Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-02
MORE PAY FAVORED
Action of Chamber of Com
merCe Directors.
MAY APPEAL TO CONGRESS
Higher Salaries for Government EN-
ployes Desired.
FINDING WORK FOR NEEDY
Gallinger Amendment to Morrill, Act
Notwithstanding COM
mittee Expenditures.
WAY APPEAL TO CONGRESS
FINDING WORK FOR NEEDY

Reports declaring that the govern
ment employees should have increase
in their salaries Of at least 33 1-3 per cent
and indorsing the employment bureau OF
the Y. NJ. G. A. were brought to the at
tention of the directors of the Chamber
of Commerce yesterday afternoon. A
resolution calling on Congress to give the
government employees the increase mention
ed was adopted. 1t will be presented to the
chamber at its next regular meeting. The
committee reporting was made up of A.
Lsner, chairman; D. J. Kaufman. D. S.
Porter, George w. White and F. L. Sid
dons.
In closing, the report stated: I'VE be-
lieve it Is the duty and pleasure of the
Chamber of Commerce to urge upon the
la wmaking body the necessity Of square
deal to government employees and to per-
severe in this cause until the reform has
been accomplished
Amendment of Morrill, Act.
Mr. Lisner later in the meeting brought
up the question of cooperating in the
fight before Congress to get the Gallinger
amendment to the Morrill, act passed,
which he declared would be of great aid
to the George Washington University.
Mr.. Lisner explained that under the
Morrill, act as amended the. government
makes an annual appropriation for COL
leges that teach agriculture and mechanic
arts.
AS the District is not a territory, Mr..
Lisner pointed out, the George Washing
ton University. under the present law,
cannot share in the appropriation.
He said that the matter had been
brought to the attention of the members
of the Board of Trade, and moved that
the Chamber of Commerce appoint COM
mittee of five to report to a meeting of
the Chamber of Commerce.
Employment Bureau Endorsed.
The report indorsing the Y. NJ. C. A.
employment bureau was submitted by d
committee made up of D. J. Callahan.
Thomas Grant and William E. Shannon.
Mr.. Callahan read the report. 1t declared
that the members of the committee had
made a thorough investigation of the
bureau, and were satisfied that /. is an eX-
cellent thing for the city of Washing
ton.
The purpose of the Y. NJ. e. A. is edu-
cational," recites the report. 1t is the
college of the working boy. Its evening
Classes are rapidly lifting boys, poorly
equipped for earning a living, into the
ranhs of earnest, killed workers.
I'VE know that the only practical way
of helping those We educate is to provide
a way of utilizing their abi.fty-Dy en-
plOying Il, by opening the way to oppor-
tunity. Individual enortS along this line
have been fruitful, but the systematic,
organized efforts of the Y. NJ. c. A. en-
ployment bureau are bringing about re-
suits that could not otherwise be accom-
plished, which have doubled and 1rebled
it's value This bureau has gone anead
without any flourish of trumpets to prove
it's worth, and has succeeded. Men seek
ing employment, inexperienced boys,
skilled men who are crowded out by COM
petition in other cities, and others who
by stress of circumstances are forced to
seek new fields Of work, are helped by
this bureau.
Religious Connection Ignored.
LAS there seemed to be an impression
that the religious utilization of the men
who apply for employment has bearing
on the attitude of the bureau IN cons der
ing applications for positions, this was
the first question propounded by the IN
vestigating committee during its eXaml-
nation of The methous, equipment and
records of the bureau, and your commit
Lc.. - cUmp.cLe :, ne ,iia. CuIliie-
ton with any religious organization is not
incumbent upon those who apply for en-
ployment, nor is membership IN the Y.
NJ c. A. itself even necessary for men
to avail themselves of its services. In
fact of the ,335 names registered during
the past two years, Lbs, or over 80 per
cent were not members of the aSSOc,a-
ton.
me record exhibits the work done by
the bureau for the year ending September
4. 1868: Positions flied, go; calls for help,
$50; men registered, S2S; men interviewed
mot reSistered), 4SS.
Qualifications Required.
.Certair qualifications are required in
every applicant-character, competency.
and honesty. References are carefully in
vestigated. It is safe to say that every
successful employer Of labor is constantly
on the lookout for men Of skill, judgment
and integrity. In this city we have hith-
erto depended upon haphazard way of
securing the services of such men. 1t is
the purpose of the Y. M. G. A. employ
ment bureau to learn the needs of our
business men and to weed out the fncom-
petent undesirables from the army of ap-
plicants. 1t proposes to supply upon de-
mand clerks, statesmen, secretaries, man.
ayers and others for whom there may be
special requirements For this service
the fee Ga small percentage of the first
weeks salary is SO small as to be nomf-
nal.
ut Is the opinion of the committee that
the employment bureau of the Y. NJ. c. A.
deserves the encouragement, corporation
and the unqualified support of the bust
ness men of Washington"
Restricting Expenditures.
Before the meeting had been in session
long it developed that one Of the COM
mttees having charge of the city plan
ming exhibit. held some weeks ago. had ex-
ceeded its appropriation by about $500.