Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-22
"WEATHER MAPS" FOR THE JOB SEEKERS
Labor Distribution Through PublcOutne of Plan for Equag
the Employment Market-Information Committees in
Centres of Population.
By WALTER LINCOLN SEARS
Public Employment Bureau New York City

An efficiently organized and intelligently
managed system of labor bureaus ex-
changes, operated by the Federal Govern
ment in CO. ordination with the State and
municipal employment bureaus, should re-
suit in n better distribution of labor This
Is one means by which the labor market
can be organized.
Public employment bureaus are agencies
supported by the Government out of general
taxes, and designed to bring employe and
employer together for the purpose of fur
nishing employment to the former and help
to the latter. The public employment
bureau, to be successful should be organized
and maintained on strictly business lines,
accessibly located, properly equipped, and
the staff selected from the civil service.
Sufficient funds should be provided by
which to provide for practical prudent pub
licity. The public employment office acts
only as the agent of the employer and en-
ploye, and in no case has the final say-so as
to who will be employed. Therefore, the en-
ploying public must be efficiently served, II
the office is to obtain and retain its con-
fidence.
Paternalistic Care of Labor
From the experience of the foreign public
employment bureaus, some of which have
been in operation for more than a generation
we should be able to learn a great deal, and
adopt such ideas as may be applicable to
conditions in this country. American labor
conditions are obviously different, and we
should choose only such methods as are suit
able to our needs We should discourage all
plans which might result in making the indi-
vidual dependent While it Is the duty OF the
Government to assist the unfortunate indi-
vidual in every proper way, ought not to
adopt any scheme which would be likely to
make him dependent upon society for sup
port.
I favor the giving of information relative
to help or employment, but not of any ma
teral thing which savors of charity or tends
to pauperize the individual. The methods
and practices of the foreign bureaus, l fear
tend to make the individual dependent, and
this should not be permitted to enter into
our scheme of furnishing information as to
where help or employment may be obtained.
Paternalism has its advantages, and also it's
disadvantages, but there is limit which we
should not attempt to reach too rap 1ly
There is no department of the arnment
which could be made as beneficial in it's re-
suits as the successful establishment and
proper management OF public employment
bureaus in coordination with the Federal
Government. Their establishment and proper
management would, in my Judgment, do
much in normal times to reduce the number
of idle, shiftless intemperate immoral and
criminal, and 1t would make for better
citizenship, and respect for our laws and
civic institutions.
A Suggested Solution
Since congestion, the result OF over-popu-
lation in the larger cities in the United
States, became menace those having to do
with labor matters have endeavored to solve
the problem OF labor distribution-the mobi-
lization of alien and citizen labor have
given much thought TO the question, and
offer as partial solution the following plan
by which the needs OF both labor and cant
tai would be clearly indicated. and the
chances Of misrepresenting opportunities for
employment would be somewhat lessened.
The Division of Information OF the Bureau
Of immigration and Naturalization, in the
Department OF Labor, was established nearly
eight years ago for the purpose OF providing
a scheme for the distribution Of labor
The real problem is: How to get the peo-
pie away from centres where there Is great
est unemployment to places where there is
genuine scarcity Of labor When publicity
Is given to opportunities for employment all
over the country there should be a leveling. Sd
TO speak. an equalizlns OF labor conditions
such as does not exist at the present time.
Publicity the Effective Method
Practical prudent publicity is the only
means by which an effective scheme for lahor
distribrtion can be successfully accomplished
and as means toward that end. I recon-
mend bulletin similar to tie weather 8u-
reaa NAB + ths pahie Befs laalelously.