davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1919-05-27
Right Kind of Jobs
Not Open, Says KHch,uey
Can't Ask $4,000 Year Man to
Take SI8 Week Place, En-
pI0vnlent Director Declares

DR.. George W. Kirchwey, state di-
rector of the United States Employ
mcnt Service, yesterday took issue
with statements published in The
Tribune that there are enough jobs
in New York for every discharged SOL
der if only the soldier and the job
are brought together.
"lf graduate mechanical engineer
can be satisfied with a job as teamster,
then l suppose it is entirely true that
there are enough jobs to go around"
said DR.. Kirchwey. "The analysis of
the unemployment situation appears in
The Tribune under the headline, Cali
Real Workers Can Find Jobs" The
investigator writing this story found
himself confronted with the fact that
the Unemployment bureau. in charge
of the work of placing soldiers, sailors
and marines, at COS Pearl Street, had
listed several thousand more jobs than
they had applicants for. Despite the
fact that it has frequently been ex-
planned that five jobs for ditch -diggers
does not make one job for an office
manager, the analyst could not depart
from the apparent mathematical fact
that there were more Jobs available
than there were applicants to send to
them. Hence, he concluded that there
was no unemployment situation in
New York.
"Of course, the reverse is the case.
If anyone knows of a job for every
clerk, for every engineer, for every
salesman and production man who ap-
plies for work at the Recmplovment
Bureau or the other bureaus engaged
in placing soldiers, sailors and civil
ians, let him by all means come at
once to any of our offices, where the
job will be filled forthwith
"There is very great shortage of
clerical positions and very great
shortage of jobs for production men.
When you consider the professional
field, the shortage is quite appalling
Can anyone believe that the unemploy-
ment problem is solved by Offering
an S18 or $50 week job to man
capable Of earning at least $4,000
year by the use Of brain which was
trained in an American university?
"The employers who insist that there
is no unemployment problem must also
insist that the men who won the victory
at the Aisne and Argonne, be they mar
ried or single, skilled workers, profes-
elonal men or not, all must be
content to have any job which may be
dished up to them. This means that
three quarters of the jobs to be dished
Up will pay about S18 a week If all
real workers can find jobs here then
he soldiers who are looking for en-
~loyment day in and day out, suppose,
sre not willing to do any real work
and did not do real work over there. l
suppose the young man who belongs in
a bank is not real worker because he
will not use shovel. | suppose the
young lieutenant who was in charge Of
big construction work overseas should
be content as a packer at the water
front.
an my opinion, there will be an un-
employment problem until every man
wto won the war for America has OBJ
tanned job which is dccently fitted to
his real abilities.'
New-York tribune., 1919-05-27
Women Threaten
Strike to Cut Meat
Prices Ten Cents
Rose Pastor Stokes's Mother
Leads Bronx Consumers
in War ON Butchers: Ac-
ton Promised i'm 2 DAYS

1t became known yesterday that Mrs.
Anna Pastor mother of Rose Pastor
Stokes, is leading the women of the
Bronx who are up in arms against the
butchers. 1t is expected that a strike
will be declared within the next two
days. The Consumers League. the So
cialist Consumers League and the Pro-
gressive Women of the Bronx are the
forces aligned to fight the meat men.
IF they don't come to terms, and
do it Immediately, they won't forget
in hurry the fight we'll put up" said
Mrs. Pastor yeste rday. $50 far we
have been temporizing. Now we have
come to the point where we must have
definite answer. 1 fully expect the
strike to be on within two days. 1t
will spread not only in New York City,
but throughout the state"
Some two hundred butcher shops in
the Bronx may be affected. The aver
age prices at present are 36 cents q
pound for soup meat, 49 cents for cut
lets, "A cents for steak and 46 cents for
chicken. The women want a reduction
OF 10 cents a. pound or therea bouts.
This, in the opinion of w. H. Horn
idge, secretary of the State Butchers
Association, is preposterous
Il ind that meat Of the best quail
ity has been selling ut 16 and II cents
q pound in the slaughter house, said
Mrs. Pastor. "The same meat is sold
to the people Of the Bronx at "a cents
and upwards. They used to make the
war their excuse. Now they say i.'s
the high cost Of labor and the prices
charged by the wholesalers.
We wanted to settle this quietly
New-York tribune., 1919-05-27

