Denver labor bulletin., 1918-04-06
FEDERAL LABOR
BUREAUS FOR
COLORADO CITIES
DENVER TO BE CENTER OF
NEW DISTRICT.
State Free Employment Bureaus Do
ing Splendid Work; Two Bureaus
May Result in Marring the
Efficiency of Both.

The United States employment serv-
ice has discovered that the state laws
of Colorado are going to make it
difficult to form a cooperative en-
ployment association embracing the
federal, state and municipal employ
ment bureaus.
The situation in this state has been
explained to John B. Densmore in a
report made by Brown Mcdonald, an
agent of the United States employ
ment service, sent to Colorado to es-
tablish federal bureaus in Denver,
Colorado Springs and Pueblo.
Mcdonald arrived in Denver the lat
ter part of last week and his coming
was the first intimation that state or
municipal officials had received as to
the plans of the federal government
in establishing the new bureau.
Mcdonald first interviewed w. L.
Morrissey, state labor commissioner,
on the subject, and the Colorado Off
cial, while expressing a desire to CO.
operate at all times with the govern
ment in matters which would be of a
helpful nature along war lines or in
solving labor problems, pointed out
to the federal representative that the
state free employment bureaus are
created by statute and that it was
virtually impossible to force them to
lose their identity under government
control, even tho the government was
willing to meet practically all the ex-
pense attached to the new bureau
At the outset Commissioner Morris
sey referred the government agent to
the law creating the state free en-
ployment bureaus and especially the
section which makes it mandatory
upon the state to call the free agencies
the Colorado free employment bureau.
This one clause in the law is alone
sufficient to prevent changing the
name of the bureau and unless some
plan is worked out by which the state
agencies are not to lose their identity
or change their name it is more than
likely that the government will be
forced to go ahead with its plans and
establish separate bureaus in Colo
RADIO.
The unfortunate part of the whole
situation is that the federal bureaus
will carry on exactly the same work
as is being done by the state bureaus
at present and it is safe to say that
there is not one person in Colorado
who will challenge the statement that
the Colorado free employment bureaus
as now conducted, are doing splendid
work. To have the two bureaus in
open conflict will probably result in
marring the efficiency of both.
James r. holland, secretary of state,
takes the same view as Commissioner
Morrissey that it is impossible to alb
rogate a state statute, while at the
same time, he desires to cooperate
with the government in an effort to
ba of IL, bri,, about ,,r,i
form conditions in the labor market of
Colorado.
The plan of the United States en-
ployment service not only comprehends
the opening of an office in Denver,
Colorado Springs and Pueblo, but the
formation of a district with Denver
as clearing house center for labor
of more than half a dozen Western
states. The government agent claims
that the plan has been put in opera
tion in other states and has worked
successfully, but is unable to say
whether or not the statutory provis-
ions of these commonwealths were in
conflict with the plans of organiza-
tion of the government as the case in
Colorado.
Mr.. Mcdonald was inspector in
charge of the federal immigration bu-
reau in Duluth before accepting serv-
ice under the United States employ
ment department. While expressing
desire to have harmonious work
ing organization and one which will
not conflict with the state bureaus, Mr..
Mcdonald admits that no matter what
sort of plan is worked out, the gov
ernment must be the controlling fac
tor.