Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-01
WISH EMPL0YMENT
SERVICE RETAINED
Johnston and MCGOWAN Dis
cuss Opposition to Nolan
Kenyon Bill.

William H. Johnston. president Of
the International Association Of Ma
chinists. and Charles MCGOWAN. rep
resenting the boilermakers and iron
ship builders. today sent letters to
John NJ. c. Smith. chairman of the
joint committee Of labor Of the
House and Senate, protesting against
the abandonment of the federal en-
ployment service.
In these letters the charge is made
that the National Association of Man.
ufacturers and the National Metal
Trades Association are not seeking
the public good in their opposition
to the Nolan-Kenyon bill for the es-
tablishment of a permanent federal
employment service. Recently at q
hearing before the Joint COMMITTEES
of the House and Senate, Peter F.
Conlon. for fifteen years an execu-
citation of Machinists. declared that
the two associations were opposed
to the federal employment service be-
cause 1t would hamper the success
OF their BLACK lists" conducted in the
guiss Of employment agencies.
conlon Gives His Opinions. !,
in this connection Mr.. Conlon said:
~The real motive behind the, oppo-
sitfon Of the two associations is that
they are opposed to all free employ
ment agencies. They are fighting the
bill because 1t takes away from their
members the power to control the
ment officers the smaller the number
of men who will appear at the gates
of their plants every day. Instead
OF going there for work they report
to the free employment agencies. For
that reason the associations referred
to are fighting the Nolan-Kenyon bill.
'The metal trades associations IN
every city conduct employment agen.
cies. This IL not controlled by q me-
chanic or by those who examine into
the competency of the applicant. It Ia
always a lawyer who conducts the ex-
animation to learn II he is union
man. Il the applicant :ts satisfactory
he is given . card which grants him
permission to work in every plant
owned by the members of the associa-
ton. He cannot secure employment
there unless he has one of these cards
Preference is given workmen from
other cities, as the object Is to in
crease the labor supply and therefore
make 1t possible to keep wages down
to a low rate. This compels local men
to walk the streets. We therefore
have termed it q bureau of unempley-
mont, as lts success depends upon the
degree to which the labor market Is
|avefcrowded. This practice is applied
to every city in the country where
members Of these associations are To-
Gated"
Black List Cards Recorded.
Conlon placed in the record copies
Of the black list cards which had to be
signed by applicants for job. He also
submitted several circulars giving in
structions to spies sent among the
workmep in the plants to learn
whether they were union men.
Take away the federal free employ,
ment service and the blacklisting by
the metal trades employment bureaus
will be more effective" continued
Conlo1.
1.-The federal service moves men from,
places where there is surplus to
| where labor Is in demand. This also
prevents the blacklisting employment
bureaus Of the metal trades from ere,
ating an overstecked labor market.
No wonder they are anxious to defeat
| the Nolan-Kenyon BILL"