cent of the proceeds were given to the
Actors Fund.
The following officers were elected:
President, Francis Wilson; vice-presi-
dent, Bruce McRae; secretary, Grant
Stewart; treasurer, Richard A. Purdy
Council to serve three years, George
Arliss, Barney Bernard, Harry C.
Browne, Eddie Cantor, Ernest Glen
dinning, O. P Heggie, Mrs. Shelley
Hull, Walter Jones, Edwin Mordant,
Zelda Sears, Norman Trevor, Tom Wise
To hold office until the annual meeting,
1920, Ada Meade, vice Mrs Thomas
Whitfen, now on advisory board. To
hold office until the annual meeting,
1921, Donald Brian, vice Shelley Hull,
deceased; William Danforth, vice Will
lam Sampson, resigned from council;
Echlin Gayer, vice Charles Coburn,
res gned from council.
New-York tribune., 1919-05-27
Brooklyn Bakers Strike

Members Of Local 8 of the Journeys
men Bakers Union in BROOKLYN went
on strike yesterday for shorter hours
and more pay. They are getting from
$2S to SAP week, and say they work
ten or twelve hours a day They want
from $50 to $40 with an eight-hour dav
and no night work.
According to employers, the demand
for the elimination of night work is
the most difficult. They doubt whether
Brooklyn will consent to go without its
fresh breakfast rolls Union members
prophesied Brooklyn would have to get
used to this deprivation or there would
be thousands of bakers on strike by
the end of the week. Employers said
yesterday that only q few men were
on strike so far.
New-York tribune., 1919-05-27
S. r. o. Sign Out
AS Actors Equity
Association Meets
Two Thousand Present and
as Many More on Outside;
Question of CLOSED Shop
to Executive Committee

In a lively executive session yes
terday afternoon at the Hotel Aston
the Actors Equity Association put up
to its executive committee the question
OF a "closed shop" on the stage.
Whether the association shall affiliate
with the American Federation of Labor
was also left with that committee. A
resolution previously passed offering
to arbltrate all contract differences
with managers was ratified.
More than TWO thousand members
OF the association crowded into the
Astor ballroom, and half as many more
were unable to gain admission. Francis
wilson, president, presided.
whether the newly formed Mana
gers Protective Association will ac-
cept the proposal of arbitration is
doubtful, it is declared, because it has
severed diplomatic relations with the
Actors Association, because of letter
the managers interpreted as an ulti-
matum and threat Of "closed shop"
It's All a Mistake
unfortunately" said President Will
son at the meeting yesterday, "the
Producing Managers Protective Asso-
cation misunderstood our communica-
tlon as being in the nature of an ulti-
matum, which was not the case. and
broke off the negotiations in a letter
which has already been made public.
In that letter the managers announced
that the council of the Actors EQUITY
Association had threatened the closed
shop This was a mistake, the coun-
Gil having no such power at that
time"
Charles Coburn, actor manager Of
The Better Ole" and member of both
associations, expressed his opinion
from the floor that the two associa-
tlons would be able to come together
on satisfactory footing. Most of
those present agreed with him that the
offer of arbitration could hardly be
refused.
Blanche Bates, in a speech which was
frequently interrupted by expressions
OF disapproval, made a violent protest
against aligning with the American
Federation Of Labor Others who adj
dressed the meeting were John Drew
Louis Mann, Rose Coghan and John
Cope.
BY unanimous vote it was decided
that no member of the association
would play in any benefit unless 10 per
New-York tribune., 1919-05-27
Only One Out of
Ten Soldiers Seems
To Hare Difficulty
In Finding Work
Little Suffering From,
Destiflti0n Can Be
Discovered in the City
The
Unemployment Riddle

DIR. KIRCHWEY, State Director
OF the L. S. Employment Ser
a'ice, scys "Jobless soldiers
are increasing IN New York at
the rate of 5000 aceek."
GORDON l.. SAWYER, speciolu
detailed by the u. s. Employ
ment Seruice to aoork on the IN
employment problem IN Nev
York, says: "One-tenth of the
men achom NeW York cheered
are moao begging for Jobs"
COL. ARTHUR WOODS, assist
ant TO Secretary Baker, in
charge Of the unemployment of
troops, says: "There auW be
labor shortage of 1000, 900 men
before foU"
Nc1c York employers say their
problem is how to find labor to
Jill the jobs that are uacant.
WHAT IS THE SITUATION?
New-York tribune., 1919-05-27

