The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-01-19
THAT FREE BUREAU. J
1T IS GIVING EMPLOYMENT AGENTS
CONSIDERABLE TROUBLE.
They Are interviewing Every Alder
man-They Will Oppose the Alder
men Who Vote For the Free Labor
Bureau-That is a Game That Two
Can Play-There Are n Few Labor
ing Men in the City Who Vote Also

A delegation from the various unions 1
of the city waited upon the city coun- B
Gil last Monday evening and urged the
passage of the ordinance to establish
a free city employment bureau The
bill was introduced by Alderman Neff
some time ago, but in deference>t to the
wishes of one of the aldermen them at
ter has been hung up in the committee
room until after the election. Alder
man Neff was not present Monday
evening, he having been called away on
business The bill will perhaps come
up for it's second reading next Monday
evening. The delegation from the un-#
ions say that they will know who their
friends are by that time, and yill find
out. whether few employment agents
have more influence with the alder
men than $500 organized working men
in the city.
One of the employment agents nam
ed Richards sent a letter to the coun-
Gil stating that his company would
furnish employment to all deserving
men. sent by charitable or other or
ganizations. This is apparently an at
tempt to make the bureau look ridic-
charitable organizations that the bu-
reau is wanted. 1t is purely business
proposition. Workingmen would and
should feel insulted to be offered a job
under such conditions as proposed by
Mr.. Richards. The private agencies
are putting up hard fight. They say
| that the bureau will not do any good,
that it will not be a success and at the
same time they are opposing it as
strongly as they know how.
Mr.Lane. another employment agent,
threw down the gauntlet in last Mon
day mornings News Tribune in a Bit
ter and insulting article devoid of ar
gument and truth. The idea of Ia
Dor leech' attacking and condemning
the organizations of labor is indeed
amusing.
We have been asked to answer the
article of Mr.. Lane We refuse.
| There's nothing to answer. Organized
labor needs no defense, especially when
attacked from such a source 1t was
organized labor that began the move
ment for the municipal ownership of
water and light plants, street railway
systems, etc. It is organized labor
that has begun the movement for the
abolition Of the private employment
Iagencies. Us we do not succeed this time
r : e. r. mn 81
iipts heiI. carry on the fight
until we do win.
The ernpl gents are Inter
viewing every alderman upon the sub
ject, they do not propose to support
any candidate who is in favor Of the
public bureau. Will labor be as wise?
Will labor support its friends? That
remains to be seeen. So far as we are
! concerned we will oppose the election
of any alderman who opposes labor on
this proposition. The fight is now for
the determination of private labor
bureaus. The fight will continue until
the last vistage of these warts on
| the back Of the laborer have disap-
peared.
The private agents ask what busi-
| ness is it of organized labor whether
there is a private or public bureau.
They say that members of organized
IIlabor do not patronize them. That the
men that they hire do not belong to
any labor organization and for this
reason organized labor ought to attend
to it's own business. We say that. it is
our business. Any proposition that is
either a detriment or q benefit to- la
Dor, is part Of the business of organized
labor Organized labor fights the bat
ties of the unorganized because they
are not in a position to fight their own
battles. Since our last issue we have
visited the Superior bureau and find
that it is grand success. They have
more orders than they can fill and the
bureau seems to give general satisfac-