The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1916-12-01

Postal Employment Agencies
One of the most serious problems i'm
rural districts is the dearth of salts
factory labor. This condition FREE
|ouantIv occurs and results often i'm de-
feating in a large measure the efforts
|of whole year of planting and prep
aratfon. At the same time there al
WAYS exists, unfortunately, a more or
less numerous class OF unemployed.
In spite of all efforts which have been
made in the past by farmers indt-
vfduaIIy and through their grange as
sociations. by city welfare associa-
lions and by the railroads, this prob
lem has not been satisfactorily solved.
For this reason a bureau has been
ORGANIZED in the Department Of Labor
under the name of the United States
EMPLOYMENT Service The purpose
for which this branch of the govern
ment has been created is two-fold. In
the first place, it will investigate the
conditions of employment and the
labor market and will formulate
recommendation for remedial legis-
lation. In the second place, it will
afford practical help and relief to the
unemployed and to the employer, who
is suffering from his inability to Sc
cure help With a view to aiding in
the practical work of the Employment
/ Service, the postmaster general has
agreed to issue directions to all post
masters requiring them to act as the
local agents of the Employment Ser
vice The Department of Labor will
thus be enabled to keep in close touch
with the employment situation in
every town and city Through the
rural carriers intimate knowledge will
be available of the needs Of practically
every farmer in the United States.
The Postoffice Department is thus
providing the machinery by means OF
which the Department of Labor will
be enabled to apply every remedy in
the power of the federal government
to employment problems that may
arise in the future.
Thus, farmers of the United States
! have been given the benefit of $4,000
intelligence officers, so to speak, by
the Postoffice Departments co-opera
ton with the Department Of Labor il
carrying out President wilson.
= scheme for finding employment fol
the unemployed, The matter of Sc
curing employees for the farmer wher
the demand for farm labor to harvest
the crops is as important to the
farmer as to those seeking employ
ment
Aids Employers and Unemployed
Postmasters at every office have
been instructed by the postmaster
} general to lend every effort toward
! bringing the job without an employe,
and the employee without a job to
gether.
} Either employer or workman ma.
obtain at any postoffice in the United
, States a blank application supplied b!
the Department of Labor, which, afte
: filling out and signing, he may deposi
! in the mails anywhere free of postage
| Sometimes an application for an en-
ployer and one for a worker in tn
same postoffice neighborhood may b
/ mutual in their requirements In sue
cases the postmaster often brings tn
: parties together without forwardin
their applications Otherwise all al
= plications go from the postoffice
where deposited to the nearest static
or substatiOn of the Department c
Labor They are there compared 70
the purpose of noting reciprocal r,
= quirements and bringing work seeke
and employer together. This is don
as fully as possible at each station an
substation From July l, 1915, t
February 1, 1916, positions were foun
for over $4,000 of the unemployed. l
the first seven months of the presen
z fiscal year nearly three times as man
g men and women have been enabled {
get positions as during the entir
year Of 1914
The governments new labor en-
ployment service plays a picturesqu
: and important part in facilitaun
harvesting in the Middle West. Fc
each 100 men needed to garner tn
huge grain eros of the great plain
less than 10 have year-round job
Hence, beginning late in May. va.
= army converges into the grain coul
r. try lured by the prospects Of hig
s. wages with board and lodging pr,
Il yided
d The governments new facilit
y plays a large part in the mobilizato
n and disposition of the units of thi
q great wave Of workers. BY far tn
largest part come from the Eas
Kansas City and Omaha are the prir
cipaI "gateways" through which thes
man noe. orJ H.