LANGUAGE  AND  LITERACY  TESTS  153

quent  work  of  these  men,  thus  indicating  that  in  one  way
at  least  the  form-board  test  was  more  significant  than  the
literacy  test.
On  the  basis  of  these  trials,  and  in  view  of  the  labor
situation,  it  seemed  inadvisable  to  use  the  literacy  test  at
the  time.  Indeed,  it  was  more  profitable  for  the  time
being  to  let  the  illiterate  workers  go  on  as  before,  and  to
bave  special  clerks  pay  particular  attention  to  their  work
tickets,  in  order  to  insure  their  being  properly  made  out.
spite  of  this  temporary  arrangement,  however,  the
time  is  undoubtedly  at  hand  when  literacy  tests  must  be
given,  and  when  at  least  an  elementary  knowledge  of
English  will  be  required  on  the  part  of  every  applicant.
The  problem  of  illiteracy  is  a  vital  one  and  one  which  is
°ffering  serious  difficulties  in  classifying  workers.  When
the  United  States  conscript  army  was  mobilized,  one  of
the  great  hindrances  to  its  proper  training  and  classification ­
  was  illiteracy.  The  same  difficulty  described  here
°n  a  small  scale  was  experienced  there  on  a  vast  scale.
The  only  genuine  solution  for  this  difficulty  is  education.
the  meanwhile,  however,  it  is  necessary  to  make
temporary  classifications.  These  can  be  made  superficially, ­
  by  means  of  form  boards  and  mechanical  tests
'which  do  not  require  any  language  ability.