The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-12-29
800 men CROWD
into B. OF C.,
SEEKING WORK
List Of JOb-Hunters Has In
creased Rapidly In the Last
Two Weeks
MOST OF THEM ARE
WITHOUT TRADES
Foreigners, Too, Are In Major
ity-lndexed According to
Necessities

About 500 men crowded into the
Detroit Board or Commerce. Monday
morning, in search Of work. The host
or men out or jobs and who have APP
pealed to the board for relief. has in
creased 80 rapidly that the committee
In charge OF the unemployed problem
has been forced to extend It's system
OF registering and classifying the APP
plicants
When the doors OF the auditorium
were thrown open. Monday. the place
was soon packed with men OF almost
every class. There were hundreds
who could not speak English. There
were men OF intelligence, masters OF
trades or professions, who seemed
out OF place In the masses of COM
mon laborers. Secretary Byres H..
Gitchell, and Vice-President Charles
n. Clifford. who are In charge OF the
relief work for the unemployed, de-
cided to separate the English speak
ing from the non.English speaking.
The foreigners, mostly Greeks.
Servians. Turks and Poles were given
the entire balcony and large COM
mittee room. The others, most Of
whom are native Americans, were
segregated on the lower floor
Twelve interpreters have been en-
gagged TO receive applications and reg
lister men who do not speak English.
Most OF the foreigners are laborers
without trade. The Americans are
mostly mechanics. According to Mr..
Gitchell. the real problem which con-
fronts the board, is that of the com
mon laborer.
''Of the calls received from en-
ployers," he said, most are for skilled
workmen. What is to be done with
the hundreds OF common laborers Is
question. Ice-cutting probably will
take care OF some. But the demand
for unskilled labor is not nearly great
enough TO care for the large number
OF this class OF men who have come
10 the Board of Commerce for aid"
j. ]. Henkel, of the Ford Motor
Co, who was sent by Henry Ford. to
the Board OF Commerce, to assist In
looking after the unemployed is of
the opinion that many employment
managers expect little too much
from the mechanics whom they hire.
These managers expect thar : man
will At perfectly into job the mo-
ment he gets 10 work." said Mr..
Henkel Most firms have TO train
and educate their men To I'LL the
inches into which they are placed. III
some employment managers would re-
member that a mechanic must be
given some time in which to familiar
lie himself with the new surround
ings, think more jobs would be
filed"
Among the interpreters who have
been engaged to register foreigners is
Victor A. Wasung. Secretary Gitchell
asked Wasung what business he was
In.
II used TO be an employment
agent" smiled Wasung
Then he explained that he and his
brother formerly conducted an agency
for foreigners at No. ga Mitchsll-ave.
Hard times came, there were no jobs
to sell, and the Wasungs had to close
their doors.
A card index system OF applicants
which is being kept by the Board Of
Commerce furnishes what is perhaps
the most accurate chart OF the true
condition Of unemployed workingmen
OF Detroit. When the relief work was
begun, about two weeks ago, less
than dozen appeared on the first
day. The men were told to come
back next day, II there was no work
for them. Just before Christmas, the
number who were waiting was 600
Since the holiday. it has risen by at
least 200.
Each card placed in the index Is
decorated with tag. IL the appli
cant 10 a single man, or II he is mar
ried and has bank account or other
means Of support, a red tag is placed
upon the card which bears his name.
II he IL married, and Is without means
OF support, his card will be marked
with a blue tag. In cases where a
family is absolutely destitute, evicted
from its home, or in danger OF evic-
ton, yellow tag is pasted on the
card.
The big file which bears the hun
dreds Of cards, is literally splashed
with fields of yellow and blue, al.
though the red marks are in the ma
jority.