The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1916-03-17
EMPLOYMENT AGENCY FOR CITY
Continued from Page l..


that there were some professional
trampS among the 20 men rounded up
last night, but they did not show it.
I told them that as far as possible l
would keep in touch with jobs and
with them, after they left the city, and
if there were any openings, which l
doubted, l would let them know. l am
sure that IS per cent or them were
honest workmen.
"The fact is that the number of men
who can be employed on the tract at
best is limited At the maximum
there will be a few hundred employed
on the sugar factory construction,
many of them skilled laborers. Great
numbers of men cannot get work here
Now, if we establish municipal en-
ployment agency we can have the
number OF jobs reported and of men
wanted published through your col
umns twice a week. Laborers in the
country can find out by visiting the
agent, or by telephoning him or writ
ing to him where there are jobs vac
ant and whether it would pay to go to
seek positions at a certain place or
not, and it will furnish a means for
letting idle men elsewhere know that
there is no room for more laborers at
Twin Falls. This will involve a lot of
work for the municipal agent, but it
will probably relieve the situation and
put us in condition to handle it intelli-
gently. If some sort of arrangement
nation wide in scope could be made
which would enable laborers to get
definite information in regard to
where positions could be secured, the
number of men wanted, and when and
/ hf.t tt,.a1 no, cd
so that no more men would go than
needed, except few floaters, the sit
uation would be greatly relieved.
There seems to be more or less effec-
tive organization among all classes of
people except common laborers. If
such system as suggested could be
worked out in nation, state and local
ity, either by the national, state and
municipal government or by some
such men as Rockefeller, who have
wealth enough to finance it, it would
prove very beneficial to class OF
men who are unable to form an effec-
tive organization themselves
The last legislature abolished all
private employment agencies which
charge for services throughout this
state, on account of evidence of graft
ing on the part of a number of them
ana enacted mandatory law to the
effect that all municipalities should
create and maintain a municipal en-
ployment agency. Until recently there
has been no demand for this sort OF
agency here. However, City Attorney
George Herriott has been at work on a
form of ordinance for some time, and
he and Mayor Sweeley have gone over
the matter carefully in order to get a
law that would hold water. Some
smaller towns are said to have at
tempted to comply when the law was
first passed and failed to get the law
straight, but Boise is said to have an
excellent ordinance that complies with
constitutional requirements.
There is at present a department OF
farm markets located in the state
house at Boise through which an eff
fort Is being made to connect laborers
with farm jobs.
For the past several years the Unit
ed States department of labor in con-
nection with the postoffice department
has been endeavoring to work out a
plan to keep workmen in touch with
the situation throughout the country
1t is thought that the new city bureau
by getting in touch with both of the
above agencies may be able to add tC
the efficiency Of its work here