The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-25
EMPLOYMENT FAKIRs.
How Section hands Are Swindled at
Kansas City.

Kansas City, Mo, July ga. B. jam
ison, superintendent of the state free la
Dor bureau, is about to begin a war on
the fake employment agencies that have
flourished so long in Kansas City and
have muIcted men, financially unable to
lose the money out OF sums ranging
from 81 to So Ever since assuming Of
fee Mr. Jamison has tried to counteract
the evils of these employment sharks,
but has been in a measure unsuccessful
Now he proposes to clean them out en-
tirely, to use his own expression II he
is able to do so.
Mr. Janison will leave for Chicago
today to consult the heads of the rail-
roads as to what action can be taken
in putting a stop to practice long COM
mon among many railroad employment
agencies of Kansas City-that of ship
ping men out to work on the lines, and
dividing the fees secured with some sec
ton boss or foreman.
The men / am after particularly"
said Mr. Jamison yesterday, ARE those
who run the so-called railroad employ
ment agencies. They are so smooth in
the way they carry on their practices
that the law cannot apparently reach
them.
Here is an illustration of the way
some of them secure money: One day
last week three hard working men ap-
piled for jobs at one of the Union ave-
nue. employment agencies.
ton hands, took 81 from each of them
and bought tickets for some place in
Kansas The men carried their lunch in
small grip. When they reached the
depot the agent reached for the grip,
saving he would check it for them. The
men objected, as the grip held their
lunch, saying they wished to take it in
the car with them. The agent grew
angry, grabbed the tickets away from
the men and stalked away, saying that
if he couldn't check their grip they
would not get the jobs. He also refused
ito return them their money.
THE men came to me after vain at
tempt to placate the surly agent. and 1
went with them to the prosecuting at
torneys office. The prosecuting attorney
said there was no state law covering
such a case and that the defrauded
mems only redress was a civil action.
As a civil action would be more expen-
siVe than the small amount OF money
of which they were robbed, of course
nothing was done. This was only one
Of many similar cases.
But the most fragrant cases of rob-
berry and the ones 1 am going to fight
the hardest are those where the agents
and minor employees of the railroads
work together. The scheme is this; An
employment agency rounds up a gang
of men, telling them they are to work
on section. The agent shakes them
down for all he can get out of them
and then sends them out They are re-
ceived by the foreman of the section
gang and put to work. They work one
day possibly two. and then another
gang arrives, sent out by the same
agent. Upon their arrival the first gang
is unceremoniOusly fired, without quill
Gent funds to come back to Kansas
CITY. This constant shifting Of men is
kept up and of course agent and fore
man make money out of it.
"A man who was formerly boss of a
section gang for one of the big rail-
roads here told me yesterday that for
wears he divided fees with a local agent,
whose whole time was taken up in
sending out gangs of section hands He
said his share of the fees amounted 10
much more than his salary, and he was
drawing good wages, too"