The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-06-23

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 A national labor exchange is in pro- cess of organization by the Depart ment of Labor. It is not a, federal contrivanee for riding Rough-shod over state and municipal organization, but a central agency around and through which all other official agencies may operate. As to labor interests it's purpose is to promote the welfare of wage -earners, not to facilitate their oppressive exploitation. It aims to supervise all legitimate interests by bringing ''jobless men" to "menless jobs and to solve underlying prob lems of '.unemp1oynent' by fostering wage-earning opportunities in excess of demand for them.
 :. How it Started.
 The project had it's legislative birth when Congress in 1907 created 8 Di- vision of Information as a. branch of the Bureau of Immigration. This division has from the beginning been under the direction of T. V. Powderly, general master workman of the Knights of Labor a quarter of a, cen tury ago, who established the experi-. mental nucleus around which the present system has grown. Sufh- cient power either to protect or to extend it's work, however, did not come until the creation of the Depart ment of Labor in 1913.
 Through the terms of their fncor- poration into this new department the Bureau of Immigration and its DiVis-s ion of Information were strengthened in their functions with reference to wage-earning interests by the pre- scribed purpose of the department, ito foster, promote and develop the vel fare of the age-earners of the Unit ed States, to improve their working conditions and to advance their op- portunities for profitable employ ment."
 Opportunities for utilizing this in strumentaltty cam etc the. department in May, 1914. The secretary of la bor then received from the labor com missioner of Oklahoma a, telegraphic call for harvest hands. His favora- b1e response brought similar appeals from Kansas, Missouri and South Da- kota. All these states are in the great wheat belt where at harvest time the need of help from outside is phenomenal. In that region, during the six weeks from early June to the middle of July every year, five to ten times as many workers are needed for harvesting as can be employed in the same region during the entire eight months from Septepnber to June.
 Secretary Wilson responded to those wheat belt calls by securing the as- sistance of the Post Office Department which caused the post-ofnces of the
 
 epartment of Labor announcing this. temp orary need of the western harv- est fields.
 From SaIem's Fire.
 The object was so promptly effected that the announcements were recalled before the end of June, an excessive supply of harvesters having then been secured. Hardly had the harvest help episode ended when the disas- trous fire at Salem, Mass, suggested further lines of national work in-la- bor distribution. A large number of factory workers were thrown. out of employment by that disaster, and the local relief committee solicited the aid of the Department of Labor. Sec retary Wilson again utilized the Bur eau of Imnai grafton and the Division of Information. As a. result, hum dreds of the Unemployed Yage-earn- CTS of Salem were soon p1aqed in oth- CT localities at their accustomed work.
 Prompted by the results of those two experiences. and the large possi- bilities of like kind which they sug- gested, E2R department entered at once upon the national labor ex- change project which it is now devel- oping. In this work, both the Post Office Department and the Depart ment of Agriculture have enlisted
  tertor and the Department of Com merce also are cordially co-operat- ing. Through these and other exec utive agencies, local as well as na- l tional, much may be expected It is not at all improbable that the Department of Labor will thereby be able to prom ote labor distribution ex- l tensively and satisfactorily, that pub 1 lie lands and arid lands reclaimed by l governm entaI irrigating systems may l be utilized in aid thereof, that farm 1 credit and farm-naking projects may | be stimulated for it's further promo l ton, and that agricultural and other vocational training may come co-op- 1 eratively into this service for the solv- ing of employment problems As 1 yet, however, the principal work ac- tually under way relates to the na- ment agency.
 Employment Zones. 1 Some after the beginning of the present calendar year, eighteen en- ployrnent zones were mapped out, l They cover the entire continenal l United States. In every zone there is a headquarters, in several there are l sub-b branches.
 1 Att the headquarters of each zone an immigrant inspector is in charge. 1 He is assisted by at least one under study, also an officer of the ifnmigra- 1 tion service, so that an experienced representatives may always be in at tendance, in all post-offices, employ ment bulletins are posted which ask these questions: t@Do you need help ?'' l Do you want work ?''
 The form of application for employ | CTS requires them to give references, 1 and state the kind of work, length of employment, the hours of labor, wages 1 frequency of wage payments, whether wage payment are to be in money or l checks (and if by checks the facilities for cashing then), living accomada- 1 tions and cost, store accommodations and prices, whether strike or other la Dor disputes exist or are contemplated l and such other facts as the depart