Evening journal., 1918-12-17

NHnl1i4s4s rzasAA
utkmANI FINDO
JOBS Fur SOLDIERS
Women Yield Places to Men
and Are Given Other
Work
PLACES FOR 10 P. c.
OF THE APPLICANTS
BY EDWARD NJ. IHIERRY.
N. E. A. Staff Correspondent.

BERLIN, Dec. i7.-The unemployment
problem Is being handled with surprls-
ing efficiency In Germany.
There is a government employment
bureau with headquarters in the Ruck-
erstrasse and operating Ave branches.
This organization is methodically
finding Jobs for soldiers as they are
demobllized. and for women who are
released from war work.
The women furnish the biggest prob
lem. Six thousand applications daily
are received from women. Superintend-
ent Edith Klusser estimates that there
are 10000 women jobless In Greater
Berlin.
When rehabilitation OF the army Is
completed, there viii be 100000 women
,obless, for the law provides that wom-
en- who took positions made vacant by
soldiers going to war must step aside
with the return Of the soldiers.
Women have been working on the
railroads, on the tramways, In post
Offices and munitions plants.
Women at the latter work have. been
paid eight marks, approximately S2
daily. Skilled ones have been getting
on piece work i2 TO 20 marks. The
bureau is able to obtain jobs for only
about 10 per cent Of the women appli-
cants.
All day long they SIT In the offices OF
the bureau. some OF them elderly walt
ing for Jobs, which are distributed by
priority OF application. The applicants
are divided into % crafts and there Is
department for each. They walt In
long lines to get cards stamped TO show
their daily appearance at the bureau
until Job is obtained. For each day
Of unemployment they receive two and
q half marks, about 60 cents Women
over 70 receive three marks and moth
ers receive mark extra for each child.
In a separate department, girls OF IA
20 II make their applications There
are 400 applicants daily and only 40
were provided with Jobs today.
None OF them Will work on the six
municipal farms, for Il requires an
hour and half Of travel night and
morning. The wage is four marks and
food provided.
| observed the women among the un-
employed. Most OF them were neatly
clothed and apparently coniented. They
showed no impatience at the slim
chance OF obtaining employment.
| visited the mems department and
was astonished to ind that there are
only 24OO0 jobless. although one quar-
Ter OF the soldiers have been demobil-
lied. The men walt stolidy In line
without disorder.
Officials estimate that there Will be
q half million soldiers In Berlin when
Rehabilitation is completed. Thousands
will come TO Berlin whose homes are
elsewhere In the country believing
their chances for obtaining work VIII
be better here. Nevertheless, officials
estimate that there will be only TO-
boo jobless when all have been demobil-
lied. The daily applicants for work at
the bureau now number under 5000.
Work in shoe factories has been OBJ
tanned for 6000 men.
Numerous textile factories are closed
for lack Of raw material As soon
as this deficiency can be supplied there
will be work for thousands more.
Unemployed soldiers receive 10 marks |
weekly. about $500, from the labor un-
Ions and four marks daily from the |
The law prodives that men shall have |
priority OF employment everywhere. |
Even women Mattresses are prohibited. I
The government is planning to use |
the men who are unemployed in road |
making, the upkeep Of the canals OF |
the country. street repairing and farm