The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1909-01-21
TO AID UNEMPLOYED EN-
Labor Council viii Plan Free Ma
tjonaI Labor Exchange.
At WASHINGTON THIS MONTH.

VN0JulIv0 wv sssS W.
with Branches Ia Al Large Cities,
Great Country Wids Bureau Would
Assist Employer ~ Well az En-.
ployss-sheuld Relieve Laborers'
Distress, Says Secretary Stratus.
A great national labor exchange,
lree 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
win meet in Warrington this month at
the suggestion of Secretary Straus OF
the department Of commerce and la
Dor. Mr.. Straus is now in correspond
ence with E. n. Gary Of the United
States Steel corporation and other
large employer Of labor throughout
he country. and plans for the conven-
tiorf are rapidly being formed. The
date ms>pot been set Tor the meeting,
but it viii probably be held IN the last
week>of the month.
.Theemost important Of the subjects
to be taken up" says Secretary Straus.
lis perhaps that Of the unemployed.
How to give work to men out Of work
when there is n0wofk in sight is a Sc
rtous problem. but by no means an IN
solvable one.
Suppose we take the ease 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 tor
several days and finds other timers
In the same predicament. After he
has convinced himself that there Is
nothing for him to do in the big city
he applies to the bpreau 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 xyoW-and makes his wants known
there. The man in charge Of the in
formation OF workmen wanted takes
down his big book and looks over the
pages. He finds that LOCO timers are
wanted in Seattle to work on the build
ings OF the Alaska and Yukon exposi-
ton, that four or five hundred sheet
metal workers r needed in Chicago,
st. Louis and Denver and chat 5000
men Can fnd employment in the great
fruit orchards and vineyards Of Cali
fornia, all at AFst class wages. I'd
like TO lake a job out t4 Seattle the
tinnee ssay1, but how am to get
thereY I'VE can send you out there
for SIP. so, and the fare will be taken
ont Of your first weeks wages the
man at the bureau tells him, So the
thing is done. The voorhees, man goes
west and finds his work, and the help
less employer ~ 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 men
who are going after work, and by the
establishment Of ofaoes in the various
big cities of the country the scope Of
the work may be extended to prae,
tically cover the whole United States.
when the wants of the employer
and the employee can hs made thor
oughiy known to each other" M,
Stratus continued, "as oon as their
wants occur q great share Of the dis
tress among the iahoft4g classes will
disappear. Judge Gary OF the Steel
corporation has written me q letter
setting forth his views on the matter,
and I have written him. I am also in
correspondence with other prominent
men ON the same subject. MessFs,
Powderly and Keefe Of the immigra-
ton service and poppelly of the gov
eminent printing Office are in CORE
! spondence with the principa, labor
representatives of the country, and
the views of all meG interested In the
good OF the 'workingman's cause will
be given opportunity for expression at
the convention"
Since July 1, when the bureau OF in
formation Of the department Of COM
merce and labor was established. work
for 2,512 men has been found. This
record. brought Mp to Dec. 10, is con-
sidered very gratifying when the fact
is taken into consideration that the
scope Of the bureau Is still extremely
limited and its operations are practi-
cally unknown to the great las of
workingmen and only partly under
stood by the employers.