Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1909-01-09
TO AID UNEM|PLOYE
Labor Council Will Plan Free Ma
tionaI Labor Exchange.
At WASHINGTON THIS MONTH.
With Branches In All Large Cities,
Great Country Wide Bureau Would
Assist Employer as Well as En-
ployee-should Relieve Laborers'
Distress, Says Secretary Straus.


ployee-Should Relieve Laborers'
Distress, Says Secretary Straus.
A great national labor exchange,
free alike to employer and employee,
with branches in all the large cities of
the country, is one of the results to be
sought by the council of labor that
will meet in Washington this month at
the suggestion of Secretary Stratus OF
the department of commerce and la
Dor. Mr.. Stratus Is now in correspond
ence with E. III. Gary of the United
States Steel corporation and other
large employers of labor throughout
the country, and plans for the conven-
ton are rapidly being formed. The
date has not been set for the meeting,
but it will probably be held in the last
week of the month.
'"The most important of the subjects
to be taken up" says Secretary Stratus,
IFS perhaps that of the unemployed.
! How to give work to men out of work
when there is no work in sight is Sc
rious problem, but by no means an un-
solvable one
Suppose we take the case of a tin
ner in New York." Mr.. Straus contin-
ued, "who has just lost his job be-
cause work in his particular line has
given out. He tramps the streets for
several days and finds other timers
in the same predicament. After he
hRNoca1f thof fhnTp iS
| nothing for him to do in the big city
he applies to the bureau Of information
of the department Of commerce and
| labor-which in the meantime has
been perfected and enlarged to the
proportions to which we hope to see
| it erow-and makes his wants known
! there The man i'll charge OF the In
formation of workmen wanted takes
down his big book and looks over the
pages He finds that 1000 timers are
wanted in Seattle to work on the build
! ings Of the Alaska and Yukon eXposi
! metal workers are needed in Chicago
st. Louis and Denver and that 5000
men can find employment in the great
fruit orchards and vineyards of Cali
! fornia, all at first class wages. TC
| like to take a job out in Seattle the
timer says, but how am l to ge
there? We can send you out there
for $3.50, and the fare will be take1
| out of your first weeks wages thu
man at the bureau tells him. So thu
| thing is done. The voorhees, man goe
west and finds his work, and the help
| less employer in Seattle finds his help
We hope to be able to make such ar
rangements with the railroads that re
duced rates may be obtained for mel
who are going after work, and by thu
establishment Of Offices in the various
big cities Of the country the scope O
the work. may, be extended to prac
tically cover the whole United States.
when the wants OF the employs
and the employee can be made thor
oughly known to each other" Mr.
Straus continued, ''as soon as theiI
! wants occur q great share of the dis
! tress among the laboring classes viii
. disappear. Judge Gary of the Stee
corporation has written me a lette'
setting forth. his views on the matter
and have written him. I am also IL
correspondence with other prominen
men ON the, same subject Messrs
Powderly and Keefe Of the immigra
ton service and Donnelly Of the gov
eminent printing Office are In CORE
! spondenee with the principal labo
! representatives OF the country, ant
/! the views Of all men interested In th
| good Of the workingman's cause viii
/! be given opportunity for expression a
&, the convention"
! Since July 1, when the bureau of in
/ formation Of the department Of com
merce and labor was established. wori'
for 2,512 men has been found. Thi
record, brought up to Dec. 10, is con
sidered very gratifying when the fac
is taken into consideration that tn.
scope of the bureau is still extremel!
limited and it's operations are practi
cally unknown to the great mass o
workingmen and only partly under
stood by the employers.