New-York tribune., 1919-02-05
10000 to 100000
Get Jobs Each Week,
Says Nathan 4. Sn,ytI,

JoDS are Delng found tor discharged
soldiers and former war workers at
the rate of from 10000 to 100000 a
week and at cost to the government
for administrative purposes of S133
for each job; out of every hundred
persons who apply to the United States
Employment Service in New York for
jobs, IS are found positions; up to
January l 100000 persons through
out the country we're actually found
jobs by this service at total cost Of
s3,20O,o0O.
These figures were cited by Nathan
A. Smyth, assistant Federal director
of the United States Employment Ser
vice, yesterday in reply to criticisms
that the service is not efficient The
criticisms were made by Morris L..
Ernst, who, in an interview published
in The Tribune yesterday, charged
that the work of the employment SER
vice is based upon random guess
work" and that the service is spend
ing millions of dollars without legis-
latlve control" Mr.. Ernst recently
resigned as labor expert of the United
ent chairman of the committee of the
City Club which framed the legislation
under which the state employment
Offices are organized.
Charged to "Certain Interests"
Mr.. Smyth charged that certain in
terests were active in trying to stop
the work of the government in getting
jobs for discharged soldiers and war
workers at a time when "a wave Of un-
rest Is sweeping over the country like
the Influenza" He declared, however,
that the government is determined to
go on with its job-providing service,
and that for the year beginning July |,
100000 would be asked from Con-
gress.
Mr.. Smyth likened the employment
service to Christmas tree, and added:
Don't let any one play George Wash
lngton on that Christmas tree"
"These attacks he said, care being
made upon practically the only govern
ment agency that is doing anything to
check the wave Of unemployment which
is now sweeping over the country. If
this isn't stopped now the prediction
of Frank Morrison, secretary of the
American Federation of Labor, that we
by the first of May will come true.
II don't say that his prediction will
come true. We hope industry will
soon start up again, and that outdoor
work will take care of large numbers
of unemployed, but in the meantime
a spirit of social unrest is spreading
across the country like the influenza.
The on y agency that is working
against it is the employment service. -
Tells of blacklist"
Mr.. Smyth said that the most serious
attack is that carried on by the Ma
tional Metal Trades Association. "The
Metal Trades Association has some
fourteen or fifteen branch offices
throughout the country which operate
as employment agencies" he said. "The
association stands for an open shop
Some OF ITS members are openly op-
posed to organized labor, although this
cannot be said of the membership as
whole.
In these branches there is kept what
IS known to aboring men as black
INST. The employe who, for one reason
or another, gets his name on this list
IS practically dcbarred from ever get
ting job with any of the members
Of the association. He has no redress.
Naturally, organized labor is very much
opposed to this system, and it's obiec-
tons are we'll founded. 1t is neither
an American nor a democatic institu-
ton. wv
Apparently this explains the mo-
tives which underlie the activities of
the Metal Trades Association. The
night between some employers and or
ganlzcd labor, which was forgotten
during the war, seems to be cropping
up again. Some employers apparently
tear that q Federal Employment
Agency will be utilized to fit the in
tcrests Of organized labor This fear
IS unfoundcd, but apparently sincere.
IL is difficult to understand the mo-
tivcs which prompt an attack such as
that made by Mr.. Ernst. The main
function Of the employment service is
getting jobs and not, as Mr.. Ernst
seems to imply. keeping statistics.
Nevertheless the administrative Of
noes OF the service are very insistent
that records shall be accurately kent.
II md Mr.. Ernst's criticism to be
wholly Hroundless. Mr.. Ernst states
that a placement record Of sc per cent
IL n very fine average The figures Of
the New York office show that the
placements for the past few months
nave been at the rate OF about 65 per
cent, which is very fair figure on Mr.
Ernsts own declaration.
"Thc object Of these attacks is to
prevent the passage Of the bill now be
fore Congress TO provide for "a de-
ilciency appropriation Of between $2,-
100000 and $3.0o0.o00 TO carry on the