Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-06

oodIuS VI agriculture, ln0uStIldl anu WIFI
| mercial organizations. railway companies
and other large employers OF labor, immi-
grant aid societies. charita Bile associations
newspapers and other sources OF informa-
ton throughout the country concerning
the conditions Of the labor market, the
opportunities for employment, wages.
hotse rents and other expenses of living.
SCHOOLS. churches. unocGupied farms ano
such other facts as may be useful In giv-
ing advice to newly arrived aliens. or
example. We have recently requested all
the agricultural papers in the country TO
announce that we particularly desire to
reach those who are in need OF farm Ia
borers or are likely to require this class
Of help In the future. We desire to know
OF specific opportunities; what wages Will
be paid: what chances for advancement
exist: whether employment will be per-
manent: what farms can be rented and
the terms.
I'VE have asked business and industrial
associations throughout the United
States to send US lists of their members
who may be In need OF labor. skilled or
unskiiled. and when we get the names
We send blanks for them to fill out in re-
| lions. the kind Of labor they want.
whether skilled or unskilled. mechanics or
farm hands, ordinary laborers, donestics
or farm tenants.
ITO local officiaIs we send blanks to be
filed concerning the churches in their
neighborhood at which foreign languages
are spoken, and the school facilities, and
what foreigners ere living In the neigh
! send blanks acking the kind OF Leip they
use. whether men or women. with lists
of the 6ades and occupations. so that
they can flll them out WITHOUT much diff
Guilty. We ask which nationaiities are
| preferred. whether they want married or
single men. the price Of board end lodg-
| ing. the hours of labor; whether the serv-
| ices Of wives can be utilized; whether
| homes are furnished. and IL not what rent
will have to be paid.
1--WE are asking state boards Of agricul.
| ture and similar agencies to give US lists
Of farms for sale and fer rent; areas.
prices. the kind Of crops. the terms and
conditions.
1--WE have blanks that we send all over
the country to hotels. boarding houses
and private individuals who want do
nestle servants, asking the nature Of
their duties. the nationalities preferred,
be more acceptable. whether children
would be objectionable, whether employ
ment could be found for the husbands
and other necessary information"
The Servant Girl Problem.
Have you been able to do anything
toward solving the servant Girl problem"
I asked.
1--WE have been able to locate few
erous."
What became of the 1000 damsels who
were reported to have arrived from Eng
land and Ireland on one Of the steamers
not long ago. looking for employment?
Was that a true story?" I asked.
Only partially true" answered Mr..
Powderly.. We investigated and we
found that most Of the 1000 girls were
"a If md IrtC Ypatdanf0
of this country. who took advantage of
cheap steamship rates to visit the old
country and" then for some reason hap
pened to come back on the same steamer.
Many of them brought relatives and
friends with them, and altogether they
made up a party Of several hundred.
Most Of them were well-h do people.
They passed through lie immigration
Office without, delay and disappeared
There has been complaint on the part
Of certain state officials that you will not
permit them to- communicate with immi-
grants" / suggested.
Cooperation With States.
1--WE give them every facility that the
law allows" said Mr.. Powderly. I'VE
cannot permit state immigration agents
on shipboard. We are not allowed on
shipboard ourselves. We cannot permit
them to work in the immigrant station.
We are not able to do anything there
ourselves because OF the enormous crowds
and the rush and excitement. Immigrants
| are now pouring through the station at
the rate OF from three to five thousand
day, and the officials in charge cannot
allow that rush to be checked, because It
would create confusion. They cannot al
low anybody to talk with the immigrants
in the station, and the immigrants would
not listen II any one attempted to do so.
We are already in correspondence with
the immigration bureaus and agencies In
the different states. and where there are
| none we hope they will soon be estab-
lished. for it is much easier and safer to
deal with statutory authorities. We VIII
be able to say to the immigrants that
their information is official and reli-
able, which we cannot say IL it carne from
private individuals. factories or railroad
companies. We will do everything we can
to assist state agents. That is what this
division has been created for. Our pur-
pose is to prevent the newcomers from
settling down in the cities and increasing
the congestion Of the population where
they are not needed. We want to distrib-
ute them throughout the country, par
ticularly on the farms and in the small
towns where their labor Is needed. where
they will be more comfortable and con-
tent ed. and where they can be more easily
assinilated with our body polite. That
1 say. is the object Of this division. and.
of course. we will use every facility we
can find to accomplish it,
Where is the largest demand for Ia
bor?' I asked.
LIT comes from the northwest. The
south wants farm laborers and factory
hands-men, women and children; and
employers there want us to pick out GER
tain natfonalities and certain classes for
them, but that is impossible. We can only
explain to everybody alike the opportunities
that are offered for immigrants in vari-
Gus sections of the country and let then
take their choice. When he have our
distribution agencies established we will
post bulletins in the different languages
stating thatso many Germans are wanted
at such a place and so many Swedes and
so many English and so many Italians at
other places, and tell them where to ap
ply for details. In that way every new
conner will be able to learn whatever he
wants to know in deciding upon loca-
ton"