Evening journal., 1914-02-28
DISCUSS THE
UNEMPLOYED
Labor Leader Fears Workers
May Take Things In Their
Own Hands
MISS BISSELL SPEAKS
OF DELAWARE CONDITIONS

NEW YORK. n. Y. Feb. 2S.--i-n-
less something IS done immediately
TO relieve the suffering Of the unom-
ploycd, their bitterness viii precipi-
tate a condition that viii make them
take things in their own hands and
settle affairs in their own way. was
the opinion expressed by John ~.
Walker president of the Illinois
State Federation Of Labor. at the Ma
tional Conference on Unemplovment
held az the City Hall yesterday. under
the auspices of the American Asso-
ciation for Labor Legislation. which
Is affiliated with the International
Association on Unemployment.
Walker said that the danger in an
employment agency was the massing
OF the unemployed az certain places
where they could be drawn upon by
employers and used to beat down the
price Of labor
His suggestion was that the cities
establish labor bureaus, the State es-
tablish them as we'll, and also the
government A shortage OF labor in
any section of the country could then
be met from the surplus IN any other
II the bureau was unable TO find
work, the men unemployed should be
paid, not as a matter of charity hut
of right. and the money collected
from industry. This national agency
should not be allowed 10 ship a sin
gle man into territory where there
was labor trouble
Harry j. Goas. OF the New Jersey
Department OF Labor. stated that an
investigation through New Jersey
showed that there were and would
constantly be recurring periods when
tho number of unemployed Is greater
than usual He declared that there
are q great number of unemployed
throughout the State. aud that II WAS
due to irregular conditions Of indus
try. He favored the establishment
of employment bureaus
Employment OF labor depends
upon the organization OF industry.
and TO abolish unemployment will re-
quirc the Organization of industry
upon a better basis than has existed q"
was the declaration of Wheaton. Of
Buffalo, when speaking of conditions
in New York State Wheaton de-
clared that In his city alone there
We're 10000 unemployed
Doubts Employers Records.
Many employers fear that thoy
will lose prestige # the number on
their pay roll Is made public" said
Wheaton. Il am inclined 10 believe
that the reports Of them given US
show many more than they actually
have. We cannot solve this problem
OF unemployment until we have our
industries we'll organized"
William II. Farley. superintendent
Of the Rhode Island Employment Blu
reau. declared that conditions there
arc bad, with the prospects of worse
conditions 20 be faced.
There are more workless men IN
my State than since 1907 said Su-
perintendent Farley "Soventy-flve
per cent of the textile workers. 7C
per cent Of the iewelry workers and
so per cent. of the metal workers are
walking the streets. And We will De
hit stlll harder We are going Ia
get It good and hard. The opinion
Ia that the change IN the tarif has
caused our troubles
"Tho government ought TO ostah-
lish free labor exchanges at all ports
Of entry TO turn immigrants away
from centere crowded with labor OF
having labor disturbances
Miss Emily r. Bissell. of Whining
ton. Dell said that conditions IN her
/ State could not be described as NOR
NAL" owing TO the large numbers OF
unemployed in every section. The
/ shutting down of plants or the partial
operations of industries is respons-
! ihlc for the great number Of idle
workers that are at present trampins
the streets of Wilmington and other
cities