The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-11
ONE WHO CAN'T GET WORK.
Case Of Former Government En-.
pIoyee Now In Middle Are.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUS-Sir: With
| respect to the editorial article printed
in THE SrN on February 20 and entitled
mot Lack OF Work but Lack of Labor
Faces the United States l will state my
case and my experiences.
For twenty years / have been n Gov
eminent clerk in the classified service.
Practically all Of those years have been
spent in the insular possessions OF the
United States. My record is clear. ]
resigned voluntarily last summer to come
10 New York, hoping and expecting to
become connected with some business
house doing an export business with
Spanish countries, a language I speak,
read and write.
For two months last summer en-
ployed every means-friends employ
ment agencies, advertisements--to get
work. The things that prevented my
making a connection were Ca) my age
I am middle aged. not a young man; (b)
my total lack OF so-called business ex-
perience. Not having been able to fnd
a place I went back to Government ser
vice. war work
on the signing OF the armistice reduc-
ton in the force at once started, al
though l received a promotion in De-
cember. on February l 1t fell to my lot.
with number OF others, to be let out,
and have been Idle ever since.
The same methods have been. are be-
ing employed to locate myself some
where. anywhere, but without result !
have walked from the Battery 10 my
home address. from the North River to
the East River, to Brooklyn and back !;
lave visited practically every placement
agency. including the Federal Employ
ment Bureau. in New York My Lib
erty Loan bonds have all had TO be sold,
savings stamps cashed, and my only re-
naming funds are tied up with two
employment agencies.
Asked II l ever kept books tell them
the kind OF bookkeeping l have done for
the Government. They laugh and some
times sneer. Asked IL I understand
making out invoices and bills OF lsding,
tell them have never had 10 do It.
While youngsters are doing that sort of
thing. and while have few acquaint-
ances who are doing it. none OF them
has ever had the education or the ex-
perience. the years Of living that have
had. There IL, so far as I have seen
and examined invoices and bills OF lad
ing, nothing so very difficult about them
that I could not learn IL were given
the chance. ! have not been granted the
chance TO learn the work even on an
offer TO work a week or two without pay
They ask for references many tell me
to blum and state that have had such
experience. What would become OF my
references II it was proved that L knew
nothing about such work? What would
the persons who recommended me think
OF me? My references. however are all
Government officials, in foreign country
or possessions. not near enough for EN-
ployers 20 inquire without much loss of
time.
My Government work was all response
bio work. 1t required care, accuracy, IN
telligence, fully as much intelligence as
is possessed by the thousands Of clerks
who are holding positions in business
Is one who has given the best years OF
life to the Government TO go without
employment: and If 50, what Is TO be-
come of him? P.J.F.
NEW York, March 10