Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-09-23 | Page 6 | Labor Shortage

LABOR SHORTAGE. The shortage of labor, both skilled and unskilled, in the war industries, has become so acute that drastic instructions instruc-tions have been mailed to all communitv labor boards for their guidance. The ' boards are instructed to prepare and publish iu every city in the country lists of nonessential positions now held bv men that could be filled by women. t is the evident intention to force the men out of all such positions and into work essential to the winning of the war. Emplovers will not be allowed to stand in the way of such transfers and men who do not submit voluntarily will be looked upon as slackers. General I'rowder's work or fight order is to be carried out to the extreme limit and we are told those who attempt to dodge will be brought up with a sharp turn. The war industries need a million and a half more men and the government I .ruposes to furnish them. This action is in line with the order of the war industries board stopping unnecessary construction, with action limiting bank loans and the taking of raw materials from nonessential industries. It is hinted that even more drastic action mav be taken in the near future by reason of the fact that the size of the ' armv is to be increased two or three million men. thus making the labor shortage more acute than ever. Everything Every-thing is progressing favorably on , the various army fronts and the order affecting af-fecting nonessential labor is doubtless issued in order that the war program rr,r-:v not fail here at home. "We still j think there should be another combing out of the deferred classification lists.