Evening star., 1915-02-23
Backed by Public Labor Bu-
reauS Is Held to Be Solution
of Unemployment Problem.
MONDAY EVENING CLUB
SPEAKERS GIVE VIEWS
DR.. Wickliffe Rose Declares Poland
Rather Than Belgium Has Suf-
fered Most From War.

Social insurance backed up by Sys
tenn of public labor bureaus was held
out as the only solution of the problem
OF unemployment in this country by
speakers who addressed the twelfth an
nual dinner of the Monday Evening
club at Rauschers last night.
John 7. Andrews, secretary of the
National Association for Labor Legis-
lation; Charles L. Barnes. director OF
the New York state public employment
bureau. and District Commissioner
Louis Brownlow advocated these re-
forms for the relief of social unrest
and unemployment.
y feature of the meeting was fur
Uished by Dr. Wickiine Rose. member
Of the Belgian relief commission, who
gave a graphic description of labor
conditions in Europe resulting from
the war. DR.. Rose declared that Fo-
land rather than Belgium has suffered
most from the war and predicted that
if the conflict should be terminated
soon the BeIEians would not be long in
restoring their commercial activities.
Labor Conditions Discussed.
other speakers who discussed labor
conditiOns-thiS being the theme of the
mectins-wcre Charles +. Nesbit, su-
pcrintendeut of Insurance of the Dis
trict: r. c. BrandenburE, president of
the Board of Trade; p. T. Moran, presi-
dent of the Chamber of Commerce: Ross
p Andrews, president of the Retail
Merchants Association, and Walter =.
Cford, secretary of the Associated
Charities. Mrs. Ernest r Bicknell,
president of the club. presided, while
DIR. William c. Woodwa health Off
of the District, officiated as toast
master
Mr.. Ufford called attention to the
Kenyon amendment to the District ap-
preparation bill. authorizing an appro-
prlation of $4,000 for investigation OF
the cost of living in Washington. Mr..
Ifford urged that the executive COM
Tnittee of the club look into this mat
ter at once with the view of supporting
The amendment. The committee will
meet today to consider the proposal
Secretary Andrews of the National
ASSOCIATION for Labor Legislation was
there are about 100000 unemployed
persons in Chicago, 100000 unemployed
in New York and probably million
unemployed in the nation. Remedies
by Mr.. Andrews are these: G) Estab-
1iSh network of public employ
ment bureaus; t2) plan public works
so as to provide regular employment;
vocational guidance; CD regularize in
dustries-a feature to be worked out
by employers: (5) establish unemploy-
ment insurance similar to the system in
operation in England.
Offices Political Plums.
The True Function and Use of Pub
lie Employment Offices" was discussed
by Secretary Barnes of the New York
bureau There are about twenty states
that have such offices, but only a few
of them are doing effective work, the
speaker declared. This he attributed
10 the fact that too many of the offices
are used as political plums. Mr. Barnes
declared IT would take a long time to
properly establish a systematic system
of public labor bureaus, as it will be
necessary to educate the public in the
value of such agencies.
Commissioner Brownlow spoke. in an
optimistic vein of the attitude of Con-
=ress on social legislation. The Dis
trlct, he claimed. is obtaining as much
from Congress in the way of social leg
lslatlon as any other big city is re-
ceiving from its councils or commits
SionS- National social legislation is
coming, Commissioner Brownlow pre-
dicted. II was presaged by the work
mems compensation act, and subse-
Quent legislation points to this conclu-
sion. he urged. The Commissioner de-
clared that in his opinion the problem
of unemployment may be solved only
Icy social insurance.
Dr. Rose. who spent three months in
the war ridden countries of Europe
told of the conditions obtaining there
lie asserted that 1t would be impossible
10 describe the deSolation obtaining in
Belgium, but that as much as this
country has suffered Poland has suf-
fered more II the war should close
today Belgium would get on her feet
tomorrow, but, at present, her hands
are tied and she can do nothing until
the war closes, he declared.
Declares Poland Desolated.
Dr.. Rose predicted that Poland
before long will be forced to appeal
pressed the hope that every man,
woman and child in the United States
would respond to the appeal, as Po-
land, he declared, presents the ex-
treme picture of desolation compared
with which Belgium is d paradise
The war, DR.. Rose said. has neces-
sarny involved the whole world, di-
ftct!y or indirectly, and he expressed
the belief that il would teach A les
son so severe in the futiIity of war
rs means OF regulating disputes be-
tween nations that the world would
decide 20 find other means of settlin,;
such controversies
Both Insurance Commissioner Ees-
pit ana president Brandenburg of the
hoard spoke briefly, the former in
dors'ng the social insurance plan as a
means of relieving Unemployment
FfeSldent Moran Endorsed the yoca-
Tohai su!cance suggestion. while
resident Andrews of the Retail Mer-
chants Association referred to labor
conoitions OBTAINING in the Capital.
preceding the banquet an informal
reception was held.
List of Guests.
The guests were:
John Andrews. Miss Alice Atwood,
II. r. Andrews.
Charles p. Barnes. L. c. Branden-
nirG. Miss Brady, J. II. Brickenstein,
Ar and Mrs. ". X. Beale. Dr. and Mrs
'i'orge T. Bowerman, Misses BeNer
Miss Annah Began. Dr. Joseph Began
Miss r.. V. Brown, Mrs George III
Brown. Mr. and Mrs. w. L. Brown
Mr. and Mrs H. ]. Browne, Miss Flor
Brown CornmisSioper and Mrs