New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-23
TERRIBLE WINTER
FOR UNEMPLOYED
They Crowd the Employ
ment Agencies Looking
in Vain for Work.

In the back room OF the Berger En-
ployment Agency. No. - Greenwich
street. ffty or more men lay huddled
on the floor last night back from the
bi cad line in the Bowery. They weren't
loafers or derelicts, and several Of them
spurned charity They wanted Jobs,
and had gathered at this agency. where
they found work last year. to seek for
IL again
But there were no Jobs 10 be had, and
there have been none for the last two
months. according 10 Mr.. Berger. The
men are gradually going to pieces.
shattered by idleness and despair and
the same u true OF many OF their
friends. who crowd the scores Of en-
ployment agencies throughout the city.
At these. also. anywhere from fifty 10 a
hundred men gather at night. thankful
fo- a little warmth and A few feet OF
floor on which TO sleep. Some Of their
comrades. for whom there is no room,
are sleeping on trucks and in doorways.
II IS said that during the cold spell last
week several Of them died.
The same story 81 told at all the en-
plovnent agencies Of the city-tha.
where there were a hundred Jobs last
year there are only five or ten this year.
and where there was one man looking
for a 100 last year there are four or
five this wear.
Worst Year Since Cleveland.
ITS the worst year since Cleveland,
said Max Weiseweldt Of the Greater
New York Employment Agency, last
night. even worse than the winter OF
the panic We can't place anybody
Business has been SLOW all summer but
mas stopped absolutely in the last three
weeks. And the men want work; they
don't want money without IL. Most Of
tbon, are straight ana proud. and only
want 2 chance to snow what they
can do
Fred KIeinman VINO owns \ saloon
~ 40. So Greenwich street told the
same story. Kleinman keeps free lunch
on his counter, and says that he trusts
tho men will pay him back when they
Get work But the way things looked
no said he did not think they would get
&, IFS worse in the last two weeks
he said and ] lei some Of the men
eleen here all night. I've got 70 limit IT
~ nose who buy beer, otherwise the
n1aca would he go full we couldn't do
nv business. In The Bronx, where
i've us lust &C bad. and so IT is all
over the city.
KIeinman added that he thought sui
zor.s holding up of various state con-
tracts had thrown many men out or
work Others. he said. had been thrown
out by the closing Of factories.
Uraes Need Of Labor Exchange
According TO Joseph Mayper. OF the
| North American Civic League for lmiri-
grants the opening OF the armorles Al
night. as has been suggested, would 90
much 10 relieve the condition Of the I'M
employed He thought the best means OF
avoiding such a condition I'm the future.
however. would be the organization or n
( labor market. or exchange, similar 10
those in Wisconsin, Illinois and can
fornia Such market. he said, Would
| doubtless take the form OF a bureau
/ which recorded the various demands for
and supplies OF labor in the city. Men
could thus secure work with the least
D v
have TO face the possibility Of half time
while they angled for the necessary labor
The loss to the city and state through
unemployment IS incalculable." he said
"for II a man is out Of work for any
length OF time and has no other means
| Of support he gets discouraged. takes 10
drink and after a while becomes unem-
ployed. A proper market for labor woulo
nreserye the energies OF labor se<nteen
states have state or municipal bureaus 10
do this work while We in New York de-
pend on over eight hundred private agen-
cies which do 1t badly and are always
interfering with each other \ mumcipdi
bureau TO bring together LABOR and cap'-
,sl is the first necessity brought home TO
rs by the present deplorable SITUATION.
This bureau could be enlarged so as 10
include the entire state. and ultims'eiy'
national bureau could be established as
IN The case In Germany and England