The representative., 1899-12-07
The st. Paul Globe, hard-shelled Dem
Orat-had this to say the other daY:

PROGRESSING TOWARD SOCIALISM.
The st. Paul Globe, hard-shelled Dem
orat-had this to say, the other day:
The remarkable departure from accepted
standards Of state action With reference to
the pecuniary interests of the individual
citizen Is presented to view through a
statute passed at the last session of the leg
islature of the state of Illinois, and now in
active operation. That law Is nothing less
than the establishment of free employment
agencies in every city of the. state Of over
$4,000 Inhabitants. and of three such agen-
cies in the city of Chicago:'"'' go. Ao,e., :,
These Offices are established to assist
each applicant for work to obtain it without
charge, and any applicant seeking help in
any legitimate enterprise whatever is enti-
tied to the states aid. Each office is man
aged by a superintendent, a woman assist
ant and clerk recommended by the state
board of labor commissioners appointed by
the governor. Ever since the establishment
Of the offices in Chicago they have been
overcrowded. They have now been in oper-
alton some two months, and from the outset
they have been patronized BY the employers
Of labor. The railroads of the state have
nearly all asked for the assistance of the
of1ces in getting them the labOrers they
need, and many large private houses have
followed the example. The South Side office
in Chicago during two. months placed only
was unable to fill but LOIS of nearly 5000
requests of employers. The record, however,
OF women seeking positions as house SER
wants is different OF 1903 such women.
all but about 100 were given places, while
665 employers out of 2,O11 failed to find in
the public employment offices the help they
needed. The indications, however, are that
as the offices become better known to the
people, they will be more generally patron
lied by those seeking employment.
One of the notable circumstances con-
nected with the entry of the state into a do
main before reserved for private, industry
Is that there has been no protest or obiec-
tlon entered. to the operations Of these Of
noes by the private employment agencies
Notwithstanding that the latter are forced
to pay license tax of 5000 each, This
seems all the more extraordinary since the
success OF the public undertaking in this
direction must inevitably result in the de-
struct1on OF the private institutions, pro-
vlded, OF course, the state will continue to
establish such proportion of public en-
ployment agencies as the demand seems to
warrant, and provided further that these
agencies are properly administered. .-q Il
1t is gratifying to be able to record that
the most noted students of social conditions |
In Chicago and elsewhere are agreed in ex-
tending their approval to the movement |
nor has any objection been raised by the la
Dor organizations. On the contrary, those |
movement, the law providing that no en-
ployer shall bes furnished with workmen
whose employees are either striking or
locked out a. '''''~ '''
The success of this experiment will be
regarded with much interest by all OBJ
servers and 1t Is not at all unlikely to effect |
something like revolution in existing
means OF providing work for the unem
ployed.
The world is turning topsy-turvey
when the. leading Democratic daily of
Minnesota can print such an editorial as
the foregoing.
And yet-why not?
Government is intended and estab-
lished for the benefit of the. governed:
and If the working people who contrib
lted the working people, who constitute
The great bulk of the population, can
obtain the means of life through this
sovernment-action, better than by
eaving them to the mercy OF individu,
u indifference, by all means give us the
state employment agencies.
God ordained progress, and there can
oe no real progress that does not make
he people happier. 4- -.,.LD.-