ROTARY INTERNATIONAL Work Pile News— “It makes no difference who gets the credit so long as the work is done” 4 February, 1944 ‘Only 21 Bays” ROM a veteran of a Pacific invasion, to the people of his home town of Gilmer, Texas: “The Japs are mean fighters... The battle lasted only 21 days but my company was in it the full 21 days, and that is a long, continu- ous battle ...Can’t say I’m ready for another, but if another battle or two will end this war and we can return home, I would say, ‘Let’s get it over with’... Every soldier is looking to the day when he can go home. Hell, no one is expecting to get killed. So, open up those jobs—we are coming through in a big way one of these days.” | “Bhere’s the challenge! “‘An- other battle or two’”—“Open up those jobs.” Where do we stand here at home? Are we all set to “open up those jobs’ when the local boys come home? Or is it going to take “another battle or two” for the Rotary club to Sell other groups in town on the need for ACTION NOW on a complete survey of the Work Pile type? Our boys out there don’t hanker for more battles; they want to get the job done. Back home no one hankers to make a Work Pile survey, but’ how else can you in your town “open up those jobs” the minute your local boys re- turn? This project calls for Rotary leadership. No club can fail to provide it NOW and continuously till the town can say to its boys over there: THE JOBS ARE READY. “Open Up Those Jobs”. What Will the Need Be? The Rotary Club of Randolph, | Vermont, decided that before under- taking a consumer survey they first ~ would obtain specifie information regarding likely needs of returning servicemen, and later consider prob- lems which returning war workers might present. The club committee wrote to the families of the service- men in the Randolph area explain- ing their project and asking for information about the servicemen, and the probable postwar status of each. Their next step is to canvass all employers to learn whether return- ing servicemen can count on getting their jobs back; that will reveal how much work must be uncovered through canvassing householders, merchants, village authorities, farmers and others. Finally the club will establish a clearing house where returning servicemen can be helped. 4500 Jobs in Two Weeks Within a week the 371 Rotarians of Portland, Oregon, contacted 2,000 business houses, requesting that they:'complete and return the Work Pile survey questionnaire which had been mailed to them. The first 550 questionnaires returned (by the end of the second week) averaged $7,000,000.00 in work and the em- ployment of 4500 additional people. The Chamber of Commerce is tabu- lating the results. The Rotarians will contact an- other 2,000 business houses soon; and then the remainder. Then the next. step will be to con- tact every home in the city, through the assistance of 4,000 block war- dens. No. 6 Work for Partially Disabled Veterans The Rotary Club of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, has proposed to the community two projects to be re- served for partially disabled veter- ans while they are getting them- selves adjusted to new conditions aiter their release from the services. The first project is a plan already drawn up for tree-planting, addi- tions, and protection — all for the beautification of the community. The second project is a complete renumbering system for the resi- dential and business sections of the community. What the Progress Reports Show. An analysis of Progress Re- ports from some 700 Rotary clubs | in Canada and the U.S.A. received during December revealed the following facts: 58 per cent of these clubs were active on the Work Pile project. 27 per cent were only beginning to give it consideration. 4 per cent were postponing to January their decision on what - action to take. 11 per cent had given the project some consideration but had taken no action. Of the clubs working actively on the project: | 49 per cent were cooperating with the local Chamber of Com- merce, Board of Trade, or C.E.D. 4214 per cent were cooperating with or receiving the coopera- tion of other groups in the com- munity. 84% per cent were handling the project alone because of ab- | sence of other organizations to participate.