The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-04-17
THE H.AsKIN LET TE =
The. MAN AND The. JOB
"a ACHIEVEMENT EMPLOYMENT BUREAU
By Frederio ) |. Haskin.

BY E'rederi
The government is. not generally
aware that there Is today in opera
ttion IN the United States such an
IemploEmEn t bureau . the world has
never before> known. that there Is 4
81 branch Of this bureau In every town
and hamlet, that any Individual un-
der the flag can avail himself of It's
advantages by avislt to the nearest
pEstofHce, that all Sthat is necessary
Ito get in touch with the labor oppor-
tnnities OF the whole nation is TO; fill
ont blanl1 which the government IS
, anxious to supply.
Yet such are the facts. This great
nationwide employ ment bureau is
Just now coming into existence
Through the activities OF the Depart
ment or Labor. That branch OF the
government service is now but a lit
! tie over two years Of age, but it has
Espent a good dI<f of the time and
energy of its young life in attempting
70 determine whether or not there
arc enough jobs to go around If they
were properly distributed. It has
come to the conclusion that il the
manless Jobs and jobless men were
brought together 1t might develop
| that there would be nobody between.
Maine and Mexico W b o was necessari-
" out of work.
This conclusion had been reached
land the department was seeking a
sclntion for the problem Of unen,-
Eployment when the great war broke
OUT in Europe. This war affected the
lenployment plans OF the government.
in various ways. In the first place,
lit left more people out of work than
In normal times. In The second
place, it5caused shifting and read
EJustment Of labor to meet new .condi-
tiOns. for some industries were in
tlurcd while others we're stimulated.
! Finally it had the effect OF leaving
one large bureau of the department.
with practically nothing to do and
made it possible that the machinery
iof that bureau might be devoted to-
a large extent TO the task OF finding.
employment for those people who
We're ont Or work.
This was the Bureau of Immi gra-I
ton. Since the war began aliens
have practically stopped coming to.
America. Therefore. This branch OF.
the, governments activities has had
less. to do. than formerly The United
States is divided into eighteen immi-
grafton districts, in each of which
i is maintained an Office as headquar-s5
tiers for the government agents who
look after the distribution and we'll
being of foreigners. The men in
charge of these immi grafton districts
are today busily at work operating
their Offices as empl oyment agencies
They the active points in a great
scheme in job finding that the De-
nartment of Labor has just inaugur-
ated.
The government, having set itsl
hands to the task OF bringing To-
gether thu iobless man and the man
less job. found 1T necessary. in he.
first place, to locate the man and the
jobs. It laid down a very conlpre-i
hensible scheme which called for the
cooperation Of the postoffice depart
ment and the Department OF Agri-l
culture. The government has the
machinery for carrying out#a plan OF
this sort at6yery little expense. Itsl
first act was 70 prepare cards that
might be nailed up on the bnlletini
boards Of postof1ices. These cards
called the attention Of the public to-
the fact that any man who wanted
employment might get a blank from
the postmaster, mi ght fill otlt that,
blank. stating his qualifications.
might mail itfree Of charge. it being
already address The poster also
asked the attention OF employers OF
labor. Any employer, needing men.
might get a different sort OF card for
his purpose. This he lied out,
stating the sort Of man he wanted
the nature OF the work that would be
required Of him. the wages that
would ne paid. This card mi ght also
be mailed without postage.
FL When the Department Of Labor
had these cards ready 1T turned them
over to the postoff1ce departments.
There are $4,000 postof1ces in the
United States. The postmaster gen
Eera1 issued Instructions to each post
master. directing him to to post in al
conspicuous place, the p1acards sent.
AT the same time that he sent the
blanks that were to be given out upon
application.
The Department OF Agricultural
was asked to lend itself to this plan
through its field agents. There are
10000 Of these scattered through
out the country. They are tacquaintsd
with the needs OF the people, partic-l
position Of advisers to these men OF
the rura18regfons. An explanation OF
the gnyernme labor plans was
sent to these field agents and they
We're instructed to explain them !
wherever they might. They were
told. for instance. to advise the far
mers that whenever they We're I'LL in I
need OF a laborer it would be a;Ldvis7-:}i
able for them to get what they;
wanted through this government
agency. They had to but ask the rs1-
raj letter carrier to bring out the |.
slips. and to fill in the blank spaces