The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-29
FARMERS GO TO CITY
TO HIRE FARM HANDS
Labor Bureau in New York City
Supplies Worlmen OF
All Kinds.
New York Evening Post

New York Evening Post.
1t may not be generally known that the
demand in New York city for farm hands is
greater than the supply. and that farmers
come TO town regularly in search OF strong.
able-bodied men. who will receive good
wages if they VIII only consent 10 work
at the pillow. The medium through which
these farmers seek 10 obtain help is the
free employment bureau OF the State De-
partment OF Labor, No. 107 East Thirty
nrSt street. The bureau Is free 20 both
employer and enploye. and TO IL thousands
of applicants come yearly.
The bureau was organized about eight
years ago, and IL the only one OF its kind
conducted by the State. Generally speak
ing, the bureau is practically unknown TO
the majority OF citizens using intelligence
Offices. though ii numbers among it's pa
irons hotels, hospitals and public institu-
lions and numerous private families Ii is
utilized by nearby and upstate farmers,
and last year the wheat farmers of Kansas
applied TO II for harvesters.
The many complaints against the methods
OF intelligence Offices and the help SUD
piled by them have aided the bureau in its
work. Though employment Is not guaran-
teed, an effort is mace to find a place for
every applicant, providing the applicant
can produce good references as TO charac-
ter and ability. In addition TO references
the person seeking employment must al
out a blank stating nationality. age. num-
Der of children, number OF dependent chill
dren occuaption, kind OF work desired. ra 10
OF wages received from last employer and
length of time employed. Ii is also nee
essary for the applicant TO give the cause
and length of idieness, and 10 state his
Willingness TO work outside the city.
The application blanks may appear for
mdable TO many applicants but they
doubtless serve the purpose Of protecting
the employer against incompetent or ds-
honest employees, as every effort is made
10 verify the latter's statements The bu-
reau being a state organization, and re-
curing no fee, il differs from the average
employment Office in that il lacks the in
helpless employer. For this reason. and
for the reason that its applicants ara
usually intelligent and deserving, the bu-
reau is growing IN favor and is becoming
utility just in proportion as its work Is
known 10 the public.
Last year 6.274 applicants for work were
registered at the bureau, 3.25S being men
and 3,0l6 women Only two of the former
were unable 90 read or write. while l52
women were ilhterate. At the same time
the latter possessed "A good deal of Informal
ton associated with their various ayoca-
tons. There were AM applications for helo
7 during 1903, and the percentage Of appli-
cantS securing employment was seventy
one.
A marked feature of the work is the year
ly increase in the number of men employed
through the bureau, and IL is interesting to
note that innumerable calls for helm are
received from farmers. who not only make
| application by mail, but come i'm person TO
the bureau 10 iOoh al Hhely nandS. Good
wages and a good home are offered by
nearly all the farmers, yet they have diff
Guilty in obtaining help.
The bureau also receives many out-of-
| town orders from hotel keepers. The de-
mand for help. especially for general house
workers, is far in excess of the supply
though the bureau last year found work for
1884 women.
BY comparing the bureaus report for 1909
| with that of 1897, one will find that condi-
tons have changed very much for the bet
ter in seven years. Fewer persons nova
| days give mo work as the cause of their
| idleness, and il may be noted that only a
| small percentage of the applicants are
| skilled mechanics. This latter fact may be
| due to the action OF the trades unions in
caring for their members when strikes or
lockouts called. While a desire to
| change their calling often brings applicants
| TO the bureau. ii is great help TO many
men, who are ready to work if they can OBJ
| tain emplOyment