The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-14
An Employment Bureau.

A correspondent of the New York Sun"
wishes TO have established. in New York
Mutual Aid Bureau" conducted On the
following principles:
LET the wealthy and successful kindly disposed
men and women OF our State, and nation. if pos
sible contribute place in trust such sums of
money as they desire 10 give to their less for
tunate nsighboTs Let il be Understood that Ger
tain sums of money would be forthcoming to
worthy industrious persons who could, By means
of a stated amount, turn themselves. imbibe
fresh courage and find way to help themselves.
For instance, husband and father has been
i'll The hearticss and ayaricioiIs holder Of the
chattel mortgage demands satisfaction. The bu-
reau could render assistance by paying the in
terest or, perhaps. by raising the mortgage. The
latent genius OF the artist or musician in poor
young man or woman might he quckened and
made to prove valuable investment. Or
young wife with a child two and suddenly
bereft OF her husband could learn typewriting
one Of a dozen other things, if she had some as
sistanee. When hope and prosperity were recov-
cred the money, with interest. when advisable,
should be returned. But this should not in all
cases be obligatory.
zone other thing / would suggest: Certain
worthy persons. who, by the strange yicissi-
tudes OF fortune have been thrown out OF en-
AllOyment and find it impossible to
place should be encouraged 10 apply at the
bureau and business men desiring reliable help
could make known their wants at the bureau In
other words, let il be that every applicant
will receive kind word genuine sympathy and
interest and the assurance that, il possible,
kstance shall be rendered.
This is a pretty scheme. and it is posi-
Bile that something Of the kind may event
ually be done in every large city. for there
are certainly many people seeking work
who would be useful and even invaluable
in the right place, but are unable 70 sup
port themselves in comfort because they
cannot find that place. The unofficial bu-
reaus Of assistance which already exist,
in the shape OF charitably inclined people
who have large acquaintance among both
rich and poor. and the wireless telegraphy
among the poor themselves. are already
doing work in this line, but not all that
needs to be done. If there were some
recognized employment office where the
well-to-do could find good workers and
the poor would stand some chance of find
ing employment 1t might be a good thing.
But there are obstacles in the way of
Il. and wise forethought will consider
them The greatest of these Is perhaps
the contrariness Of human nature. IT will
operate on both sides OF the line. There
are employers who can never get salts
factory help and there are workers who
are never suited with a place. The en-
ployment bureau will encounter both
Take. for instance. the young widow
spoken of by the benevolent correspond
ent. II she is plucly, thorough intelll-
gent. and determined to earn her own liy-
ing she will probably get on. bureau or
no bureau. but what If she is not? There
,I,f
est problem with which the philanthropist
has to do. They say. when you talk 10
them, that they viii do anything, any