New-York tribune., 1905-02-07
AGENT LAW AMENDMENTS.
MISS KELLOR'S VIEWS.
Employment Bureaus, Scared by
Tribune, Cease Criminal Methods.

The Tribune's exposures of the criminal meth
DDS used by many fraudulent employment
agencies, printed on Sunday and yesterday, has
already checked the vile practices. An inves-
tigator visited a number of Illegal agencies yes
terday and found the agents exceedingly wary.
He was told at nearly all of them that they had
positions. Several proprietors of employ
ment agency saloons affected surprise when the
investigator applied for work.
The suggestions of License Commissioner
Keating which appeared in The Tribune yes
terday, regarding the revision of Chapter 432
of the Laws of 1904. was discussed yesterday by
a number of persons interested in the work of
wipng out the procuring system and ridding the
city of fraudulent employment agents.
Miss Frances A. Kellor, of the New-York AS
sociation of Household Research. and honorary
member of the Employment Agencies Protective
Association. said that some of Commissioner
Keating's recommendations were excellent, but
she did not approve OF his suggestion that the
law should be divided into three sections. She
pointed out that in Boston the law governing
the agencies was divided into two clauses-in-
telligence Offices, for contract labor and
wants and mercantile offices, where clerks and
professional positions were obtained.
Il agree with the Commissioner in the regula-
tion of fees said Miss KelIor.
the New-York Association of Household Re
search is not opposed TO amendment of the law.
but we do not feel that the present law has
been sufficiently tested to determine the wisest
amendments The bill became a law in April
OF last year and the Commissioner was supposed
to have gone into Office May 1. The entire
summer was consumed in organizing the depart
ment. Commissioner Heating obliged 10
work with a lot of temporary inspectors who
did not know whether they were going to hold
their jobs or not, and did inefficient work. His
OFc civil irSn
into office early in September, and no women
were appointed unit! January, although at least
two-thirds of the employment offices are run
by women, and women inspectors could be more
effective. Because the work Of organizing the
Commissioners Office has required so much time.
the actual enforcing of the law began in JanU-
ary. The preliminary work Of finding the Of
fee. explaining and posting the law getting
out the receipts and getting in the proper form
of registry is hardly finished yet, so that the
purpose of the law. aimed at the deep ated
evils namely fraud and immortality just
getting under way. Our association has been
approached by various organizations and ind-
viduals in regard to amendments, but we do
not feel that the law should be, exposed 70 the
danger of opening 4 for amendments when there
has been little time TO test it and see what is
actually needed
1--WE believe that there should be a better
classification, that lodging houses run by en-
pigment agencies should be by the consent Of
the Commissioner and not merely by his knowl-
edge; that Office hours should be regulated so
that Offices conducted in living rooms could not
be kept open at all hours of the night under that
pretence The living room clause of the present
law seems to be open to various constructions
Commissioner Keating holding that if the room
is locked off it can be part Of apartment
In the heart of a tenement house. That clause
should be more clearly defined.
THE clause in regard to dsreputable houses,
as ii is now interpreted. means that a
must actually run the danger and enter such
& place to convict the agent The Massachu-
setts law is much stronger in this matter. it
provides that if a woman Is sent to enter a
disorderly house by agent. that act is suff-
cient for a conviction. 1 believe that the Com
missioner should be given the power to refuse
a license. There should be a revision in the
clause regarding the penalties The penalty for
running an Office without license is less now
than the penalty for a violation of the law
The former penalty should be the same as or
greater than the latter. because some agents
find it cheaper 10 run an agency without IL
cense than TO violate the law.
The chairman of the legislative committee
of the Women's Municipal League Miss NJ. D.
Dreier has together with myself. who got the
facts for the present New-York law. been put
on a national committee 10 draft uniform
Continued second