The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-07-31


herself airs.
she knew of her impending dismis-
sal several weeks ahead, and came to
me with the request to be on the look
out for another job for her. She is a
nervous woman and could see she
was much distressed over losing her
place The day after she was free she.
came in again and this is the way 7
was greeted: I suppose you have been
sending me special delivery letters
and postals which have mfscarried tell
ing me of splendid places 1 could have
this in the most sarcastic tone.
" Poor thing I said to myself, you
are worried to death or you wouldn't
talk like that.
" No, I haven't I told her serious
ly, for the reason that l have nothing
you would take Then 1 suggested
s. job and she flared up at once.
If I'm not worth $40 week I'm
not worth anything she said.
AT that moment contribution to
the society came in, and I excused my
self for a moment, knowing that the
visitor would not take more than five
minutes Of my time. Before the five
minutes were up the woman out Of
work left her seat and broke into our
conversation with the remark that she
had been waiting a long time and
thought she would better go Knowing
her excited condition, I insisted that
she should wait few minutes longer,
and she went back to her seat. Before
she went away I had almost gotten her
consent not to refuse IS or Sc, if it
We're offered as starter.
II am not prepared to say that this
society or any one charitable labor
bureau can always provide work i'm
mediately for every applicant, but this
much is certain, very large part Of
the number of intelligent women over
80 who are out of work are SO parti-
cular about the kind of employment
they get that 1t handicaps any bureau
trying to help them. Instead Of crying
to like what they can get they insist
upon getting what they like, and when
they don't get it they lay all the blame
at the door of employment agencies
and spread broadcast hard luck stories
of the most pathetic description
"There are college girls who do not
hesitate in summer to go to mountain
resorts and earn considerable money
working in the hotels and boarding
houses as Mattresses; but suggest such
a thing to some of the quite ordinary
women who come to us looking for
work, and they would be deeply
wounded
II venture to say remarked the
manager of an employment bureau
which does not deal with domestic ser
wants, that If the writer's of hard
luck letters who say they have had a
beautiful home of their own and UNI
derstand the art of house decoration
etc, as one writer did say the other
day. were willing to serve in some
household capacity in the summer ho-
tells, boarding houses and institutions
not necessarily in the kitchen-they
would come back in the fall with
enough money to give them courage tc
go to work to get the sort of employ
Iment they banker after
But, no. My applicants want place
to travel in luxury as companion, OF
to chaperon young women around the
country, or as private secretary, al
though they know nothing whatever
about stenography or else an office
place or some easy clerical work of tho
genteel order requiring no experience
and so on, Most of these persons woult
rather starve; they would Infinitely
: prefer to beg from friends and ac
/ 70 onr1ae0npH n II
anything practical which by any
chance might come under the head O.
mental. Then these same persons 81
around with tears in their eyes telling
every one who will listen what an aw
full place New York is to live in wher
out of work"
Men who are in touch with men!
employment agencies and have studieC
the subject of the man out Of work
from every standpoint say that there
is no city in the country where mel
: are able to put up the bluff of wanting
work and finding none with such sue
cess as in New York, for the reason
: that no other city has so many differ
ent charitable agencies, so many ways
whereby man may scratch along a.
the expense Of the community for g
long time without actually suffering
And that a large part of hard lucl
stories are more or less bluff they
frankly believe.
1T is true" said one of them, "tha
men every day are patrolling thu
! streets in search of work, applying IL
person at this, that and the other con-
} Germ turns them down. 1t is true alst
! that some of these men, a few of then
: really want work. Eventually If thes,
, men stick to their quest and maxi
! their wants known at the proper agen
} cies they generally get work. Per
haps a few make an effort and don
get work-Tll concede that much. Blu
} the majority are only bluff1ng.
| "The merchants and business mel
visited know this without even giving
S the amtter thought-that is they ar
A not convinced by the applicants man
ner, their interest is not aroused, thei
} attention is not arrested, they turf
A him away without ceremony, and h
[ deserves it. From time to time som
D enterprising young man studying so
3 cial conditions takes it into his hea,
/ to make q tour of New York to ascer
} tain how easy or how hard 1t is TO
= a stranger to get work, even of tn
most laborious character, to be had Il
r this great city. l often wonder tina
t these enterprising youths never suspec
e that the employers they come in con
tact with know they are blufflng. TIL
:. manner of q man or a woman who
e only playing at wanting work is no