The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1914-06-20

lne6e Would Elimlnatc OIUiChltioe "
Both Work Seekers and Employers.
Problem of the Idle Calls For Solu-
tion Regardless Of Whether the Times
Are Good or Bad.
A constructive program to combat
employment-such is the slogan Of
4 the first national conference on en-
ployment This Is the first concerted
effort which the United States has
made to combat the national problem
or 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 ''regularizing" OF the so cali
ed seasonal industries and the estab-
fishing and knitting together OF public
employment bureaus into a national
system OF labor exchanges.
England-in fact, all Europeans
been forced to face this problem OF the
unemployed, and 1t is doing so through
/ the labor exchange.
The New York Times publishes an
Interview on this subject with John b,
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 S1,oooooo, 900.
United States census figures fol
1900" says Mr.. Andrews, "show that
In that year over 100000 working
people-that is, nearly fourth OF al
those engaged In gainful occupations
In this country-were at some time OF
) the year out OF work or these some
J 100000 lost from one TO three months
each. on the basis OF $40 week this
represents loss in wages OF approx
mately $200,000,Oo0. The figures from
the 1910 census are not available yet
! 1.-TWO million of these 100000 wert
J employed I'm trades where four to SIX
months work was lost, representing
total wage loss of approximately $500,
100000, while some 100000 were idle
for from seven to twelve months in the
year-a wage loss approximately agar
OF $30o,000,000
"This brings the wage loss occasion
ed by lack OF employment TO a total OF
| S1,0O0,0oO000 for a single year.
Even in prosperous times we have
mills closing down and advertising
that workers were not to be had. Al
the very same time I'm other parts Of
this country men are tramping frou
shop to shop looking for work There
has been no place TO which they might
apply for trustworthy information con
corning positions open In any othel
part of the country. Even II there
had been they would in most cases no
have had the money TO get to the JOBS
that wanted them-the Jobs they sough
in vain.
Exchanges In Nineteen States.
The first step In the organization o.
the labor market Is not only the sys
tematlc supervision OF the local, com
mercial. private employment bureaus
There must be something which reach
es further than that-something which
enables employer and employee to sc
reliable information. not only from DIFF
ferent parts OF the city or the state
but different parts OF the whole coun
try. This institution is the system o
public labor exchanges. which not onl.
collects Information from the regulat
ed private agencies, but establishes
i, chain OF free employment bureaus
. The public labor exchange unde
state control has already been provid
eel in nineteen states and twelve mu
inequalities OF the United States.
"Of course" concluded Mr.. Andrews
1.-THE employment bureau is to be 70
both men and women and absolutei.
no fees are to be charged The de
partment OF agriculture furnishes In
formation without cost That Is Tn
function OF the labor exchange-th
furnishing OF information"