Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-29
Conditions in New York

Mr. John J. Bealin, superintendent de-
partment of labor and of the free employ
ment bureau of New York, read a paper on
conditions of employment in New York
with special reference to the work carried
on in that city by employment bureaus. He
spoke of the effort of his department to
encourage the employment of old people
who still have an earning capacity but
who find prejudice against them because
they are regarded as slow in their work
The problem of how to place willing
workers who had advanced in years re-
mains, to a great extent, unsolved," said
Mr.. Bealin. Employers, rule, will not
employ any but young people. The stopped
shoulder or gray head discounts very ma
terially persons chance to find employ
ment 1t is by means an easy matter
to solve this problem. So far we are
concerned, we make every effort to have
the aged people employed. Many of them
we are satisfied are competent, and If per-
haps a little slow in the manner in which
they perform their work, in the long run
they will accomplish as much as younger
people.
Il have in mind the case of a Scotch
woman for whom we recently found en-
ployment. She could not understand why
she could not get work readily She said
to me, am well able to do work l am
able to earn my bread and l will not go
to almshouse as long as 1 am able to
earn a living
This woman is at present living with a
content 1t gives me great pleasure to say
that, as in her case in great many others
we were able to get people who were adj
vanced in years chance to earn their liy-
ing and to eat the bread Of honest toll"
Comment on Employment Agencies.
Mr.. Bealin also spoke of the efforts of
officials in New York to prevent fraud
against applicants for work in New York
city and state by the employment agencies
there.
From information gained in various
parts of the state" he said sit seems to
be the general opinion that many of the
so-called employment or intelligence agen-
cies are far from being conducted in such
a manner as to merit public approval So
far as New York state is concerned the
story that Is told is but a repetition of ex-
perience with such institutions in the city
of New York.
1.-THE abuses complained of and proven
are first of all non-fulfllment of contract:
that is to say in employment agencies
there is charged a registration fee, which
means that certain sum of money is paid
to be placed on the list of applicants for
work, it being implied that work of the
kind for which the applicant registered will
be secured for them, and, in fact, that po-
sitions of that kind are then vacant. When
situations are secured the rule is that 10
per cent of the first months salary is paid
to the Office for securing employment
Mr.. Bealin detailed instances in which
agencleSenad taken the money OF applicants
for positions and then had made no effort
to supply them with places beyond giving
them fictitious addresses. Such cases have
been reported, and in some, at least the
authorities had dealt out justice to the
offenders.
The Department Of Labor.
Commissioner Wright made a report on
the work that is now under way by the
department of labor, Of which he is the
head.
"On the list Of July" he said, "the de-
partment of labor will form a part of the
new Department of Commerce and Labor.
You heard what the Secretary Of that de-
partment said yesterday on the occasion
of our visit to his office, and I know from
my acquaintance with him that the work
Of the department of labor and Of all these
state bureaus will have his cooperation.
There will be no danger. as has been feared
In some quarters, that he will minimize
the work.,
Mr.. Wright said the immediate work of
the department will be to complete the re-
port on the cost of living and also the ex-