The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-05-23
FOR THEUNEMPLOYED
BERLIN SOLVES PROBLEM WITH
 AN EXCHANGE.
Agency Has Splendid Quarters Where . Perfect System is Exercised in Securing Work
 for Lnborers.
nY F M WILE

tne problem or making unemployment respectable and self-respecting.
 The agency through which 1t is ac- complished is a Central Labor Ex- change. maintained through co-opera- tion of municipality, workers and trade, unions. In splendid and extensive quarters of it's own in the heart of the East Central wholesale district, the zu Berlin places the man or woman in search of work on the same dignifed trading level as the brokers who have produce to sell in Mark Lane. It does more. On the Berlin Labor Exchange, while await ing market. labor is provided with home which is club house and mart combined.
 A model of German paternai organi- azation and thoroughness. the Labor Ex- change is operated at a cost of less than s25.000 year. On this budget, s15,0oo of which Is municipal subsidy and $10.000 contributions of workers and trade unions, the Labor Exchange provided in 1907 shelter for 158.09S men and women in search of employ- ment, and found it for 95,67S of them --an average. roundly, of 450 apph- cai4fs and 2sS pat to- work daily h !. To sse the simple Jna machinery of thts institution in motton-its entire oper- ating stan Is only ,twenty-seven-is to come aaway wondering at, so, practical a system for bringing the unemployed and working opportunities together on a basis devoid of the pauperising in- fiuence of charity
 Two; large .fve-storied brick and stone buildings, designed to accomrno- date 5000 men and women at one time. house the Exchanges various de- partrnents. There are three main di- visions--for women and girls. for ur-. skilled working men and boys, and for skilled working men. The latter de- partment is subdivided into trades, with separate quarters for the wood working industry. smiths. bakers painters, book binders. plumbers. paper hangers, leather workers. plasterers, roofers, machinists, butchers street employees glaziers, elevated men, ana printers. a} EGrs SrxS Any unemployed person may invoke the Exchanges work finding facilities upon payment of a registration fee of cents. If the job-seeker be a mem | her of any of the trade unions which contribute as organizations to the up- keep of the Exchange he Is exempt from paymentfof the registration fee. l For a country famous for red tape amazingly few forhalities. and these | of the simplest sort. required to be l gone through. A man or woman steps | up to a window like bank teller | and fills an application form for regis l tration. on which 1t Is required to
 state name, age, whether married or | single, last place of employment, how l long out of work and in what occu- 1 patton last engaged. Upon payment of | the registration fee a receipt for mem
 bership card Is issued. which entitled | the holder to. the privileges of the Ex- l change for three months.
 | The Exchange Is open In spring, | summer and autumn from a. m. to l D, m., and in winter from a. m. to | s D. m. In the skilled trades special
 hours are set apart for various indus- | tries, so that different trades may use
 the same quarters at different times. | Main interest attaches to two great | halls set aside for unskilled men and boys, and for women and girls As | one enters the imposing premises In l the Gormannstrasse the Saal for male | unemployed Is first reached. Spacious l igh-ceilinged, and we'll lit, with bench 1 seats for 1,400 and standing room for l 800 more on a gallery running round all
 four sides, it looks like real estate
 exchange, or the trading fioSr of stock or grain market
 Scattered here and there at regular Intervals were sign posts labelled, I House servants" "Teamsters," Young CT workmen," "Elder workmen," etc. | and seated in the immediate vicinity | were Ilph dNQ yOuhhS dhS | descriptions. Each group was subdi- | yided by signs reading, January, | "February" or March" indicating the l date at which the out-of-works al l those particular points had taken UT their job vigil.
 l This throng was conspicuous for cleanliness, sobriety and good humor Here and there sat couples playing a, l drauEhts. Wonder a grey-beard pulled l contentedly at a pipe. Across the hai l at the Exchange canteen stood dozer
 fellows enjoying their midday meal
 coffee with milk and sugar for l cent | a glass of beer for 1 cent, or sand | wien, slice of sausage or portion ol | salad at 8 cents apiece. Others wer'
 smoking canteen cigars retailed three for cents, or cigarettes at nv
 for a cent. Those who had 'dinsd'
 were whiling their time away witf
 newspapers and magazines furnished
 gratis by the Exchange librarian.
 A broad-shouldered teamster came
 from the boot repairing room. where
 members of the Exchange before start | ing out for jobs, can have their foot | gear repaired for 1 cent. Next dooi l was the tailor shop, wheRe clothes ar'
 mended and cleaned for the samt
 price.
 | Legal advance Is even cheaper, fol h the Exchange maintains a bureal J where mem bers can get consultation 1 upon the law. either in working oi private anairs, free of charge. The