The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-06-11
239S MEN GET JOBS IN MAY AT COST OF
 60 CENTS EACH BY
 FEDERAL SERVICE
Employment Service Will Have To End Its Work July 1 Unless Funds
 Are Provided For
 Continuance

That the United States Employment Service will make every effort to render aid to returned soldiers and sailors until the very last minute of it's official exis- tence was made evident yesterday by the announcement of State Federal Director George B. Tarrant that he would persona ally direct the activities of the local office until the first of July.
 On that date, unless Congress comes to the aid of the Department of Labor with the necessary appropriation to carry on the work, the United States Employment Service, a creation of the world war, will cease to exist. This employment service of the government has offices throughout the United States and it's possessions and it is pointed out has rendered incalculable aid during the war in relieving the labor shortage and following the armistice in placing the returned soldiers and sailors in lucrative jobs.
 Another announcement by Director Tar rant of great interest to local manu- facturers and employers was the fact that during the month of May the offices of the United States Employment Service in Alabama were able to place men at an average cost of 6S cents per man. This is considered remarkable in view of the fact that local employers are said to be quite satisfied to place men at $3OO a head under their own personal employ ment agencies.
 During the month of May, Mir. Tarrant announced TIA solditrs and sailors were given jobs through the agency of the United States Employment Service. Of the civilian applicants 1874 were placed s.1n offices located at: Mobile, Dothan, Mont gomery and Birmingham
 Col Arthur Woods, assistant to Secre- tary of War, Newton D. Baker. stated in a letter to Congress last week: If the United States Employment Service were to go out of business on the first of July, the interests of the returning soldiers and sailors who need assistance in trying to reestablish themselves in civil life would suffer to an extent which it is difficult to over-estimate.
 In conjunction with the statement of Col Woods and in line with his other an- nouncements Federal Director Tarrant gave the following statement yesterday afternoon:
 'The statement of Col. Woods indicates we are in danger of closing up shop. Let us hope such a calamity wsl not occur. We are already much hampered by lack of sufficient funds to carry on our work. We have only four offices in this s+7te. but which with lack of men and funds placed a total of 239S men during the month of May at an average cost of 6S cents per person. This is remarkable in view of the fact that large employers have stated to me they would consider it very reasonable if they placed their own em- ployees at a cost of $3.00 a person.
 For the remainder of June owing to the transfer of Lewis Bowen to Shef- field and J. T. Gould to Mobile I will give my personal attention to the Birmingham office. This makes the local office short of two necessary government employees, but their places will be. filled by men furnished by the Gulf Division of the American Red Cross and the War Camp Community Service.
 "Our local force as at present consti- tuted and paid by the government is: Richard F. Lussier, Examiner of Labor. detailed to aid returned soldiers and sail ors, Mrs. l.. w. Pittman, in charge of the Women's Division, Mrs. Mary w. Aus tir and Miss Matte Joe Childress, steno- graphers. For the Red Cross: Dalton Swann, representing the Gulf Division. For the War Camp Community Service: Sam l.. Becker and R. P. Banner.
 "The cooperation that the American Red Cross and the War Camp Com mrnity Service are giving the United States Employment Service cannot be
 
 that we will be able to maintain our system of giving employment. up until the very minute of June 30th.
 "It should be remembered that in figur- ing out the cost of placing the men we charged everything, from telegrams to office rent and stationery. We overlooked no charges, and we consider that after figuring out all the possible overhead and the result shows a cost of 6S cents for placing each man that we have record the United States Employment Service car be proud of for the state of Alabama" Richard F. Lussier, who is detailed to look after the unemployment of soldiers and sailors stated he considered the plac- ing of 7A vetrans of the world war in jobs during the month of May an ex- cellent record.
 I've are short-handed" said MT. Lus- sier "but with the splendid cooperation of the Red Cross and War Camp Com munity Service the boys who return are being placed on the job Of course if we close up shop on July 1st that will leave those who are still out of work in a seri- ous predicament
 ''The American Legion through it's na- tional secretary is taking an active inter- est in the work of placing the returned veteran. This work is done through the United States Employment Service, and as member of the state executive com mittee of the American Legion in -Alaba- ma, cooperation between the returned soldier and government was greatly ac- celerated. The soldiers and sailors are getting paced-and they will continue to <yaf inhc Jtrf T11xy let at aq