"The employers, or at least some of
them, have a practice that is dis
couraging a good many men," re-
marked Mr.. Winslow. These are the
ones who are always hunting for
promising talent and think it worth
while to look over good many men
every day to find it. They keep jobs
listed with US and will look over all
we send them, but their requirements
often are such that there is not one
chance in hundred Of mans land
ing. BY the time a job~hunter has
gone to a dozen such places he is
pretty we'll disheartened. A good
many of the help wanted ads you see
in the papers are Of this class
New-York tribune., 1919-05-27
10 Per Cent of Applicants
cannot Be Placed

z David S. Flynn, director Of the En-
pioyment Bureau Of the State Indus.
t7si Commission, puts the faure q.
Snose who cannot be placed at once
~ 10 instead of Is per cent. At the
cmcss Of the Reconstruction Commits
zion the problem is stated in the same
way with less definite figures, and the
commission is inauguratinp p nIar inv
snducing employers to start trainino
passes. IN which unframed men will
e,e paid IA low but living wage while
lhey are learning a trade. Several 30
s"ese nave already been opened and
.h 'hese the men get 50 a day. A con-
siderable number Of men are going r.
snese schools, and the Re9mpioyment
bureau Is making a careful effort N
send there all it can.
We send vocational exper,s snooa
fne men while they are waiting sor
Fc1erence TO jobs Mr. Smith ~.
pia'ned. Most Of those who have no
Trade list themselves AZ clerks. which
means almost nothing There are a
20" who' because they have learned
70 drive an army truck, think they are
snauneors. though under army condi-
'''ns' where . smashed truck was
New-York tribune., 1919-05-27

in ten of the returned soldiers
who finds any serious difficulty in
getting a job
Of these considerable propor.. II is
IN no hurry to go to work; a few. as
is natural from an army that took in
all kinds of men, are still unemplov-
able, and the remainder, who cannot
ind work that suits them, though they
need 1T, are not yet anywhere near des-
titution-
. For the soldiers, even more than for
the general mass of JOB hunters. there
are more places offered than there are
applicants, places that may not be good
ones, but that will insure livelihood
81 These are conclusions to be drawn
from an investigation of the unemploy-
ment problem in the city
=. The chief centre of the work Of
placing the ex-fghters in good jobs is
Abeing done by the Unemployment Bu-
sreau. run by the Merchants Associa-
sSion, at 500 Pearl Street. 1t was es-
Stablished five weeks ago, and to it are
preferred soldiers who apply to other
bureaus throughout the city. Its work
Us typical of the whole problem. and
pts ngures cover most of the soldiers
Hwho have applied to any bureau for
Shelp in getting work.
Z Here is the record for the last week.
up to May IA there had been $500 ap
gpl'cants for work, and to May 81 5.209.
AN increase in the week of 1909. On
INLAY Ia the bureau had placed. so far
Rs 1t could learn, 1874 men, little
less than half, but of the unnlaced
men only 1909 had returned second
time. On May q the placements had
grown to 2.106 and the second app)ica-
tions to 2,793. leaving an apparent
sotai OF 3'lo3 soldiers looking for
work
But at that date there were on file
an the bureau 1896 Jobs open to the
men. And during the week, while an
Phcatlons for 1909 jobs had come IN
o'00S jobs had been listed. The bureau
mas come to the conclusion that ;ts
"no'e task is fitting the right peg into
the right hole
ABOUT 20 per cent of the men who
are demobilizsd go right back to their
Old places" says Alfred Smith
manager of the Industrial Dureau of
Sns nerchants' Association who il in
chsrge OF the bureau. cot the rest
Fnotner 10 per cent can he r1oooa
''a0u' any trouble. The last Is per
CENT constitute the entire problem. I
wou'a not say it is not serious prob
tsm' Tor while there are plenty Of Jobs
a'st OF tins Is per cent have nothing
OUT their hands to offer and do not
want TO take laborers' places. You
cam oiame them. 1t is to find OPEN
snss Tor men like these that we are
occurring the city for iobs~
New-York tribune., 1919-05-27
Ex-Soldiers, Jobless,
March on Commons

I ONDON, May 26.-Thousands of
discharged soldiers and sailors,
out of employment, armed with
stones and other missiles, marched
toward the House of Commons to-
day. They came into conflict with
the police barring the approaches,
however, and were scattered
Later the procession was re-
formed and marched toward Buck
ingham Palace, bat the demopstra-
ton broke up before it reached the
palace There were no further dis
orders.
The demonstration followed a big
meeting held in Hyde Park during
the afternoon, where the discharged
soldiers and sailors demanded work
and minimum wage scale.
Similar demonstrations were held
throughout the country during the
day
New-York tribune., 1919-05-27
Canadian Strike
Reaches Toronto
Unions There Vote to
W0lk Out; Three More
" estern Tou71s affected

