The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-08-20
FIRE labor BUREAU 7 7
SUPPORTED BY MARkus

0UrrunIED DI MhhkU3
RETIRING :. SECRETARY FILES
GRACEFUL REPORT WITH
CITY COUNCIL.
Gives City Dads Something to Think
About. Shows That Average Cost Of
Placing Men at Work IL ~ Cents.
Tells SomethtaE About the Bureau
| and It's Work That In a Revelation.
Hot Shot ut Politicians.
w. F. Markus, ex-secretary of the
Municipal Employment Bureau, SUBJ
mitted a report Of all business trans-
acted during the four years Of service,
to the city council last Monday even
ing.
In his report he gracefully advocates
that the bureau be continued, and in
cidentally takes a shot or two at the
private agencies.
He accounts for the poor showing
made during the past three months
by the fact that there has been but a
small demand for labor. The follow
ing Is the report in full:
To the President and Common Coun-
Gil Of the City of Dluuth: Gentlemen
Having resigned my position I desire
to report to your honorable body the
total of the business transacted by
this department since its institution.
From November /, 1901, to August
10, 1904, inclusive, employment has
been found for $3.50 persons, being an
average Of SO per week The cost Of
maintaining the bureau for the time
I'D Ho3r
cost Of "A cents for each position fur
nished.
The expense can be verified by the
books kept in this office and also by
those in the comptrollers office. The
names Of all persons employed are on
record In this office on consecutively
numbered sheets, one for each person,
showing when hired. where sent, the
kind of work to be performed and other
necessary items of information. The
employers order blank is also dated,
numbered and indexed and thereon il
recorded the number that corresponds
with the number, on the application;
the particulars regarding the nature
Of the work to be performed and tho
wages offered therefor.
The board of commissioners has not
yet had an opportunity to consider the
resolution adopted by the common
council on August l requesting certain
information from them. AS you would
probably like to have this information
at an early day will briefly give it
from my point of view.
The cause for the poor showing dur
ing the quarter year mentioned was
the small demand for labor owing to
the depression in all lines of business
which was greatly enhanced by tho
strikes on the great lakes. The ore
shipping railroads did not put on their
extra gang and section men as early
| this year as informer years, nor did
| they hire as many men as formerly
| when they did commence work. The
| 1oggers did not start their summer
! camps as early nor on as large a scale
as is usual. One company that has
hired large numbers of men through
this office usually operates seven or
eight large camps. This summer 1t has
| only wox small camps and more men
IapplX It: the camps for:=wo rk.t ha 4 can
be used, III 81
In the city So many men were search
ing for work that employers could get
| employment Offices S'
The Duluth Superior Traction COM
pany has done much less work than in
| the past two years and has not found
it necessary to apply to us for men.
Another cause for loss of business
was the loss of the Duluth telephone,
which was removed from this office
last fall. Some firms have this phone
only and cannot now do business with
this office. The Duluth phone was
ordered into this office when the bureau
| was organized, and repeated efforts
! were made to get the councils permis-
sion to keep 1t, but they have been un-
| successful. It is matter of business
to have all the facilities enjoyed by
| your competitors. The new secretary
should be allowed the use Of this
phone. He should also have an as
sistant at least part of the time, sc
he can get out and look uporders. II
will not do to lock up the office during
business hours, as the orders lost al
such times would Offset any new ones
obtained. If two persons were employ.
ed in this department they could so ar
range their hours that the office coulG
keep open from a. m. to p. m.
The bureau Is better located than Il
was while In the Armory building, bu
a still better location could be ant
should be provided.
In regard to the inquiry in the abov,
mentioned resolution, as to whether
the secretary's time was fully employ
ed, I will say that he has put In NOR,
hours per day than was required o
him by the city.
A seemingly great cry has arisen t
have the bureau abolished. From tn
noises made one would think tina
thousands were claInoring for it, bu
like the frogs in the story, II you tr:
! to find them taside from those work
ing in the interest Of the pay bureaus
you will discover that they are few an
far between. A daily newspaper ha
published various articles containing
untruthful statements obviously cal
culated to influence public sentiment
Organized labor must be shown tina
the bureau is a menace to its member.