New-York tribune., 1919-04-19
Federal Employment Chief
Here Thinks Service Men
Make Up 25 Per Cent
of Jobless Population
Many Applicants ''Fussy''
Thirty-Seven Agencies to
Be Unified Under Plan
for Interlocking System

"Recent estimates that have placed
the present number of unemployed in
New York City at 10000 are decidedly
conservative" said DR.. George W.
Kirchwey, director of the United States
Employment Service, here yesterday,
discussing the industrial situation.
Actual statistics on unemployment are
always impossible to get One can only
approximate. However, 100, 900 would
be much nearer the mark as an csti-
mate of the number now out of work
here The total may be even higher
than that
Approximately % per cent cf this
jobless population, Dr. Kirchwey said,
is made up of soldiers, sailors or ma
rines. Most Of the balance are civilian
war workers who have been unable to
secure work since the letdown in war
industries. The majority of those for
whom jobs are being found by the Fed
era service, DR.. Kirchwey said are
from the civilian war worker class.
2,755 Men Registered
For the week ending April -, 2,755
male civilians registered with the Fed
eral Employment Bureau. Of these
2,41O were referred to places and l,466,
or 80 per cent, hired. The record for
soldiers, sailors and marines over the
same period was 3,105 registered,
2.G9l referred, and t,240, or 40 per
cent, hired Some of those hired were
placed in merely transient jobs.
DR.. Kirchwey added that this dis
crepancy was in part due to the sol
diers themselves. "They are far more
fussy about the jobs they will accept
than the civilians are he said. 'ln
most cases they want better Jobs than
they held before uney entered the ser
vice"
The present crisis, DR.. Kirchwey
fears, VIII last well into the summer.
Efforts are being made, however, to
cope with the situation. Yesterday d
meeting Of the United Council on Re
employment of Soldiers, Sailors and
Marines was held at Federal Bureau
headquarters, A69 Fifth Avenue. Plans
were perfected for Welding into SIN
gle intcrlockng system the scattered
job bureaus of the Federal Service. the
New York State Service, the Y. NJ. G. A.
the Jewish Welfare Board, the Red
Cross, the knights of Columbus and
the War Camp Community Service
81 Agencies Linked
This plan which, it is believed, would
eliminate all duplication and waste
links into unified job finding force
thirty-seven different agencies, scat
tered throughout the five boroughs.
At $50 Madison Avenue, where the
nth Division Employment Bureau,
which is operating as unit OF the
Federal service, has its quarters, Ma jor
s. Fullerton Weaver said yesterday
that much OF the trouble with respect
to soldiers arises from the fact that so
many out-Oftown men remain in New
York. If they would return to their
homes, Major Weaver holds, they would
stand much more chance of getting
work. The 77th bureau has according
~ raised the slogan, New York jobs
for New York solders.'
Colonel Thomas Crimmins, in charge
Of the 27th Division Employment Bu-
rcau, at the Hall of Records. an
nounced that all but about POO men of
the 9th have found work, and that by
May the division bureau will be dis
continued as separate entity Its
work will be merged into the newly
coordinated system under the United
Council on Re-emplOVment