Evening star., 1915-11-14

tricities of character and work that no
set rule can ever entirely meet.
Here is where the training and expe-
rience. chiefly the latter. of the Official
in charge receives its greatest test. The
atmosphere of one of these stations is
of necessity surcharged with human
interest. for pathos and comedy are
plentiful. and the officials must be past
masters in the arts of diplomacy and
fairness and know human nature as IL
is in everyday life.
For the employer who seeks a helper
there is another blank fully as extern
sive In the amount of information
asked. and in this also references are
asked.
Regarding the need for the federal
employment bureau. Secretary Wilson.
Francisco this past August. said:
That there is need for labor ex-
changes has been commercially demon
strated- The private labor exchanges
came into existence because those who
engaged in them originally believed that
there was field for clearing house
for la Dor, and those who followed the
original people in that field have found
that there is field for labor ex-
changes and they have found IL
profitable business.
There might never have been any
movement for a municipal labor e,-
change II it had not been for the fact
that private labor exchanges were sus-
ceptible to abuse and that they were
utilized for purposes that were not
One result of the new system of fed
eral employment agencies, established
so literally as to cover the whole coun-
try. will be the breaking up of the prao
ttce that has existed and is still -four
ishing in some of the big cities to graft
In fees paid by domestics and other
woman wage-earners. Many unscrupu-
lous people have prospered by effecting
combine between a private employ
ment agency and an employer, their
evil compact causing the unwilling ap-
plicant to return time and gain to paw
fee after fee for an opportunity that is
intended to last but brief time Unless
the applicant, becoming disgusted gives
up the quest. she is finally permitted TO
obtain a steady job.
While this project was designed pri-
marily for Americans-and the ma jor-
ity of the labor seekers are Americans.
of whom the greater per cent are men
the immigrant who applies, even
though just arrived in the country,
will not be turned away.
In many cases an employer provides
the fare for his help if mans charac-
ter or amount of baggage warrants It.
In these cases the official in the sta
tion to which the applicant has applied
gets his ticket and puts him aboard
the train. There have been remark
ably few failures, and the opinion
among the Department of Labor .off-
cials seems to be that the department
is striking at the very heart of the
problem. and that to turn the unem-
ployed into busy wage-earners in every
line of Industry and successful pro-
ducers is practical, feasible and splen-
did solution.
Then. too, the nationalizins OF the
plan not only checks some of the
abuses but also simplifies many diff
culties that would otherwise dcf"at OF
at least hamper the applicant seeking
employment at a distance or in ein-
bracins opportunities outside his p
sonal knowledge.
With the federal employment bureau
extending it's services to woman wage
earners, it is interesting to note the
number of vocations now followed py
woman Whereas a hundred years ago
there were but seven callings open 10
women, there now seems to be no neid
of industry barred against female IN :
yasion. Out of 313 occupations hsted
by the United States census bureau IN
its last report. there were but hihs
given over exclusively to men,
Approximately 10,00O,0o0 OF the ie-
male population of the United States
from ten years ol dSc @iN
breadwinners, and they compete Win
men in all kinds and conaitiohs o.
labor. Leaving out entirely the pro
fessional service-which is diVioed ih'o
ffteen classes. numbering in its ranks
. 0oo. 900 women, few. If any, Oh whoh
would he likely to ask the services O.
this national agency in obtaining EN-
nloyment-pra ctically every llhe OF
apricultural, mechanical. manufactuI
ine and clerical industry Is now open
to women. ..a =, IA
mestic service or to the strictly ieml-
nine pursuits, of which there are more
than fifty In this class are Millinery
dressmaking, catering. nursing, grove
making etc Not only are women 10 Do
found on judicial benches and In pull
nits but also, according to the census
, reports, they serve as unoertakers, :,
, butchers and in many & &o.heT eaii,ns i,i 81
that seem essentially fitted only TO
men. ,,,,a
cast aside sex limitations to most
unusual degree to obtain llveiihood
is shown by the fact that IN l9lO there
were 476 women employeo as nsne. =
men and oystermen, II as lumbermen
. and wood choppers. 81 blacksmiths, 81
gold and silver mine operatives, 10
brick and stone masons, IS carpenters.
849 builders and building contractors.
80 electricians and electrical engineers,
"a tinsmiths, 73 draymen, hostlers, a.
longshoremen and stevedores, besldeS
many others of less strenuous type
In that report the only occupations )
failing to show women enrolled IN the'r
ranks were those of soldier, sailor. ne
saver, firemen. plumbers. gas ana
steam filters, conductors and brakehlen
on railroads and morormen.