Denver labor bulletin., 1915-08-21

Uncle Sam is on the trail OF the
tramp. He is also devoting himself to
giving employment to the unemployed.
But the tramp is being run down and
set to work in the fields of the West
and in the shops OF the East. Under
the guidance OF Secretary Wilson of the
department of labor, the national en-
ployment bureau has set at work plans
to regenerate the tramp and help the
unemployed.
The tramp is distinctly American
character. He was originally, If the
students of his class are not entirely
mistaken, a by-product of the business
depression that began in 1873 and lasted
several years. He has evolved gradually
into q series of types, and there are
enough types and enough OF itinerants
to become n real national problem
Perhaps it is not quite correct to say
that the tramp is going to be reformed,
but the truth is the government hopes
by its bureau to bring an end to the
yearly production of wanderers, and es-
pecially at this time, when so many
men are out OF employment
This is the object, or one object, Of
the national bureau Of employment
started last year. This bureau works
with city and state authorities in an
effort to bring the man and the job to-
gether. II has been very successful, and
in another year will probably be recog-
nized as an important agency in the
labor and tramp problem.
Back to the formation of this bureau,
last year, is a story Of the early life
of Secretary Wilson, wherein he got the
inspiration for the bureau.
William b. Wilson, now secretary,
.e ..,
once a blacklisted miner. just at the
time he needed job badly he stumbled
into one at an iron mine, and along
i'm the middle of the summer the mine
closed down. The blacklisted miner
didn't understand ii, but he soon
learned. He was working in hop-rais-
ing section. The hops must be picked
within a certain brief period or lost.
By reason of an interesting cooperation
OF the various industrial forces OF the
region there had developed an under
standing that the mines should shut
down long enough in the midsummer Tor
the gathering of the crop.
This lesson did not impress itself so
much on Mr.. Wilson then. But last
summer there came up from the wheat
fields of the West a clamor for labor to
help harvest the grain, and Secretary
Wilson bethought himself OF the vaca.
tiou time in the hop country. Why not
an adaptation of that idea to the whole
national difficulty in dealing with sea
soual occupationsf Why not furnish
vacations to people all over the country
who need the change and who, incident
ally. could help with the work where
work is pressingf
SO cooperation was arranged be-
tween the postoffice department and the
department of labor. Postmasters were
directed to put up notices indicating
where and when men would be needed
and when they could be had. The rail-
roads were interested. Tens OF thou
a. nds of men were needed in the west
ern grain belt for few weeks in sum
mer. but they could not possibly be kept
In Jobs there the rest of the time. To
oet them there when needed and to get
them out when the work was done was
the problem.
The result of this experience was not
entirely satisfactory, as the railroad
| fare was too great and cheap rates
could not be obtained. The experience
| ~ last summer resulted in the develop
mont of scheme by which the country
was divided into 1s zones. The bureau
| finds out where jobs exist in the par
| ticular zones and brings the job to the
| msn without employment. When II II
| found that there II surplus Of Jobs
| for men in q particular zone, the blanks
| representing this surplus are forwarded
To- Washington, where an attempt IL
| made to find employment in some other