The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-13
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
BUREAU
FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Director.
Washi1gtnn, D. C.
WANT ADS AND RETURNING
SOLDIERS.
Washi1gtnn. D. c.


ernor, members of the state legisla-
ture, the mayor of the city and nu-
merous other gentlemen of the first
political importance have Joined in
the active canvass for positions that
soldiers can fill. All sorts of COM
mittees and societies have been or
ganized for the same purpose. The
New Highlander delights in organized
effort of any kind, and nearly every
one of prominence here is connected
not merely with one. but with several
of the agencies that are engaged in
bringing together the soldier and the
job he thinks he wants.
From the amount of energy being
expended in this municipal job hunt
the casual visitor would suspect that
Boston is threatened with a serious
wave of unemployment. But If he
will study the newspapers-and espe-
cially that unedited, vigorously truth
full and always interesting portion of
the newspapers known as the want
ads-he can gather a good deal of EVIL
dence to the contrary. The help
wanted columns contain evidence of
the most unmistakable kind that many
persons want help and of many kinds.
The conclusion is unavoida BILE that
any soldier who knows how to do what
he wants TO do can find chance to
do it.
The chief trouble with getting the
soldier a job seems often to be just
that he does not know how to do
what he wants to do. In some cases
he does not even know what he wants
to do. You cannot always blame him
for this, and this is not always thing
to be deplored. The man who was
bank messenger before the war at $50
a month, who became a captain and
displayed ability as a leader and or
iS rniUO hn a
senger again. Bank running may be
the only civilian occupation he knows.
But that is no reason why he should go
back to it. He deserves higher place
and help in finding it.
Therefore, let all due credit be
given to everyone who is helping SOL.
diers find jobs, and also to the soldier
who iegitimately aspires to something
better than he had before the war.
soldiers create the impression that
hard times are upon US. and bread
lines in prospects For the want-ads
tell a different story, here, at least.
The soldier who knows how to do
something and has not yet found
chance to do it, might well turn to
the humble want-ad.
The want-ad columns are a per-
fectly sensitive barometer of the state
of business and the public mind. The
of want ads in this city has about four
columns daily and eleven columns Sum-
dayof acknowledgements ads nd about
two columns daily and ten columns
Sunday of female-help-wan ads.
This is proof positive that there are
jobs open in Boston, especially when
you consider that weather conditions
make the building trades almost idle
in New England at this time of year,
and that these trades are especially
good patrons of the want-ad columns.
When these help-wanted ads almost
disappear; when the situations wanted
increase in number and sound the
pathetic note of work wanted "at any
thing; when all kinds of concessions
are offered to prospective tenants of
houses and apartments; and the bust
nesses for sale cheap increase in num-
ber-then there is trouble in sight for
the locality where the ads are printed,
and perhaps for the whole country.
But Just at present the complexion of
the want columns in Boston is rosy
with industris health.
These help-wanted ads seem to
comprise almost every form of human
activity that is remunerative. They
have just one thing in common.
Nearly all of them are advertisements
for men who know how to do some
particular thing. There are practically
no advertisements for ambitious young
mel. who want high grade jobs but
have no special training. That is per-
haps one reason why the want-adS are
not of much assistance to the organ
izations helping soldiers find work.
Yet many of the ads say that men just
out of the service wNl be given pref
erence. Those that state salary or
wages are offering what would have
been extremely high pay two years
ago.
Many persons who never read the
want-ads believe thai they carry
merely the demand for that class of
workers commonly known as 'labor,"
skilled and unskilled. The want-ads
that idea. There are advertisements
for managers, doctors, civil and me-
chanical engineers, draughtsmen.
superintendent, buyers. statesmen, ac-
countants and druggists. An encour-
aging note that occurs in these ads
again and again is the demand for
permanent help-for men who will
stick to the job when started.
There is a newspaper publisher In
this town who has gained for himself
deserved reputation for his ability
to predict business conditions. He has
gained this reputation .'olely by keep
ing always before him comparative
statements of the amount of differ
ent kinds of want-ads printed in his
paper, and by occasionally reading the
ads for trend and quality He cheer
fully offers his method to the public,
and expresses the opinion that anyone
can get as good results as he by the
same method.
The ST lent of wants ad has not
taken up a dull statistical study, either.
!, finds fully as much human inter
| est in the want ad columns as he
| does in the news columns, if not
more. He may smile, for example,
at the advertisements for young
woman to do homework and be COM
panionable, and for the typist who is
4 a high-speed Protestant, and that of
beauty school which guarantees its
pupils that they will get practical ex-
perience on customers. Another ad-
vertiser says naively that his oppor-
| tunity is especially suitable for house
| keepers as no busine IS ability is nSces-
sary. Emotion of another kind is