The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-27
City's Employment Bureau.
Superintendent S e ar S
Discusses the First
Years Work of the
Municipal Job Bureau

A LONG ISLAND village wants
IA a dog catcher. This may not
4 be important when compared
with questions OF international re-
ktions. the situation in Mexico, the
woman suffrage campaign and other
matters Of that kind, but to people OF
the village 1t is Of consequence, and
SO the authorities wrot to the New
York City Public Employment Bureau.
Lafayette and Leonard streets, about 1t.
They were very frank in stating
their needs. They did not hold out
any visions of an colorado where Q
dog catcher could amass q fortune
IN 4 short time. They did not hint
that here was a get rich quick offer.
They merely said that they wanted a
dog catcher and they could not ind
one. They added that he would be
bald at the rate Of 81 per head for
Each and every dog captured and
brought TO the pound.
"A steady and experienced dog
catcher" concluded the authorities,
scan make $40 a week IL he works
hard-that is. he can make this much
money the first week. After that his
earnings will drop materially. for there
ore only about forty or fifty dogs I'M
ning loose that ought to be ~impounded.
This communication was received
BY Waiter L. Sears, superintendent
Of the New York Public Employment
Bureau, and search was made of rec
ords Of applicants for work. Thou
sands Of applications were found from
men who wanted to do almost any
thing. and other registrations by
women stenographers and clerks, but
In all the requests for work there was
not a single one from a professional
dog catcher, for which reason Mr..
Sears forwarded the letter to the AMI
ma Rescue League.
This Is an incident showing the wide
variety Of work being carried on by
the Public Employment Bureau, which
got actively running In the latter part
Of last November. Since that time 1t
haS lfN'4Nf u -Nsv'V W
men and women applying for work.
anL out Of this number it has found
Jobs for 2,266 OF them. in addition to
large variety OF temporary jobs. such
as shOvel.ing snow and other work OF
that character. The experimental stage
Of the first public employment bureau
ever organized by New York city is
believed to have passed. and these
conducting It think that its usefulness
will be even greater in the future
than during the six or seven months
Just ending.
When general business conditions
became quieter and quieter early in
1914 and many thousands were thrown
out of work in New York the mu-
nlcipality opened a temporary bureau,
with two clerks from the office of the
Commissioner Of Accounts and a third
man from the Department of Chart
ties, As a result OF the unexpected
demands on the office a committee
was appointed to see what could be
done on a larger and more permanent
basis.
This committee consisted Of City
chamberlain Bruere, DR.. Henry Mos
kowitz, president OF the civil service
DIVISION; John a. Kingsbury Of the
Department of Charities. Commits
sloner John T. Fetherston Of the
Street Cleaning Department, Corpora
uon Counsel Polk, Commissioner OF
Licenses George ii. Bell and DIR, John
u, Andrews of the American Associa-
Ton for Labor Legislation. Largely
upon the recommendations OF the
committee the Board OF Aldermen in
NAY, lali, passed an ordinance pro-
'h!ng for the establishment OF the
preacnt bureau.
Ct thn head Of ii was placed Walter
l. Sears 81 Boston, who la had ex-
p~efi'nce in organizing employment
bureaus for nine cities In Massa-
ehuSetts, Rhode Island and the prov
mce Of Quebec, Canadi. In review
ing the work Of the first season OF
lne bureau, so that readers of THE
SUNDAY SrS might have definite
hh""Iodrc as to what 1t has accom-
Pushed, Mr.. Sears remarked yester-
ady mat he was somewhat surprised
70 50" what happened on the very first
"y the office was opened. :
When ! got down here to the build