Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1911-03-17
The Unemployed Can Always Find
Work II They Are IN
Earnest
No .Tramps or Hoboes Seen In
Land Of the Imperial
KaiseFs.
HOW The SYSTEM IS WORKED

The people Of the United States
have done some things for the
mechanics and labOrers. but nothing
in comparison to what Germany has
done and is doing in the way Of es-
tablishing labor exchanges. There Is
an Imperial Labor Exchange to
which belong all the smaller ex-
changes throughout the German
empire. The organization for solv-
ing labor problems Is admirable for
its effectiveness, and in this respect
Germany is ahead of any nation on
the globe.
The Berlin Labor Exchange is the
largest institution Of its kind in the
world. Il Is not a strictly municipal
institution. although II receives an
annual subsidy of S11 600 from the
city. It's control and financial re-
sponsibility are vested in a voluntary
association Of subscribers who con-
tribute about $4,000 annually. It
makes a charge of five cents per
head for registration, and the annual
receipts from this source are about
S2,5O0 In return for this registra-
ton fee the applicant is allowed the
privileges of the waiting rooms of
the building for three months. The
annual cost of running the exchange
is $4,000 to $4,000 The total
number Of applicants during 1908
was 158,000, of whom about
81, 900 were placed in positions. The
two large buildings occupied by this
exchange were erected by one OF the
enforced labor insurance companies
Of the empire at a cost of about
$4,000 The exchange pays the
insurance company rent equiv
alent TO about Y per cent. on the
investment. The main room OF the
exchange is the waiting room, which
Is large, warm and we'll lighted, and
Is divided by sign posts into sec
tons for unskilled labor, appren-
tees. skilled labor of various kinds.
etc. Men seeking work are supposed
to sit in the sections allotted 70
their kind OF work.
Repeatedly during the day the
superintendent or his assistant
comes into the waiting room and
announces before the proLer section
the positions that are open. He
states the nature OF the work,
wages. hours. ETC., and the men
desiring 10 apply hand up their reg
istratIOn cards. which are collected.
Later these men are given cards
which they present to their would-be
employer. who seelcts his man, or
men, and mails back to the exchange
the cards OF the other men. This
indicates to the superintendent that
the men have sought the position.
Reports OF vacancies come in rap
idly during the day, and there is
usually much activity around the
place.
In the same building are reading
rooms. access TO which are free;
bathrooms. lunch roooms, tailor re-
pair shop. shoe repair shop and
buffet. The prices are very reason
able The men spend their Idle
time reading. playing checkers, chat
ting, etc, and on the whole seem
content. The many conveniences
make the exchange rooms something
on the order Of club. The laborers
do not spend wearisome hours
tramping abou' In all kinds OF
weather seeking employers, and the,
latter do not have to seek help
through various channels. thus los
ing valuable time and money
In the other building are waiting
rooms for women seeking employ
ment. The trades union (not all OF
the skilled labor Is Organized) have
their headquarters here and run
their own labor bureaus In close CO.
operation with the general public
exchange. Unskilled labor in Ger
many Is not unlonized.
There are similar labor exchanges
at Stuttgart, Munich, Frankfort,
Dresden, Cologne. Dusseldorf, Leip.
ak. Mannheim, Freiburg. Strassburg
and Nuremberg. These are tho
largest in Germany, but there are
numerous smaller ones. Through
the twelve enumerated nearly
100000 persons annually find en-
ployment. OF the twelve, nine are
supported by the municipalities, and
q the remaining three. two (Berlin
and Lelpzig) receive a subsidy from
the municipality
The various exchanges keep IN
close touch with one another
through the Imperial Labor Ex-
change. Charts are exchanged
showing the positions each has listed
that ara vat unflllad ana fha num-