The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-15
l.. Sears Links
Employment Bureaus
of %Ghirty-two Cities
Into One Chain

w les.cnlng the strain and stress
Of hard times" when multi
tudes Of men and wonfn are thrown
out Of work, is now being .ricd on a
considerable scale by Walter l.. Sears.
General superintendent OF the Public
Employment Bureau of the City of
New York. without in the least affect
ins Adversely the New York bureau.
Mr.. Sears now has organized what Is
termed the Eastern Labor Clearing
House. composed Of agencies in twenty
one cittls east of Pittsburg and OF
eleven in the Canadian provinces of
Quebec and Ontario.
The name Of this organization accu-
ntely defines its purpose-a clearing
house, covering an enormous stretch
Of ~populous territory. whos- business
h TO inform idle men and women
where they n find work, and 70 tell
employers just where and in what
numbers they can obtain workmen
and workwomen. So far as can be
sscertained this IL the most extensive
rheme Of the kind thus far attempted,
when It's emlnently practical machin-
cry Is taken into account, for unlike
ths Federal Bureau OF Labor It Is not
furnishing bulletins covering the entire
country.
1T would not be wise to make ro-
eeaie predictions" said Mr.. Sears, In
talking Of the new enterprise. "al-
though results thus far are by no
means unsatisfactory. But 1t may bs
nid that there is every logical reason
! why this Eastern Labor Clearing
House should materially aid In reduce
ing the anxiety and financial stress
that come periodically to many thou
sands OF men and women thrown out
a work through some unforeseen cir
cumstance. yet eager to find a Job
that they can handle. I am not so sure
but that the undertaking may aid in
wa.dlng on another period OF wide
spread idleness this coming winter. for
example. We all remember the serious
conditions prevailing last winter and
the winter previous. when right here
in New York thousands of homeless
men and hundreds OF homeless women
had to be cared for in public emer-
gency.
ivssibis Nht SAsiSsb va W Nl'id
what | nm trying to do is To cite q
definite example, one which may be
duplicated almost anywhere at various
seasons Of the year. Here" he con-
tinued taking a paper from his desk,
is the latest Bulletin of Opportunities
that ] have received from the Federal
Labor Bureau at Washington. AS You
zee, 1t prints pages from State after
State te..ing that men are wanted for
one kind Of work or another. at n
town or another. Let us turn to the
page devoted to Opportunities In
California. for example. Here We see
- list Of jobs open. An employer out
there needs half a dozen carpenters or
twenty girls TO work in a canning fac
] tory. According to the present plan
he notifies the California agent Of the
Federal Labor Bureau. who in turn.
q a stated time, malls to Washington
his list OF jobs open in California
Al Washington thes. are tabulated,
printed, and again mailed out % people
q over the United States. BY the
time this bulletin gets into the hands
Of carpenters seeking work, or Of girls
anxious for jobs in a canning factory.
the vacan places have been filled. IL
q builder needs half a dozen carpenters
he can't wait for a month before they
get round TO his office from other parts
Of the country.
Here's an item that illustrates thu
| point. A small community in Cali
fornia says 1t wants a man to .ook
after the parking of automobiles in a
public place. His Job will pay 81 n
day in wages and whatever fees he
may pick up. As a matter of practical
interest | have cen wond ring why
that item was sent broadcast over the
United States. Probably there are fifty
men in or around that town who would
Jump al the chance. / doubt. however,
u any man Of sense would trave. from
New York or Boston or even from
Chicago or Denver in the hope OF
/ ctting it.
Now that is one OF the important
ways in which newly formed East
ern Labor Clearing House differs from
The Federal Labor Bureau. Here Is a
LIST of the cities already associated in
the und rtaking. By glancing over
~ sou Will Ste tldl tles u mo-
too far apart to be associated-to be
OF real, practical value, l mean. 10
men and women who need work or To
employers who need help. And II is
highly important TO remember tina my
plan provides that individual calls.
either for work or for workmen,
are not sent out in our bulletins. The
Eastern Labor Clearing House Will
gladly do all il can for every n in
need, but We do not purpose to bu..etin
opportunities OF less than n hundred
persons"
The list OF cities now Included In tho
Eastern Labor Clearing House Is "a
follows; Atlanta. Baltimore. Boston.
bridgeport. Elizabeth, y. j., Erie, Fan
Rive, Hartford. jamestown, n Y" New
ark, New Haven. New York city, Nor
Hch, Conn, Pittsburg, Providence
X J.. Richmond, Scranton, Springfield,
Mass, Trenton, Waterbury, Worcester,
and the following in Canada: Montreal,
Quebec, Sherhrooke, Berlin. Rrantford,
Hamilton, London, Ottawa, st. Thomas,
Toronto and Walkerville. A small
FOLDER OF convenient size has been
printed giving the cities, and under
zach is printed the name, post ofhcc
address and telephone number OF the
superintendent In charge, to whom APP
sera'i"n should he made either for
work or for work people.
1t Is all very simple" Mr.. Sears
continued. The demand and the sup
J ply OF labor fiuctuates like the tide In
ariou places at various times. Take