The Detroit times., 1914-09-21
THOUSANDS OF
JOBLESS men
RUSHING HERE
Detroit's Reputation is too Good,
Declares Employment Secre-
tary of Y. M. C. A.
INFLUX MAY
RESULT IN BREAD LINE
Local Industries Can't Absorb
All the Unemployed From
Other Cities

"Detroit's reputation as q place In
which to find work of all kinds IL
too good; wouldn't be SURPRISED II
that same reputation resulted In a
bread line this winter" said Harry r.
Wegener, formerly OF Denver and Ta-
coma. but ut present employment sec
rotary for the Detroit Y. NJ c. A.
This city Is known all over the Unit
ed States as live. hustling place. In
which the highest standard Of work
Is done by skilled mechanics and
where the highest ethics prevail be-
tween employer and employee.
"As q result. now that business
and industry are q bit slack in other
places, hundreds Of men-both skilled
and unskilled-are 1ocking into De-
troit, seeking jobs. Thousands Of
these men are walking over this city
daily looking for work. and, Of course.
are unable to find II. Not that busi-
ness or Industrial conditions are In
any way slack in Detroit, for they
are not; but II is simply because
there Is such q great influx OF work
men. principally from the east, look
ing for Jobs.
There are coming into my ONCE
In the Y. M. G. A., from rs to 100
men every day in the week. seeking
positions Of almost every conceiv-
able sort. Most OF these are from
Cleveland, Buffalo, cities In New
York state and even In New England,
where the situation industrially II
much worse than in Detroit and the
middle west.
"We have advised all employment
secretaries Of Y. M. c.. AS east Of
Detroit, not to send any men here,
but In spite OF all we can DO they
keep on coming. We get the men
from the east because of the two-cent
passenger rate; west Of us the pas
senger rate is three cents, and that
makes q big difference In the direc-
ton OF the travel when men are seek-
ing work.
"Then, too, a lot Of men come as
far west as Cleveland or Buffalo by
rail and there take the boat to De-
troit because they can get q cheap
rate. This IL responsible for dumping
a great many men into this city for
us to take care of In the winter time.
Some of these men are foreigners,
but the majority OF them are skilled
mechanics.
"Just why they come In the face
Of advices against II, Ii hard to un-
derstand. Only the other day had
letter from q man who earns from
$4,000 to $500 year In the east,
asking my opinion of the chances for
q position paying as we'll IN Detroit.
advised him as strongly - I could
not to come. But within few days
the man showed up at the Y. NJ G..
A., and he Is now on the search for
q Job In Detroit. There are others
who have lately arrived in the city
who are $85 and 800 and $125a-
month men. but they are willing to
60 to work for almost any price.
The situation Is no reflection on
Detroit. One should not get that idea
from the present condition In the en-
ployment market Il 10 rather COM
plimentary, as I see It. for Detroit to
be so we'll and favorably known
throughout the country. And there
IL, so far as ! can learn. no lowering
OF the scale Of wages because OF the
influx of labor. l don't know OF any
outs that have been made because OF
the war or q falling on Of business.
There Is, rather, strengthening Of
positions all along the line. In prepar-
alton for the new era In business and
industry that seems sure to follow
the present war In Europe"