Evening journal., 1908-10-05
Mondav. Octoher s. 1oos.
cARE oF EURopE,s UNEMPLoYED

IT HE results Of study BY w. d. r. Bliss %
a what is being done for the unemployed in
European countries are presented in a bulletin
OF the Bureau OF Labor of the Dcpartmnt OF
Commrce and Labor In their treatment of the
problem European countries usually recognize
three general classes of the uncmpoyed-the
empovable the uncmplovabc. and the vagrant,
the incorrigiblc, or more or less vicious.
The principal agency everywhere for dealing
with the employabe is the employment bureau,
both private and public but colonization and
various efforts to get men back 10 the land in
their home countries are also important
Public employment bureaus in Germany have
grown rapidly in the last twenty years, both in
numbers and efficiency. In a recent year for
ample according to an official report, there were
in Germany over 400 public employment bureaus,
finding places in that year for some $4,000 per
sons. In France also the public bureau has be-
come very important. the law since 1904 making
the maintenance OF such bureaus compulsory in
all towns OF 10000 or over.
In Great Britain a means OF relief lor the trade
union man ont Of work which has been dcvcl-
oped to great proportions is The trade union out
oi-work benefit
In the ~Gheni7 system the trade union out-of-
work benefit Is supplemented by the addition OF
sums contributed by the municipal or communal
or IN some cases the provincial or general gov
erninent This system has been largely dcvcl-
countries, notably France In Switzerland the
attempts to establish system of insurance
against unemployment have attracted much at
tcntion, though they can not be said TO have been
successful
Great Britain, Switzerland and German AUS
ira home shelters are organized into general
system of homes or hotels Tor wOrkngmcn tray
cling in search Of work in all the larger cities and
towns. Here workmen find lodging for a
night or two either by paving a small sum or, If
unable 10 pay, hy doing little work in the morn
ING. These are in all cases private Institutions,
maintained in MANY cases by trade unions, or not
iHfrequentlv by religious societies.
Connected with these home shelters there has
been developed, particularly in southern Ger
many and few other portions of the German
Empire system of smaller relief stations under
government administration support. These
relief stations are already organized in many por-
tons of the Empire in such numbers, as TO be
within walking distance OF each other and all are
connected bv telephone workman travelling
IN search Of work can 80 from shelter to shelter
and at every point learn in which direction he
can look for work with the hope of success II
unable to pay for his shelter he is required to
work in the morning and travel in the afternoon
and the time he can stay at any one shelter is
strictly limited Legislation has been enacted in
Prussia looking TO the establishment of this sys-
tenn all over that kingdom. In the Cantons OF
Switzerland. which have accepted the system
and irresponsible vagrants have largely dsap
peared from the community.
The most notable efforts in dealing with tn,
inemployable are the so-called labor colonies
or Germany and the less known but successfu
colonies OF Switzerland. The German colonies
which have grown rapidly, SO that there are nov
thirty in various parts of the Empire, are agrcul
tural colonies, maintained almost wholly by pri
vate philanthropy where any workman unable Il
find work can find shelter so long as he conform
TO the rules Of the colony lie is free to go a
any time but while in the colony must do tn
work assigned TO him. The actual criminals ar
sent to penal establishments The better gradn
OF various classes of labor colonies for variou
classes of the unemployed is the aim of the Sws
colonies most Of which. however arc i'm thei
beginnings.
Akin to the labor colonies are the penal col
onies, notably OF Belgium Switzerland and Ilol
land, TO which are sent those arrested for beg
ging persistent dleness, and other minor OF
lenses.