The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-04-04

has for the purpose % selling MS 800 20
another man or selling him another place
These are but fex or the advantages.
but Il may b seen from these that both
employer and workman are better pro
teccs3 by the free than BY the nav Offices
1T is remarkable that during ne wnole
tire the Office has been aosn- business
not a single person has come back and
said an uncivIl word on account Of any
place that he was sent To- IL was antfrl-
pz1ed rha. there would pc a good deal
OF trouble or this score. bat there has
been absolutely none Neither has any
employer ever said az ureivfI WORT on
account of any help sent him Neither
has q single abusive or favlt-dndfrg let
ter been received az the Office while there
are numbers OF them expressing Sa.ssfac-
ton al the help sent. and promising 20
order again Among the thousands OF
people who haze done business with the
Office there has not been a single aiterca-
ton or quarrel. except IN one case. where
two persons happened 10 meet 81 front Of
the office and 1uarreied about a matter
entirely outside the business or the Of
fee Not more than half a dozen infox-
icated men have been In the Office and
none OF these were troublesome enough
10 be worthy Of serious notice. This is
a showing certainly not Giscrediiable TO
the workers of the city. Il is evil
dent that the rowdy element are not
patrons or frequenters Of free employ
msnt Office
Registering Names.
mo: II has not been found practicable
10 take men IN the order in which their
names stand on the registration list, much
less TO inquire into matters Of citizenship
and other circumstances. IL IS evident
that TO take mems word ofT-hand for
these things, which would be necessary
in nearly every case. would be turning
the effort into q farce. When an en-
ployer orders help he is generally in a
hurry Working people drift from place
10 place so frequently that not one IN
ten can be found at the address given q
month after registration. To attempt 10
reach them through the malls would
involve loss OF time which would gen.
orally insure the filing OF the place by
some other Office. Il Is impracticable In
a majority of cases TO do ought but give
the place TO the first willing and COM
petent person who applies for IL after
the order Is left In the office II work
were plentiful system OF weekly regis
tration might prove valuable.
Considering the general state OF bust
ness. | think IL may truly be said that
the office has been phenomenally success
full The business that has come TO IL
has come spontaneously and legitimately.
There has been no soliciting of business
inducements OF profits held out to any
one. either for sending In orders or in
ducing others TO send In ofders. There
has been no general brokerage In jobs.
The orders received therefore, measure
the actual needs which the employing
classes have for the Office as far as its
existence has become known to them.
When better known, doubtless. It's patron
age will increase. assuming that business
in general does not become much worse.
Record of Places Filled.
.eIt is impossible to keep an exact rec
ord OF the number of places filed for the
reason that many do not report back 10
the Office whether they take a place or
not. Employers do not report. either. II
is difficult 10 suggest remedy for this
that has not Objectionable features. IL
each applicant for work who agrees to
go 20 a place were required TO make
a deposit as a guarantee of good faith
ii would limit the benefits of the office TO
those who could make the deposit and
entail additional expense in the shape OF
records and correspondence. In the case
OF country jobs the deposit would have
TO be sent by mail or express TO the per-
son taking the job.
Work Wanted For Unemployed.
"a great deal has been said about furn-
ishing work for the unemployed. but lit
tie or nothing about finding the work
that is already extant and supplying II
TO the workman or woman without
charge. Yet this latter Is and has been
at all times expedlent and practicable.
1t can be done at less cost and risk than
the former though its effects may not
be so apparent 10 the eye, for II expands
itself over more time and space than 4
single concentrated enterprise The great
est employer of labor. vastly greater than
any or all municipalities. is the private
citizen who needs help. Anything that
can bring this citizen and the help to-
gether without delay or expense 10 either
facilitates business and relieves the con-
gestiOn In the labor market. on the
whole. Il seems the cheapest and best
way. TO the fun extent OF its possible
utilization, Of relieving the municipality
OF the grave responsibility which Is forced
upon II by the presence OF large numbers
OF unemployed men IN the city.
1t is manifestly impossible 10 gather
any statistics while attending 10 the du-
ties OF the employment Office. A constant
succession OF orders and inquiries all day
long leaves no time for statistical Work
or any other kind. and. doubtless. the
employment feature Of the work Is the
most necessary and important AT the pres
ent time. The universal experience OF
statistical Offices proves that statistics
collected by mail are. from scieniinc
point OF view. practically worthless Pig
ures purporting 10 be statistics, that are
thrown together in loose manner With
out careful inquiry and sitting are worse
than useless. for they are vicious and
misleading and therefore capable OF doing
much mischief.