New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-24
COLLEGE SETTLEMENT CONFERENCES.
EMPLOYMENT BUREAUS AND THEIR WORK DE-
CUssED AT THE FIRST or 4 SERIES
OF MEETINGS.

The frs; OF A series Of conferences under the
auspices OF the College Settlement. OF which Miss
Mary VI. Kingsbury Is the head. was held yester-
day afternoon in the rooms OF the society at No.
s5 Rvington-st. The subject was "New-York En-
ploymert Bureaus"
Thomas W. Hotchkiss. jr.. OF ST. Barthoomew's
Parish House In East Foriy-second-st opened the
discussion with n reference to the labor DEPART
ments in New-Zealand and other countries. by way
Of contrasting their usefulness with those In this
country
The conditions here" he continued. ARE strik-
Ing. and sometimes shocking. that II would
actually seem II all the evils arising either from
want OF employment the unwiliingness OF the idle
TO toll were centred here Hence it Is that beggsrs.
Ioungers and lcaers OF all classes and degrees
80 alarmIngly prevalent here.
AS TO those who seek employment through the
medium OF our several labor bureaus and whose
trustworthlness should be rigidy inquired into, Il
would be wei! 20 make investigation through their
former employers. Misplaced confidence is the
dlrec, result following the want OF proper lnforma-
ton which should be supplied the bureau by the
employer OF whom inquiry had been made. The
mercantile departments. tho hotels and other BUSH
ness concerns suffer to less extent be-
cause OF the fact that the employment, bureaus are
not sufficiently apprised Of the anteceicnts and
business capability Of the employees furnished
with reference 20 this particular matter would
recommend. and with all cheerfuncss that conf
dental relations between the employment bureaus
ard the employers should exist. X Is the work Of
the teacher and the apirltua. adviser 10 place tho
biaine Tor m.spi1ced confidence" and untrustWOrihi-
ness where IL OF right belongs"
MI hotchklSs sald ~ closing that large pro-
portion VI those ranked with tho Idle class today
were eIthcr too proud 10 admit being Of work
or did not work a. all He further spoke
OF labor organizations and the part played by them
IN regulating Affairs. both wages and hours OF
toll. The displacement Of labor by machinery. too.
he sad. had much 10 10 ~ swelling the huge army
OF the unemployed.
Mr.. H0tchKi-s spoke I'm favor OF the circulation
between the several employment bureaus OF what ne
termed black lists" containing the OF all the
ioailng class VINO are known 10 be averse 10 doing
any
John j. Bcilin. Of the Ncw-York State Employ
nent Bureau: VINO followed. aid he did not speak
OF New DIRK. Il clear from statistics IN his
possession that there was not half enough work
Tor all the wagc-earners In the State The quar-
tcrly reports o! aT.e.ters and foiners unions
and one thousand other labor organizations scat
tered IN every quarter % New York STATE showed,
he said, that fully ~ per cent of their actual
bershp were unemployed between the months Of
March and july OF last year.
He said the Introduction O., machinery. and not
mmigr3 ton. responsible FOR the large dsplace-
ment Of manual labor throughout tho State and
country In Germany n" SAID n man was con.
sidered capable Of acquttlng himself IN the ield ~
labor until he reached his seventeen year. In
England he added. Mr.. Chamberlain and Mr.. Nor
Icy placed the limit OF toers sixty. while IN
go and die try to work "D0mestics." he
said ARE cashiercd or shelyei at forty years Of
age"
other speakers were George II Polhemus OF tho
Salvation Army. J. Mcliugh ~ St Vincent de
Paurs Society and Henry White. OF the United
Garment Workers Of America.
The next conference which will 70 the second OF
the series, will be held at the call Of Miss Kings
bury.