The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-03-06
CONNECTING THE
Man and The JOB
New National Movement to
Aid the Unemployed.
THROUGH LABOR EXCHANGES

These Would Eliminate Difficulties Of
Both Work Seekers and Employsrs.
Problem Of the Idle Calls For soIu.
ton Regardless Of Whether the Timss
Are Good or Bad.
A constructive program to combat
unemployment-such is the slogan of
the first national conference on en-
ployment. This is the first concerted
effort which the United States has
mace to combat the national problem
Of what to do for the man without a
job. .
The Association on Unemployment
which is working in utilization with
the American Association For Labor
Legislation. proposes to make this
work permanent rather than periodic,
and to do this 1t proposes a definite
program which includes two main fea-
%tures-the ''r%egularizing" Of the so call
ed seasonal industries and the estab-
fishing and knitting together of public
employment bureaus into . national
system Of labor exchanges.
England-in fact, oil Europe-has
been forced to face this problem of the
unemployed. and it is doing so through
the labor exchange.
The New York Times publishes an
interview on this subject with John h.
Andrews. secretary Of the Association
on Unemployment. Mr.. Andrews has
been investigating the question Of un-
employment in the United States and
abroad since 1910.
Wage Loss Of $1,ooo.0o0y0oo.
United States census figures for
1900" says Mr.. Andrews. ''show that
in that year over 100000 working
people-that is. nearly a fourth Of al!
those engaged in gainful occupations
in this country-were at some time OF
the year out Of work. OF these some
100000 lost from one to three months
each. On the basis Of $40 a week this
represents q loss in wages Of approxi-
nately $%2OO;OOO.OOO. The figures from
the 1910 census are not available yet.
1.-TWO million of these 100000 were
employed in trades where four to six
months work was lost. representing a
total wage loss Of approximately $780,
1000. while some 100000 were idle
for from seven to twelve months In the
year-a wage loss approximately again
Of $3OO.0OO.O0O.
This brings the wage loss occasion-
ed by lack of employment to q total Ut
,0OO.OO0.OOO for q single year.
"Even in prosperous times we have
mills closing down and advertising
that workers were not to be had. At
the very same time in other parts OF
this cONntry men are tramping from
shop tc shop looking for work. There
has been no place to which they might
Apply for trustworthy Information con.
corning positions open In any other
part ~ the country. Even II there
had been they would in most cases not
have had the money to get to the Jobs
that wanted them-the Jobs they sought
in vain. -
Exchanges In Nineteen States.
The first step In the organization OF
the labor market Ia not only the sys-
tematic supervision Of the local. ON.
mercial. private employment bussa'ls.
There must be something which reach.
,es further than that-somethfag which
enables employer and employee % get
reliable information. not only from DIFF.
ferent parts of the city ar the state.
but different parts OF the whole t"nn-
try. This institution Is the system Of
public labor exchanges. which not only
collects information from the regulat.
ed private agencies. but establishes q
chain Of free employment bureaus
1.-The public labor exchange under
state control has already been provid-
ed in nineteen states and twelve mn.
inequalities Of the United Suites
"Of course" concluded Mr. Andrews.
.the employment bureau is to be for
both men and women and absolutely
no fees are to be charged. The de-
partment Of agriculture furnishes In
formation without cost That II the
function Of the labor exchange-the
furnishing Of information"