Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-02-18
New Employment Bureau Com
pIetes Preliminary Work.
Application Blanks Sent Throughout
Country-Union Leaders Watch
to See If Organized Toilers
Get Preference.

Washington.-The department Of Ia
Dor has completed the preliminary
work in connection with the federal
employment bureau, and necessary
blanks are being sent to employers
throughout the country and to post
offices for distribution to persons seek
ing employment. 1t is the purpose of
the department to act as a clearing
house for those who seek employment
and those who have employment to
offer. Both union and nonunion work
ers and proprietors of open or closed
shops throughout the country are in
terested in these operations of the de-
partment.
In connection with the voluntary
work now being undertaken by the de-
partment Of labor special interest at
taches to the fact that Secretary Will
son is himself a union man, having
been at one time prominent in the
official councils of the miners orga-
nization.
The application blanks being sent
out to employers and unemployed are
being handled directly by the division
of information of the bureau of immi-
grafton. T. V. Powderly is chief Of
the division.
The general plan contemplates the
cooperation of the department of ag-
riculture and the post office depart
ment with the department Of labor in
locating both the employer who de-
sires labor and the unemployed. The
agents of the department of agricul-
ture, about 175,000 in number, will
send reports Of labor conditions in
their district to the secretary of agri-
culture, who will transmit them to the
department of labor. Postmasters
throughout the country will distribute
the application blanks to the unem-
ployed, who will fill them out and re-
turn them to the postmaster, to be for
warded to the department Of labor,
postage free. Mr.. Powderly and Com
missioner Caminetti Of the bureau
of immigration will receive daily re-
ports from the labor centers giving
actual conditions and will also re-
ceive the applications for employment
from workmen.
Applications for employment are de-
signed to cover virtually all forms of
employment, both skilled and I'M
skilled, including domestic work and
farm labor The applicants are re-
quired to answer numerous questions
as to age, height, weight, trade, nation
ality, qualification for labor other than
the trade mentioned, languages
spoken, names of two former employ
ers, reason fer loss of latest employ
ment and wages expected.
AS these documents will be public
records, the leaders of organized labor
have list of the union and open shops
in the country, and the union wages
for every trad1 in every locality are
known, it will be a comparatively easy
matter for those interested to know
from the trades mentioned the wages
expected and the names of former en-
ployers, whether or not the average
applicant for employment is a union
or nonunion man. 1t will also be an
easy matter in the case of the employ
er to ascertain whether his shop is
open or closed. The employer also is
required to report specifically the
hours Of labor day In his factory or
shop; labor conditions (strikes ex-
listing or contemplated) etc." and
other questions which will easily char
acterize his business to those most
interested
To what extent this situation will be
recognized in the administration of
the federal employment bureau is a
question for development. There is
little question that if preference be
given to organized labor the effect
would be to force unorganized labor
into the ranks Of organized labor.