The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1915-02-12
SEEK OUT J0BLESS
New Employment Bureau Com
pIetCS Preliminary Work.
Application Blanks Sent Throughout
Country-Union Leaders Watch
to See f Organized ToiIers
Get Preference,

Washington tn" department OF La
Dor has completed the preliminary
work in connection with the federal
employment bureau, and necessary
blanks re nsIug sent to employers
throughout he country and to post
offices tor distribution tC persons seek
ing employment 1t Is the purpose OF
the DEPARTMENT = act ~ a clearing
house or those Who seek employment
;.uu those who ha>" employment TO
offer .ioth union aud nuuunton work.
err md propriet0rs Of open or closed
shops throughout the country are In
trrcstod III these operations of he de-
purtmcnt
In connection with the voluntary
work LOW being und"rta' On by the do
partmrnt Of labor special interest at
tachc4 to he fact that Secretary VIII
SON is himself union man, having
hvrn at one time prominent in tho
onicial councils Of the miners orga-
ui2altou.
The application blanks being sent
ont to employers and unemployed are
brtng handled directly by the division
q Information of the bureau of limit
grafton T '. Powdcrly Is chief OF
the division.
Thc general plan COntemplntes the
G. operation , the department OF ag'
fIculturc and the post office depart
mont with the department of labor in
locating 9th the employer who de-
Sircs Labor nd the unemployed. The
AGENTS Of the department. Of agricui-
turp, about l75,OOO 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'
pIoycd. who will fiji them out and re-
turn them TO the postmaster, to be Tor
wardcd to the department OF labor,
postage free. Mr., P~oWderly 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-
Cciyu the applications for employment
from workmCn.
Applications for employment are de-
signed to cover virtually all forms OF
employment. both skilled n un'
skilled. including domestic work and
farm labor The applicants are re-
quired to answer numerous questions
as to age, height, weight, trade, nation
atty. qualification for labor other than
the trade mentioned, languages
spoken, names Of two former employ.
rrg, reason for loss Of latest employ.
mont 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 trade In every locality are
known, It will be a comparatively easy
matter for those interested to know
from tn" trades mentioned the wages
- IN'lf8i anu NV . W ~
pIOycrB, 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.
or 10 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.
isting 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 o!
the federal employment bureau Is a
question for development. There ID
little question that II preference be
given to organized labor the effect
would be to force unorganized labor
into the ranks Of organized labor.