Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-04-22
FEDERAL AID IN FINDING JOBS
One OF tho Days Best Cartoons.
BY FREDERIC !. HAsI<IN

WASHINGTON. d. C., April 2I.--lf
| there is a woman anywhere in tho
| United States. Alaska or even the
Philippines who needs cook or "a
| maid for general houscwork and other
| work the Federal government is now
| ready TO help her get Que. AS a neces-
sary compliment. it is also ready to
| help the woman who is looking for
| the job.
This is tho latest development in tho
great employment bureau which the
| Department OF Labor is now operating.
| This bureau faces great national
| problem. The number OF unemployed
| persons in the United States during
| recent years has averaged more than
! 100000 at all seasons. Fully one
fourth of these are women. The men,
| however. came in for consideration on
| the part OF the government because
! more often families are dependent upon
them y service was organized to
| bring the man and the job together
Its success was beyond all cxpecta-
tions. The. thousands of men that had
| gathered in the great cities were d!s
tributcd westward. where there "ere
farms with waiting harvcs,s. and
mines and lumber camps.
This government employment bureau
began simply as an agency for farm
hands. and has gradually broadcned
the scope OF its work to include every
industry. within the last six months
its service has been extended to the
women OF the country as we'll as tho
men, by the organization of a woman
ana girls division. Women's sections
have been opened in New York, Phila-
| delphia. Chicago, San Francisco and
| Washington. Similar arrangements are
| soon to be made in Boston, Brooklyn
| Cleveland, Kansas City, st. Louis and
| Los Angeles. a woman officer is in
charge OF each of these Offices. In
localities where branches for women
| have not been organized women's APP
pliCations will he received by the eX
listing Federal Employment Bureau. 1t
is planned soon to have woman agent
in each OF the principal cities. OF the
country.
Under Immigration Burcnn.
The government work in obtaining
employment for men and women is
under the direct mana cement Of the
Bureau OF Immigration. which is a
| branch of the Department OF Labor
Secretary Of Labor Wilson and Com
| missioner of Immigration Caminetu
| are it's chief proponents. The Depart
! mcnt of Agriculture and the Interior
| help by listing the needs OF persons
| within their jurisdiction. The Post
| Office Department is the depository
for blanks for use of employers and
waEc-earncrs respectively, upon which
! to initiate the services offered by the
| system: also 10 furnish Information to
| tho Federal officers regarding appli-
cants. Every one of the 10000 post
| Offices in the United States is a CON
tributing factor in tho work. and every
| mail carrier distributes application
blanks on request.
Suppose that woman in North Da-
lsota wants maid OF all work Shc
asks the mail carrier for an applica-
tion blank. which she fills out under
his direction. She is required to give
two references as to her own RELIABLE
ity, for Uncle Sam believes that the
employer should he we'll recommended
! as we'll as the employee. detailed
description Of the work to be done.
| the wages to be paid, whether trans
portation will be advanced. the prob
able permanencc of the employment,
are some Of the details noted upon the
application blank.
Application by the woman who seeks
| a position is made in exactly the same
way. The great majority OF these an
plications are for places In domestic
service. There seem to he great
number OF women who are tired OF inc
Industrial struggle OF tho cities. ana
would like TO find less trying ana pre-
carious employment in private homes.
Needless to say, there are also thon-
sands of homes that want their SER
vices.
| Position. Not All Domestic.
| The positions found by women are
Nv, M means limited to those in do
| nestle service. For example. there are
| thousands of large farms and ranches
| i'm all parts Of the United states winch
| maintain excellent business ORGANIZE
| lions They need stenosraphers and
clerks just badly as city firms but
| they have r. great deal more trouble
| in Getting them. The government en-.
| nloyment bureau has found congcnial
| work In the country for many women
| and girls who gained their clerical
| training in the cities, and who desire
| the healthier life OF the country. Again,
| the employment bureau has enabled
| small country stores to obtain employ
| ees trained in city methods of sales
! manship. In the class Of unframed
| labor, women and girls have been found
| especially valuable for picking and
| Grating fine fruits.
One important effect Of the govern
! mcnt work. and one which will prob
! ably become more important in tho fu-
| ture, is to enable workers. to get fairer
| wages. This does not take tho form
/ so much OF a raise In the scale OF pay
| as Of q standardization OF wages. The
| amount paid for farm labor has been
| too high in some sections, too low in
others. a rapid shifting OF tho work
| ing force in accordance with demand
| and supply has naturally tended TO
| make the wages paid more uniform
| tons were often received for farm la
bor at from SIS to SIS per month. Farm
| ers offered these wages because they
had beep. accustomed to DIZZY thom, Now