The state herald., 1915-04-09

ment OF labor In aid of the plan for the EN-.
ployment and distribution of laborers in the
united States; the former through its post.
masters, officers In charge Of branch post OF.
noes and rural carriers; and the latter through
It's Held and other services throughout the Unit
ed States"
Every officer OF the department OF agriculture,
no matter where. he is located, is charged with
the duty OF keeping Washington Off cials informed
concerning the necessity for workers in the 10.
cality in which he resides. Every farmer In the
United States through the post ofhce depart.
ment by this time has been, soon will be, fur.
nished with application blanks upon which he
can state any need which he has OF farm labor
ers of help of any description. These blanks
filled in and forwarded will do the service for
which they are intended-the connection OF some
competent man with work OF the kind which he
seeks
The work which is being done In connection
with farm labor is Of course only one part OF tho
service which the department OF labor through
Its division OF information is performing Manu-
facturers and employers OF labor Of all kinds are
furnished with blanks similar to those sent to the
farmers. except, OF course. that they are ad
1usted to meet other kinds OF working needs. The
correspondence OF the department is tremendous
and the work OF giving men work Is going FOR
ward rapidly.
Before going into the details OF the mechn'
nism Of the system by which natives sometimes
residents, and recently arrived immigrants are
directed TO fields OF employment, something
should be said about the development OF this
great governmental plan to provide work for the
workless. For quarter OF n century William B
Wilson now n member OF President Wilson's
cabinet as the head OF the department OF labor.
has been deeply Interested. concerned. perhaps.
were n better word. In the solution OF the prob
lem of forging the connecting link OF Information
between the man seeking work and the man seek
Ing workmen.
For lust as long and perhaps n longer period
r. v Powderly. the chief OF the division OF In.
formation. has been Interested In the same prob
lem. Mr. Powderly has been connected with the
government service for some years and has de-
veioped n system OF getting the work and the
voorhees, worker together until today the post
office department and the agricultural depart
ment are cooperating with the department OF Ia
Dor In n broad and comprehensive plan to reduce
the evil OF unemployment to n minimum which
might be called natural
Perhaps Mr.. Powdcrly will enter no objection
~ one tells a story Of how he first became inter
onted to u heart and mind feeling point In plans
20 get work for the worklcss To me the story
is an Interesting one and II seems that II ough,
10 be to others.
In the year 1878 r V. Powdcry. machnist by
trade lost his cycsght, For three months he sat
In darkness, and being unable 10 work he los,
his Job. His sight came back and he started on n
tramp looking for work lie was tramp seek
Ing work. not a tramp seeking handouts. lie lett
the United States and went Into Canada. He
found no work on tho eve OF New Years day,
1873 he found himself In St Thomas. ont. with
no money In his pocket no food In his stomach
and no place TO sleep wntchmnn allowed him
TO Hlcep in the frelghthousc Of u depot on n bed
made Of bngglng From there Powdory walked
TO nufraio seeking work There n good hearted
IriHhmnn gave him breakfast. the nrat one he had
had for some days, All this time the tramper
wna npking himself why there was no, some
means OF letting him know where there was
work In asking himself this hc wnn charging
his heart and mind with a purpose In life. the
same purpose which Secretary Wilson OF tho de-
partfant Of labor fixed In his own mind and
heart n quarter OF century ago
Tramp" Powdcry reached ono town where
there were some machine shops. He applied for
work and there were no vacancies Ho lett