TORONTO, May 27.-Reports earlv
THIS morning from the meeting called
by Toronto labor unions to vote an
general walkout in sympathy with strik-
ing metal workers were to the effect
mat the vote was heavily in favor of
the strike
The strike, it was said, would be
called tomorrow morning. While no
"nc1al statement was issued concern
ing the strike vote, one delegate said
1t stood about 10000 in favor to ooo
opposed.
REGINA, Sask., May 26.-The Regina
Trades and Labor Council to-nipht
voted unanimously in favor of a strike
IN sympathy with that in Winnipeg in
progress for more than week
Ihls action was taken after word
was received to-day that general
strike had gone into affect in CALGARY
and Edmonton.
WINNIPEG, Man, May 26,-A gem
cral strike went into effect TODAY in
Calgary and Edmonton, the two lare-
est cities next to Winnipeg in the
prairie provinces. Every trade union
lst in the two cities walked out at II
o'clock in sympathy with the Winnipee
strikers
VANCOUVER, B. c., May 2e.-As the
Edmonton and Calgary strikes involve
telegraph operators Of the Canadian
Press, Limited, at those points, no DO
tails of to-day's wakouts are expected
here soon
The Calgary and Edmonton news
papers, 1T was believed here, will be
forced to suspend
Ihe only strike news the Canadian
Press operators will carry on the over
land wire will be government bulletins
issued at Ottawa.
New-York tribune., 1919-05-27
would naturally be as serious as any
where. But there is no suffering.
Placing Engineers in Jobs
Is Not an Easy Matter


where. But there is no suffering.
Placing Engineers in Jobs
Is Not an Easy Matter
at is always a matter of some lit
tie time to place a high priced engi-
neer," says Mr.. Brown, head of the
employment bureau Of the engineering
societies. Such men are specialists
and require special jobs. unless they
wish to take a heavy cut in salary.
We are doing very we'll, all things
considered. and the number of men on
our lists is not growing much
Il do not mean that we are finding
permanent employment for all these
men, but when man really needs it
we can get him temporary work of
some kind. Most of them have little
capital to run on and would rather wait
till they get just what they want
wher. Bue there is yet no suffering.
Zone of our worst cases is man
who has been hanging around for two
months, and to-day turned down two
Jobs, both of which he could fill and
both of which pay his fair worth. One
was because the job was too far from
his home, requiring an hour daily on
the cars, and the other was because he
doesn't like drafting."
The question of the location of the
jobs enters seriously into the whole
employment situation. There are plen-
ty of jobs over at the submarine ship
yards, near Newark, for instance, but
few men want to make the long trip
over and back. And there are plenty
of jobs of all kinds in other towns
near New York which are turned down
for the same reason.
New-York tribune., 1919-05-27
General Education Board
Gives $5OO,OO to Harvard

The General Education Board, found
cd by John D. Rockefeller. has nm.
nounced a gift of S50o,OOO to the
s2,0oO,oo0 fund to be raised to endow
graduate school at Harvard. The
fund is to be named for Charles W.
Eliot, president emeritus of tn. un;-
vcrstty.
New-York tribune., 1919-05-27
and put our terms up to the butchers
They asked for time, and now / find |

and put our terms up to the butchers.
They asked for time, and now / find
they took advantage of this to trick
us. They went to the slaughter houses
and got them to raise their prices, SO
that the discrepancy would not be 80
apparent.
''Sincc last Thursday the butchers
have been paying % cents for meat
they formerly bought for 16 and II
cents"
Let them go ahead and strike.
hope they do" said l. Frank, butcher
These women don't know what they
are talking about. l might as we'll
close up my store, for all the business
there is now, anyway. For the last
four months the butchers of this dis
trict have been losing money. 1 have
to pay my men $50 and s35 week now,
where l used to be able TO get them
for $40 and $12. Let the women go
to it,"
New-York tribune., 1919-05-27
Some Who Have Work
Are Seeking Better Jobs

