The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1912-12-06
CITY STATUTE
KNOCKED OUT
SUPERIOR COURT HOLDS THE
CHARTER PROVISION ABOL-
ISHING EMPLOYMENT OF
FICES TO BE UNCONSTITU-
TIONAL.


charter abolishing the paid employ
ment office was held to be unconsti-
tutional by Judge w. P. Bell in su-
perior court last Saturday. The pro-
vision was placed in the charter at the
behest of organized labor by the re-
visionists who drew up the new char
ter last winter and was approved as
a part of the whole by the voters of
Everett. A test case of the law was
made by local employment agent.
Acting under orders from the City
Commission, Chief Kraby arrested
local agent for violation of the charter
and he was fined $25.00 in justice
court. The case was appealed to SUI
perior court with the result that the
law was knocked out Saturday by
Judge Bell. 1t is unlikely that the
city will appeal and as no other city
in the state has such a charter pro-
vision, there seems no likelihood of
the right of municipality to legislate
against the employment sharks get
ting an early hearing before the state
supreme court.
The feeling among working people
against the employment office has been
exceedingly bitter, intensified because
of the numerous cases that have a.
risen where laborers have been flee
ced out of their eye teeth by unscru-
employment agents have been Of that
class, but there have been enough un-
scrupulous men engaged in the busi-
ness to put the whole bunch in bad
repute and the people of Everett re-
solved to put them all out of business,
substituting in their place a free en-
ployment office run under municipal
supervision. Were all the paid Off
ces run on the square, there would
lowing them to continue in business.
The class of jobless unfortunates that
are compelled to seek work through
the medium of an employment office,
can i'll afford to give even dollar as
a fee. They are the men who need
work and want work, but generally
are without funds or friends. The
idea that a man or woman should be
compelled to pay for the privilege of
o,.,,in ic nt tn
any sense of justice. Modern thought
is accepting the axiom that it is
a proper function of government to
take a hand in the solving of indust-
rial problems and the placing of a
man willing to work in touch with
honest employment is surely one of
such problems.
The State Federation of Labor will
present bill to the next legislature
abolishing the paid employment office
throughout the state and substituting
therefor offices run under state, coun-
ty and municipal supervision. A hard
fight is expected on the bill but it is
believed that there is enough public
sentiment on the question to insure
it's passage. California has a similar
law prepared for presentation to the
legislature of the state and other
states are working along that line.
1t is true such a bill must run the
gauntlet finally of the state supreme
court 1t is hard to see, however,
how the supreme court could consis-
tently hold the bill unconstitutional
after upholding the workman's com.
pensation law with it's fundamental
principles concerning the duty of the
state to take hand in the problems
so long thought to be the exclusive
business of those engaged in industry.
The first section of the workman's
compensation act contains this basic
and significant sentence: "The well
fare of the state depends upon its in
dustries, and even more upon the well
fare of its wage workers" Judge Bell
would have done well to have given
the Revolutionary" compensation act
some serious thought before rendering
his decision in the case above men,
toned
In the meantime there is one thing
the City of Everett undoubtedly has
the power to do. 1t can license the
offices at such figure that the busi-
ness would become exceedingly un-
profitable to engage in.