the service will be classified as war activities and post-war activities. WAR ACTIVITIES. ORGANIZATION. On January 3, 1918, the date on which the United States Employment Service was established as a separate branch of the department, there were in existence but 96 branch offices, operating in 36 States and the District of Columbia. In 5 other States, 7 offices were in operation and Federal officers were assigned thereto under the cooperative supervision of the department and the respective State commissioners of labor. In the remaining 8 States, the Federal Government had no employment agency whatsoever. The administrative force in Washington numbered about 12 officers and employees, and the field force approximately 200. By July 1, 1918, the beginning of the fiscal year with which this report deals, there were in active operation in the field, in round numbers, 350 offices, with a paid personnel of about 1,700, while the administrative force in Washington had grown to 300. In many of the States the offices are maintained in cooperation with State or municipal agencies. : In addition to the regular personnel of the field force, the organization contained three groups of special volunteers, namely, State Advisory Boards. Community Labor Boards, and the Industrial Advisers. There was also in operation for a short time while these boards were in process of formation a fourth board in each State, known as the State Organization Committee. Of these groups of volunteer workers, the State Advisory Boards and the Community Labor Boards are still functioning. The State Advisory Board in each State is composed of the Federal Director of Employment as chairman, two representatives of labor, two of management, and two women, one of the latter to rep resent the workers and the other to represent management. The intendents of Women's Divisions; (b) to recommend removals of said officers where deemed advisable for the best interest of the service; and (c) revision and approval of the apportionment among the communities of their respective States of the quota assigned thereto for recruiting purposes. The Community Labor Boards are composed of five members, one representative of the United States Employment Service as chairman, one representative of local employers, one of local employees, one woman representative of the woman who works, and one woman representative of management. The number of Community Labor Boards organized and in operation throughout the United States at the end of the war was 1,644. The functions of Community Labor Boards during the war were as follows: (a) Decision of all questions concerning recruiting and distributing labor in the community, subject to appeal by any member to the State Advisory Board; all decisions of both State Advisory Boards and Community Labor Boards being subject to regulations issued and approved by the Director General, acting on the advice of the War Labor Policies Board. (b) Dividing up the total of the community's quota, assigning to industries and employers in nonwar work the proportionate share which each should stand ready to contribute. (c) In distributing available labor supplies among local war industries it was the duty of the Community Labor Boards to consult the local employers' committee, which was represented on the Community Labor Board. (d) The Community Labor Board had no executive duties, but, so far as possible, assisted in recruiting labor by securing harmonious and cooperative action on the part of employers and employees. The particular duty of the Industrial Advisers selected by the Department of Labor was to furnish the district draft boards of the War Department information supplied to them by the United States Employment Service as to the needs for skilled labor in each community and the supply in each community, to assist the district boards in arriving at their decisions as to whether or not individuals engaged in certain industries, occupations, or employments were performing work necessary to the maintenance of the military establishment, the effective operation of the military force, or the maintenance of the national interest during the emergency. It was their duty to confer with persons engaged in various industries, occupations, and employments for the purpose of having the cases of certain individual registrants, by whom or in whose behalf no claim for deferred classification had been made, presented to the district board for consideration and determination as to whether or not such registrants should be placed in the deferred class. From this synopsis of the form of organization of the Employment Service there will be noted the magnitude and importance of the task of creating it, but when it is considered that coincident with this work of organization actual and official employment activities have been carried on, it will be seen that the demands upon the service have been exceedingly great. |