The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1909-01-13
AID But NOT CHARITY
How Switzerland Helps the Unemployed
Without Hurilialin8 Them. :: =:


| never allowed to cross the threshold
Of these places. No one Is admitted
to a Swiss relief-in-kind station un-
less his papers show that he has been
in regular work within the previous
three months and out of work for at
least five days; unless they show,
also, that neither the police nor his
own district authorities have any
reason for looking on him askance.
He who is admitted, however, is made
welcome, and is treated with consid-
Grafton as respectable man whom
misfortune has befallen."
Apparently the station is sort of
wayside inn, where the accredited
guest gets a nights lodging and a
meal or two, and is aided to find a
job. He may not tarry at the station
nor pay a return visit to 1t within six
| months.
"These stations are semi-private
institution; they were organized and
are managed by local nonofiiclal COM
mittees, which have formed themselves
| into an inter-cantonial unicn, and all
work together. They are supported
partly by voluntary contributions and
partly by State, municipal and COM
munal grants. The poor law author
tiles have nothing whatever to do
| with them. For respectable
work seekers a relief-in-kind station
is a real boon, for they can go there
not only without losing their self-re-
spect, but without running any risk
of being pauperized.'
Several cities also contain "home
| inns, where workingmen, if without
| lodgings, may stay with their wives
and children for time at very small
expense, or even in some cases gratis.
| There are also in the chief industrial
| centres warmstuben (warm rooms),
| provided either by the authorities or
by some private society, where the
unemployed may pass their days
while waiting for work"
In 1891 the city Of Berne started
a municipal bureau for insurance
against unemployment, the first of
its kind in the world. This was a
! voluntary organization, open to any
man who wished to pay dues of eight
cents month and get an unemplOy-
ment benefit of twenty cents a day
Tor. sixty days when he needed it.
The bureau is now joined to the
Berne municipal labor bureau and the
insurance dues are fourteen cents
month, with slightly increased ben
| efits in unemployment. Men unable
to work, above sixty years of age, or
who are on strike, may not be in
/ sured. Members of the insurance bu-
reau are allowed to travel on all the
State railroads at half fares when
looking for jobs. The city authori-
ties, moreover, give preference to the
insured ON municipal work, and try to
have all public works conducted in
the winter months, when there is the
greatest need of employment. About
600 persons were insured last year,
of whom something less than half
asked aid, while the labor bureau OBJ
tanned jobs for 1855 out of 1860
applicants.
AS long range attempts to remedy
unemployment, which is seen to affect
unskilled labor especially, there are
compulsory courses in handicrafts in
most of the public schools, and labor
bureaus ARRANGE for the apprentice
ship of boys whose parents cannot be
trusted to arrange for it wisely. Mas
ters are directly responsible to the
local authorities for the technical
training of their apprentices. One
tenth of the State revenue from the
liquor monopoly is devoted to tenn
perance work for the benefit of the
working class, which is held to in
clude comfortable housing and cheap,
wholesome food The Bundesrath re-
Gently prohibited the manufacture Of
absinthe and is considering measures
to prevent its importation.