New-York tribune., 1919-04-24
State Delegates
Seek Permanent
Job Bureau Plan
Foundation for United Ac-
ton Throughout Nation
Aim of Washington Con-
ference; Many Opinions
NeW York Tribune

Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, April 23.-Reprc-
sentatives of the governors, state en-
ployment officials and directors of
the Federal Service from twcnty-nine
states met in Washington TODAY to
consider the creation of a permanent
Federal employment organization in
cooperation with state and other local
employment organizations.
All agreed that they wanted some
thing of the sort to continue the war
emergency service, but there were
twenty-ninc different views of lust
what it should be. After dav of
lively argument and patient cxplana-
ton, committee was appointed to
work out composite, which the meet
ing will try to agree on to-morrov.
some states expressed their views by
not having their governors represented.
Governor Smith, of New York, an
pointed representative, but he failed
to appear.
Opposite opinions were typified by
the two Colorado delegates. Horny
handed, be-brogued Rhody Kenehan,
Federal Employment Service director
of Colorado, removed his sombrero
and informed the meeting that if the
proposed Federal service we're to on
crate through the Labor Department
OF the State of Colorado, the same
being the Secretary of State, he would
nf :, O,,
James X. holland, the said Secretary of
state, Informed the meeting that he
mad had long experience with Fed
eral employment service during the
war. and that was enough. After this
Colorado could get along alone.
Tentative Bill Framed
Profiting by its war experience the
Employment Service, which is doomed
to an early death unless Congress
PROVIDES Tor Its permanent estab-
llsment, laid before the meeting a
tentative bill along the lines of the
Canadian law. providing for a de-
centrallzed service under the super
VISION and coordination Of q Federal
director.
The discussion indicated that the
tentative bill is not national enough
Tor organized labor and some employ
ers and too national to suit others
who are jealously boarding their local
la Dor resources.
Such representatives of labor as
". {. Roberts, proxy for Samuel
eral service in Massachusetts. de-
clared that the Federal Employment
Service was the one great govern
mental function that convinced the
working man that this government and
country were his. They didn't want
peanut local politics" brought into
the serious business of seeing that
the Jobless man was connected with
the manless job.
Problem Of Distribution
lhey and many other speakers took
the view that the one big national well
fare job now is to see that every man
VINO wants job gets it without having
TO play politics or pay some private
agent for getting it. AS the speakers
viewed It, the unemployment problem
IN America Is more one of distribution
than disparity between supply and
demand. The real problem is, they
held, simply the perfecting of the ma
chlnery for getting the men and the
JOB together. Solve it, they declared.
and |. W. W.-ism, Bolshevism and ali
other annoying social isms would
quickly fade away.
Supporting this view, Fred c.. Crov-
ton, former Federal director for Ohio.
read excerpts from a letter written BY
large employer Of labor in Ohio. who.
in disguise, has lived the life and done
the work Of common steel mill la
borer for the last six months to get
the under dogs point Of view. This
employer, whose words were applauded
by the meeting as expressing its senti-
nents, said.
"A the employers who arc opposing
the Federal Employment Service are
scared stiff about the possible Boil
sheYism in their own plants and are