The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-02
Total ...... .....2,s26 2.951
September orders include hop picker
Women and Men

were divided among fourteen occupations.
There were 2.l41 girls wanted for general
housework, and there were III calls for
Homework: cooks, 231; chambsrmaids, 113;
mattresses, l32; SICK nurses. 33: washer
women, l49; nurse girls. 159; second cooks,
63, laundry girls, E; dressmakers, 8; tailor
esses, o; cherry packers, 5; hop pickers,
1909.
The great difference between the number
Of occupations for men and women respec-
lively is well illustrated. Against the four
teen occupations for women there were
calls for men for seventy-three occupa-
tons. The largest number of calls was,
OF course, for hop pickers. these amounting
10 1888. The next largest call was for
common laborers, 1911 being wanted. There
were applications for farm hands TO the
number OF iSs; wood cutters. 465; bolt cut
ters, 3l3; woodsmen. los; timber fallers. IS;
gardeners. 2: carpenters, Il: bricklayers.
6: shoemakers. 5: teamsters. with teams,
l98; cooks, Ill: dishwashers, Isl: walters,
81, coal miners, e; chore boys. 1914; print
ers, s; single sawyers. Is: tie makers. 50;
painters, l. There were calls ranging in
number from one to eight for bookkeepers.
fishermen. night clerks, upholsterers, plas-
terers. swampers, electricians. etc.
There were applications for help from Isl
towns and cities, including Portland. Or;
Juneau, Alaska; Billings. Mont: Victoria,
and IN this state from places all over tho
state. from Aberdeen to Skykomish.
success of the Bureau.
The commissioner says that at the time
the offices was established there was
doubt as TO whether 1t could secure any
business. and but meager provision was
made for it A few months of actual Cp-
Grafton demonstrated that the Office filed
a public need. and could secure large pat
ronage, even under decidedly unfavorable
circumstances. The first location of the
Office IN a rough board cabin. with a sa-
loon on either corner of the block, was
disadvantageous. particularly with refer
ence TO securing orders for domestic help
The Office was unfit for occupancy, and
quarters were secured IN the old city hall
building, corner OF Yesler way and Fifth
avenue. This Office Is well arranged and
comfortable, but the commissioner says 1t
is so far away from the business center
that IL IS at great disadvantage In Sc
curing business IN competition with othcr
offices There has been an increase in or
ders, under the present circumstances, and
It IS believed that the increase would have
been from 80 to 100 per cent. had the office
and location been such as TO permit OF IL
The report says:
The Office was created by popular vote.
with the idea, as I believe, that If II were
found practicable TO conduct a public Of
fee in a responsible and successful manner.
the private Offices would no longer be IL
censed. having no legitimate claim to AK
tstence I am confident that il this were
done the city Office would give the public
such large volume Of useful service that
every dollar OF expense put into II would
give back 10 the community a return IN
employed labor ten times more vaiuahle
than the cost OF its maintenance Consid-
ering the fact that nearly 600 orders have
been received during the present year, Is
A. sN.aas KzrAFh
clear field and a good location fully 1900
people could bes employed through the CT
fee every year? The man who contends
that a service OF such magnitude as this
does not Justify the maintenance OF suit
able office has either g wrong conception
OF public policy. or Is actuated by saeer
perversity The movement OF large num-
bers OF workmen into the city and out OF
IL, in going TO and from their employment.
scatters money and benefits al classes. X
IS the cong stion OF idle labor In the ci'y
that works danger and injury, and there
fore anything that facilitates obtaining en-
ploygnent is a public benefit"
Useful 10 Employers.
Commissioner lamb says experience has
demonstrated that the office Is Just "a
useful to employers At 10 workmen. The
very fact that orders have come In from
nearly every town and hamlet west OF tho
% be sufficient evidence OF this. There ia
hardly a family IN the city that has not
made use OF the Office during the past two
years and notice has already been rece.v-
"a that the Yakima Hop Growers AssOci-
alton VIII order is help through this Office
next season Mr.. Lamb believes that
with the Office IN a convenient location
there would be plenty OF work for two
men 20 DO.
The saving o. tine and annoyance 10 en-
blowers ana workmen would Re vastly
diminished Y there was one Office 20 which
all orders came for help. and applications
came for work There would. the report
SAYS, - an end 70 the buugling that takes
place when an order f. left in several Of
fees. and two or more persons are sent
out % the sane foS, a thing % daily &C.
cu-rarcs. In such cases the agents refuse
. nav the expenses incurred. and the
workman has 70 stand the loss due - tia
system under which az present labor Is en-
ploved when Il IS considered that from
70 10 70 12eao persons are employed
through the agencies in this city every
year. even n the present dull times. the
magnitude OF the work and the usefulness
% such an Institution becomes Ct once ap-
parent
Complaints Against Private Offices.
Complaints against the private employ
r1ert Offices. not clly n Seattle, but
throughout the entire country. have been
universal loud sEi BITTER. There seems
n he 4 permanent state % war existing
between ths labovizg people and private
e7fplcvnant Offices. ! an not here DIS
cslssirz Tie merits or 6s-nsrits Of the con-
trcverzy. merely state the well-k1own
fact mat this condition exists II IS
claimed ~ working peorls that they a-s
being constantly vscttnize1 az these o.
fcas. ard as a result. public employment