Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-02-22
LABOR AGAINST
ENDING OF US.
SERVICE DUTIES
Proposed Action of Congress IN
Stopping Free Employment
Bureaus Protested.
LABOR UNIONS UP IN ARMS
Congressman and Senators
Asking Change.

Labor In taking a decided stand
against any action by congress
which might mean the ciscontin-
nance Of the United States employ
ment service branches in Rock Is
land and Davenport. Numerous
protests have been sent to Con-
gresham w. ]. Graham and Sen
ators Lawrence Y. Sherman and ].
Hamilton Lewis OF Illinois and
Congressman Harry z. Hull OF
Iowa by practically every union To-
cal affiliated with the Tri-C City Fed
Grafton of Labor.
Similar protests have been sub
. mitted to the aforementioned off,
Gals by all factory, shop and bus
mess owners of Rock Island, DAY.
export and Moline.
The action is being taken by the
local bodies as a result Of the an
nouncement yesterday that con-
gress was considering shutting off
appropriations for tho United
States employment service branch
of the United States department OF
labor so as to allow the discon-
April 1.
Especially significant is the pro-
test submitted by the Arsenal fed
Grafton at the direction of it's Off
GERS. The members of that fedora
ton probably have benefited more
than others by the successful way
in which Joseph E. Prendergast,
travelling examiner of the United
At A1T- @F
the arsenal employees in providing
them other work when they were
relieved of their duties in the fed
eral shops.
Need Prendergast.
Need of Mr.. Prendergast's ser
vices at Rock Island arsenal, es-
pecially during the readjustment
period, is felt by the unions con-
nected with the Tri-City Fedora
ton of Labor. That Mr.. Prender-
CASTS work and efforts to place
discharged arsenal employees at
other work has been a success is
|proven by the numerous common
dations he has received curing the
short time that he has been de-
tailed there.
vice work would cause his removal
from the arsenal and would near
1.-THE throwing of probably hundreds
|of workers on the labor market
with no jobs in sight.
Fred w. Rinck, superintendent
Eof the Illinois free employment
soffice here and special agent of the
limited States service, has been in
Hclose touch with Mr.. Prendergast
during the time the latter has been
lon duty at the arsenal and through |
their efforts the situation mas been |
handled remarkably well. no work |
|ers being turned away from the ar
Isenal shops without future Job in |
sight
Outsiders Howl.
1t is the general belief that the
FACTION of congress in proposing to |
discontinue the appropriations for |
sthe maintenance of an employment |
Eserv1ce branch was brought about |
fly Vulnerable protests of other !
employment agencies whose bus
|iness has been hard hit by the free
Eservice.
Communications opposing any
|freeZe-out of money for the ser
3yice are being mailed by practi-
|cally every large and small manu-
|facturer, factory owner. etc, who
|have benefited by the service as
|have their men.
Mr.. Prendergast, who returned |
yesterday from a short business
"trip to Chicago, said today that |
Chicago employers and employees |
|are up in arms ready to take a |
definite stand opposing congress-
latest MANS