The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-05-25

The weekly bulletin Of the Illinois
Bureau of Labor Statistics gives a
summary of the business done by that
institution for. eighty-nine weeks and
up to April 49, 1901: This institution
includes the employment offices of the
north, south and west sides, and we
observe from the totals given that
62,216 applications for employment
were received during that time. and
1851 persons Of this number secured
employment through this agency. The
number OF APPLICANTS fors$ he lps flIed was
81, of whicl sns,t
filed. 'z% 2S
When we consider the vast number
of persons constantly on the move in
search Of employment we can better
understand the true value of free en-
ployment agencies as operated under
the state laws. AS a rule the person
in search of employment is one y no
has very limited bank account and
who regulates his menu accordingly.
1t can be fairly understood from the
above figures how the many fake en-
ployment bureaus of Chicago found
business and prospered financially
when the fees charged ranged between
two and five dollars, according to the
positions sought. The free bureau was
not organized with the sole purpose
in mind of giving free information to
those seeking employment to the ex-
clusion Of those engaged In the legiti-
mate end Of the trade, but to protec:
those who gave their last dollar to IL
legitimate concerns that never made
any pretnetion Of securing situations
for their patrons. And their nefarious
practices do not stop here.
On one road out of Chicago that we.
have in mind, several of these concerns
operating under the name of employ
lnent bureau and scalper's office, en-,
tered into tacit agreement with. q
yard master to bill certain persons in
charge of stock and thus secure pas
sage for them, upon the presentation,
of credentials furnished the from scalp
er's office. The rates charged for. tran
sportation was to agree with the
amount of money the applicant had.
This amount was divided between the
agency and the yardmaster The rules
Of the company restricting the number
of persons in charge of a car of stock
to one person in each car or special
consignment, was in one instance over
looked by the yardmaster who had
one more passenger than he had cars to
be- assigned. This led to an investiga-
ton by the conductor who demanded
to examine their contracts. The only
contracts that: were forthcoming were
the cards of certain Clark street agents
upon which were written pass bearer
followed by the initials of some person
and addressed to the yard master.
Thus it will be seen that their un-
scrupulous dealings are not confined to
robbing the poor victim Of his last dol
lar, processing to act as agent in Sc
curing for him transportation or en-
ployement, but they engage in dou-
BILE conspiracy which not only robs him
of his money and sets him penniliness
in the country far from his destina-,
ton, but are concerned in scheme
to, defraud railroads into which they
draw men In honorable service and
make criminals of them.
In an editorial on this subject the
Record Herald says:
Having gone into the business Of
maintaining free employment agencies
at public expense, the state is undersan
obligation to regulate the private
agencies that are conducted in this city
and to more rigidly enforce the laws al
ready enacted to protect the unemploy-
ed from imposition and extortion.
An investigation OF these agencies
by committee of the lower house Of
the Legislature discloses condition
that calls for more stringent legisla-
ton governing the conduct OF, this
business. Testimony was heard from
sixty witnesses, who complained Of
fraud on the part Of the private agen-
cies. The house committee found that
nearly I'll of these agencies arc doing.