The Washington times., 1914-06-16
LABOR AGENTS FRAUD
ST|RS DEPARTMENT
Secretary Wilson Threatens to
Prosecute Employment Men
Who SWindIe lob seekers.

Prosecution Of men who conduct en-
ployment agencies and who practice
fraud upon men in search OF work,
through overcharges, is threateneu oS
6ecretary of Labor Wilson.
'Tt has come to nv knowledge" said
Nrr Wilson today, that workmen are
,eing charged from 81 to g apiece for
the information which this department
a.s gathered, and is sending broadcast
r.bout price to men in need OF en-
ployInent- Many of these men are for
s,Sners who are familiar with farming.
hut unacquainted with our language
and because of this they are being
charged for what is free
..1n some places-I have Gary, Ind,
in mind now-these men are not only
charged for the information, but the
person doing so agrees, In the InosI
friendly manner, of course, to purcnase
Railroad tickets also. 1 am informed
that overcharges for transportation are
made, and in ignorance OF our language
the poor people really believe they are
being befriended
Reaching Foreign Laborers.
ct am considering the feasibility OF
reaching those who cannot speak or
read English through the foreign Ian
guage newspapers, and shall also en-
deayor to secure evidence to conVict
those who practice fraud upon men IN
search Of employment through over
cherRes-
Secretary Wilson expresses gratifyca-
ton with the results following the Wolk
of the department In providing harYest
hands in response to the call OF tne "est
But I shall not let up" he declares,
until il will be possible to bring the
work-hunting man and the man VINO
needs his services into close relauons
ship in the shortest possible time, and
with the least expenditure Of money:
Early IN the month the State labor
commissioners of Oklahoma- Kansas,
Missouri, and South Dakota telegraphed
that the needs for hands to harvest the
immense crops would require fully 10000
men. The division Of information OF the
department sent out bulletins setting
forth the needs of the grain-growlng
States. and. through an arrangement
with the Postoffice Department, one or
more of these bulletins was posted In
q conspicuous place ineach postoffice.
Oklahoma Cries Enough.
The Oklahoma labor commissioner
was the first TO cry enough" Late
yesterday the Missouri labor commis-
sioner wired Secretary Wilson as fol-
lows:
OUT DUlleuus nave put I1c III hONSAA
with thousands of men, enough to en-
able me to fill the demands for harvest
ers everywhere.
Among the responses received by the
division of information were those from
3O0 students working their way through
harvest and school, who applied in per-
SON OF this number siXty-fve were In
possession of sufficient funds to pay car
fare, and are now en- route to Oklahoma
and Kansas. Many of these young men
told Department officials they intended
remaining in the West and locating on
the land.
Need of Lower Rates.
Secretary Wilson believes one Of the
greatest hindrances to the use of the
Department Of Labor, as free employ
ment agency is the lack OF facilities for
advancing railroad fare to take job
seekers to the places waiting for them.
To partially remedy this situation, he
has written the Interstate Commerce
Commission asking If It will approve OF
regulations with the railroad companies
TO run excursion trains, at reduced
rates, to the grain fields and other
places, where workmen may he needed
in numbers.
II II is made possible quickly and
cheaply to move men to where their
services are required" Secretary VIII
son declares, "the high cost of living
must inevitably fall before the onrush
Of the immense crop avalanche that viii
follow the touch of men, who have
heretofore remained in ignorance of the
Possibilities of the West and Southwest