Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-03-24
CONNECTING TIE
Man AND THE JOB
New National Movement 10
Aid the unemployed.
THROUGH LABOR EXCHANGES


Both Work Seekers and Employers
Problem Of the Idle Calls For soIu.
ton Regardless Of Whether the Times
Are Good or Bad.
A constructive program to combat
unemploy such Is the slogan o!
the first national conference Oh EN-
poyment. This is the first concerted
effort which the United States has
mace to combat the national problem
IF what to do for the man without u
job.
The Association OH 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 II 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 national
system of labor exchanges.
England-in fact. all 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 Il.
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 $1,000 100000.
United States census figures foi
1900" says Mr.. Andrews. show that
in that year over GOOO.OO0 working
people-that Is. nearly a fourth Of all
those engaged In gainful occupations
in this country-were at some time Ut
the year out Of work. OF these some
100000 lost from one to three mont hs
each. On the basis OF $40 n week this
represents loss In wages Of approx
mately $2OO.OOOOOO. 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,.
100000, while some 100000 were idle
for from seven to twelve months In the
ycar-a wage loss approximately again
Of $3OO.OOO.OOO.
"This brings the wage loss occasion
ed by lack Of employment to total Of
F<vs eli,
"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 country men are tramping from
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 other
part Of 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 I'm the organization OF
Utc utuIhct IN uOL Oiily tuG
trmatic supervision Of the local. com
n,ercial. private employment bureaus
There must be something which reach
es further than that-something which
enables employer and employee to get
reliable information. not only from DIFF
fnrent parts Of the city or the state
but different parts of the whole coun
try. This institution is the system Of
public labor exchanges. which not only
collects information from the regulat
ell private agencies. but establishes II
chain of free employment bureaus
'Thc public labor exchange under
State control has already been provid
Ell in nineteen states and twelve mm
inequalities Of the United States
"Of course" concluded Mr.. Andrews
"rhe employment bureau Is to he 70.
10th men and women and absolutely
10 fees are to be charged The de
rartment OF agriculture furnishes In
formation without cost That IL the
function OF the labor exchange--the
OF Information"