The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-08-28
SwindIing OF the Unemployed by InteIiI-
QenCe OH1cess

From the New York Courier and Inquirer, August 25
We have had attention cal cd what termed the
employ ment Onces OF this city. All the c0mmunica.
cns which have reached upon the subj oud ia
their con plants against the disrepuabe practcer to
which the managers OF such establishments resort II
one th CT he complaints put forth be true and 500
doubt the accuracy of the statements made
certainly ul time for the city authorities to sep
forward and break up which In both
principle and practice Nor ia this its worst feature 1t
mseads pesors in want Of occupation induces them to
depend upon the employment agency for situations tn
stead of setting out themselves and vigorous
determined exertions to find suitable employer Day
after day do eucb people repair to the employment offices
in the nope II at they will hear Of something their ad
vantage but as often as they call jCst often they
doomed to be disappointed chagrined and vexed.
any one taking up come OF ou daily contemporaries and
Gazing bis ey es along the columns OF wants would be
led TO imagine thai there not the least difficulty In o.
tanning work Of all kinds and With thBt, remuneration
upon The most liberal scale From boot boy a lager
beer saloon 10 the tigh st poson Ia banking
camille concern according to the dny OF
the Broadway employ menl SCENTS hundreds OF every
class dsgfee are Immediately required Hundreds Of
anxious and beating hearts who have not any actual
means Of existing, read these catch advertisements AID
prsyerfdy hop, that their hour OF deverance from idle
ness and poverty has arrived Little indeed, do they
cream that s ace but bats
entrsp the simple ana unsuapectifg, end TO ex,ort
fee. 1t Is, however 20, and every hour adds
to the number yictimzed by employment agents,
might ado. the inclination to procure any one
situation. But lei examine little more closely tue
plan AID operations Of these employ Offices tba
all may be put on their guard against THE nsy fl
acious ana the frivolous presxs of their eupeIintend
ens, )" "marage )" "proprietors" &c
An applcant-thet is, person on. of employment, or
de,iIous Of obtaining situation reads 10 of
morning cotemporaries that "bookkeepar" ga "assis
ant bookkeeper," Corresponding clerk" dry goods
salesman, p 'drug clerk" &c, &c s wanted He 10
directed to call at tho office Of the advertiser He goes
there and s.ates that he has called respecting the
ton adyertiEcd The manager, or person in charge,
caives him in agreeable aad alaole manner, and
thereby wins the favorable opinion of the unfortunate
II name IS on the reesteiY OF cour,e Inc question Is
put not for the purp0e OF elicitng inform iion but
battle the unfortunate VINO has been ulucky
10 get into his clutches, AID extract from him the frat
nselmen Of the peounisry drain which hs purposes to
make upon his "cent'' On being answered ia the
eative, DO time Is ost IN demanding the payment OF
dollar that hs may be entered upon the register
1t paid Thea the party told to look in during the
from the testimonials be possesses aud the excellent
"city refer ences" he give 10 character ab
ty he is sure Of the berlin According TO Arrangement
he pays visit the second to the employment oe
cannot just then hear Of thing Interesting ha I'D
vantage. Repeated calls made but nothing Bit
ton Of the "agept s taxed 10 It's utmost limits
coct which may possess the sembaucc
OF reality After wasting weeks Of valuable time In the
fruess effort of getting occupation through this paid
charnel, he lie forced to give up the aempl and blame
bmse for being duped so glarngy. This, as we have
SAID, Ia matter Of hourly occurrence In New York. II
appears too from the statement Of the leading per-
sonaees engaged in this very questionable calling that the
buspess carried on under t1e sanction Of the civic
,horties for he pompousiy parades tho announcement
" licensed by the Mayor" We wonder II his Honor is at
al convessnt with the principles and practices Of the
Society is protected by wise and sautary cnactments
against the dshonest practices OF the thief the pckpocket
and the swipdler Yea the mock auct0neer s liable
to pains and penalties should he impose upon the commu
nifty by vending spurious for genuine commodities Surely
heD the law should be put In force agsnst all bogus
agents who obtain money from persons out Of employ
mept for the purpose OF finding them situations but who
in almost every instance, make the effort beyond
pIadiDg their ash Advertisements TO which appended
their and suthorty, in the papers Of the day The
evil is growing one, and should be put down We must
root out this system OF punderng the unemployed Who
In many instances aIo strangers, poor and ffiendess
And for this purpose all employment Offices should be
under police surveillance, and an and summary
mode Of obtaining redreh provided. We not un.
friendly 10 the system Of employment agencies when
property conducted We believe that they may be made
very useful TO the unemployed and as seek situa.
tons in all departments Of the mental and physical fields
Of labor II Ia aga'nstwhat s termed the "bogus" offices
that we write and we fear that the majority employ.
ment offices In this city Of this kind