There is one more factor that swells
the lists Of the employment agencies
and makes it difficult to guess how
many people really arc out of work
Hundreds Of men who have applied for
jobs already are at work, but want
something better. No one knows how
many there are of these-one. man
guessed 70 per cent and another 20 per
cent--but they are there, and this fact
influences the situation in many WAYS.
There is no telling, for instance, how
many of the men who are difficult TO
suit come from this class, or how
many remain on the "unplaced" lists
Also their presence adds to the diff
Guilty of the employers.
On the employers side, too, there
are bitter complaints that with all the
campaign going on for jobs they can
not get the men they want.
One Practice of Employers
That Is Discouraging
Most of these complaints arc un-
justified" says Mr.. Smith. 1--WE get
them every day. But those who mako
them have usually applied for men in
the trades for which the demand fnr
exceeds the supply, or for men with
peculiar qualifications. OF course.
those cannot be supplied promptly, if
at all. That doesn't mean the bureau
- not doing big and necessary work,
New-York tribune., 1919-05-27

turned over to repair gang and a
broken manifold was mended with a
hammer, or not mended at all, they
did not learn enough to qualify them
for civilian service.
New-York tribune., 1919-05-27
Private Gets Good Job
That a Major Refused

Another case was that of a major
who before the war had been earning
$1,000 year. He was referred to one
OF the big firms here and was offered
$4,000. He tried to have the figure
made $4,000, was refused and turned
down the offer. A day later private
went to the same place and showed
qualifications which got him the Job
at $4,000. The major is still unem
plcyed
In still another case a captain was
about to turn down a place that paid
an even 1000 year more than he had
ever received before, and was only pre-
vented by congress Of his friends.
which sat upon him almost literally.
This idea that they are worth more
than they used to be is pretty fairly
prevalent" said Mr.. Winslow, chief
OF the professional bureau of the
United States Employment Service.
I'VE have good many men who come
IN and demand better places than they
have ever had before, men who have
turned down the chance to go back to
their old jobs. Some of them do get
the better jobs, but most of them do
not They don't seem to realize that
1T is always questionable how much
the army training has added to their
immediate value, and that if they are
worth more the best way to get it is
to take their old jobs and demonstrate.
New-York tribune., 1919-05-27
DR.. kirchwey Sympathizes
With Workers Point of View

DR.. Kirchwey feels more sympathy
for these men than do some of the
other employment officials
Perhaps it is not the highest type
of idcalism that will refuse work be-
cause the conditions are strange or a
little difficult" he said, "but we have
to accept human nature as we find it.
After all, there is good deal to be
said for these people. You can't ex-
pect a stenographer who has been get
ting SIS week to take a domestic SER
vice job at $40, though there are plenty
of servants jobs all the time. There
are plenty of the cheaper jobs all along
the line. 1t is true that good manv
OF the people who are refusing them
have no skill with which to handle
other work. But they are entitled to
look for something that offers a fu-
ture"
One of the Unemployment Bureau Of
fcials is more caustic.
You can almost say that here is no
unemployment except among snap
hunters,' he said. There are spora-
die cases, of course"
Mr.. Smith, head of the bureau. does
not quite agree.
New-York tribune., 1919-05-27
Sending Men to Places
Where They Can Be Taught


"Our main effort is to steer these
men into something where they can
learn to be really useful and become
prosperous, and we find most of them
anxious to try this plan. They make
careful inquiries about the future Of
such jobs and usually take a little
time to decide. We expect that when
we have had little more experience
we can turn 80 per cent of these men
into such schools. SO far our per-
centage runs a little lower, though we
do not know just where it is"
Even the men Of this class, however
are not yet suffering in any way, and
the bureau finds them very "choicy" as
to what they will do Either they
have saved up a little money from
their army service, which, added to
their $50 bonus gives them time to look
around, or they are members of fami-
lies which are glad to support them for
while, or they are able to live quite
comfortably-in the cases of the few
least selfrespecting - on touches"
they can make from patriotcally in
clined New Workers and on the free
meals and free beds which the big or
carnations formed to take care of SOL
diers have provided. None of them
seem to be in much of a hurry
Some Think They Should
Now Have Better Jobs
This is the main problem, but it is
added to little by the few men from
the army and navy who have come back
feeling that they should get better Jobs
than they left. No one knows Just
how many of these there are, and GER
tainly, the bureau officials believe, the
number is not large. But they do make
trouble
The best illustration Of this is per-
haps the case of one young private
who before he became soldier was
earning SIS week as a bookkeeper in
a small store. He refused to go
back to his old place, which was
open for him, applied to the Reemploy-
ment Bureau, and was sent to another
store where they wanted floor walker
at salary of $25 week. The ex
bookkeeper looked over the place.
shifted at the promised salary and
turned them both down. A 66 per cent
Improvement over his pre-war status
was not enough to suit him. He is
still one of the unemployed.