New-York tribune., 1919-03-15
Committee Named to Help
u. S. Employment Service
to Continue Its Activities
Arthur Woods Chairman
State and Municipal Off
Gals Asked to Cooperate;
700 Bureaus To Be Closed
Netc York Tribune
IIfL N.


Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, March IA. - The
Council of National Defence to-day
stepped into the breach caused by the
failure Of Congress to pass the urgent
deficiency bill carrying an appropria-
tim for the continuation Of the United
States Employment Service. With
concurrence of the War and Labor de-
nartments, Grosvenor B. Clarkson, di-
rector of the council, announced the
creation Of an emergency committee
on employment for soldiers and sailors
which will cooperate with the now
skeletonized organization of the en-
ployment service to the end that the
work Of finding jobs for the returning
soldiers and sailors will not be en-
trely discontinued.
At the same time John B. Densmore,
director general of the employ service,
issued general appeal to the country
to keep the activities of the service
going, despite the so per cent reduction
necessary in the organization of his
department owing to the lack of funds.
Unemployment Area Spreading
"The work of assisting soldiers,
sailors and war workers to suitable
employment must be continued at all
COSTS" Mr.. Densmore's appeal said.
1The unemployment area is spreading,
and it means industrial insurance to
the town or city which takes over an
employment Office which must neces-
sariiy be dropped by the United States
Employment Service through lack of
funds. Aside from the sentimental and
patriotic considerations, it will be a
sound business investment to a com
mvnity to carry on this necessary
work 1t is the misery caused by wide
spread unemployment that breeds So
cial unrest and disturbance and gives
the agitator an opening"
The committee announced by Mr..
Clarkson will consist of Colonel Ar
thur Moods, special assistant to the
Secretary of War to handle employ
ment OF discharged soldiers, chairman;
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Assistant Sec
retary of the Navy; L. N. Hurley,
chairman of the shipping board; Ma
than S. Smyth, of the Department Of
labor; G. /. Cristie, Assistant Secre-
tary of Agriculture; B. S. Cutler, chief
Of the Bureau of Foreign and Domes-
C<,,o Ma+h hou Won
Federation of Labor; Elliot Goodwin,
general secretary of the United States
Chamber of Commerce.; S. P. Bush,
Industrial board of the Department Of
Commerce and president of the Buck
eye Steel Casting Company, Of Co.
lumbus, Ohio: E. J. Ayers, Interior
Department; John w. Hallowell, Of
Boston, and. Grosvenor B. Clarkson,
director Of the Council Of National
Defence.
The secretary of the committee will
be E. H. Greenwood, who has been as
sociated with the Labor Department in
It's employment work. 1t is expected
that a representative Of the Railroad
Administration will be added to the
committee later. A statement issued
by Mr.. Clarkson said:
"The bureau for returning soldiers
and sailors Of the employment SER
vice, which has nearly 1000 branch
bureaus, should not be seriously af-
fected by the present situation for
the reason that many of these are sup
ported either by the communities in
which they are located, by one or more
OF the great welfare organizations, or
BY private subscription. 1t will be the
TASK Of the committee to endeavor to
secure the continuance Of every such
bureau and in every community where
there Ia no bureau the financial sup
Port Of the community for the estab-
hsnment and maintenance of at least
one such agency.
'lnasmuch as the offices Of the Fed