The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-02-15
AND EMPLOYMENT OF GREATER
NUMBERS OF MEN PROPOSED.
Efforts to Be Made to Launch Spring
Building Boom and Start Public
Improvements.
Number OF Unemployed In Local Field
Is Materially Increased Accord
Ing to Reports

To formulate plans to avert any scrt-
Gus labor conditions that may arise was
the main subject discussed ut .hn Com
munity conference held at the Asfice OF
the Z. S. Employment bureau last night.
Invitations had been sent out to var
ious civic and welfare organizations to
attend the conference. but only few
were present, while Mayor Eester and
w. o. McCluskcy. Jr.. took UP the city
and county's share in the matter.
Chairman Sonderman OF tho federal
labor bureau opened the meeting and
outlined the purpose and function Of the
l.. S. Employment bureau rs a part OF
the department labor maintained by a
special act OF congress and skctched
brief history Of state and federal en-
ployment bureaus. beginning in Ohio
some years ago, and worked up to the
establishment in 1917 Of the public en-
ploynent bureau to assist aliens and 9TH
ers Of an ignorant and INDECENT char
acter.
In 1lS the government had $40 federal
offices engaged in the work Of bringing
the johlcss to q job and place workers
where they belonged by proper selection
labor since thu armistice was signed by
FIe told of the falling off in the call for
comparing monthly reports: taking ZIP
the November report there were 406
men registered ut the bureau and SOB
calls from employers for workers: the
registration went TIP and the calls went
down in thn months succeeding until
January. 1919, when 40 wcrc registered
and only @36 calls came in: this month
not half through showed 81 registrations
for work and only 81 calls by employ
ers.
The general theme throughout the
meeting was the growing scarcity OF
work while the number of unemployed
mounted upward.
The two best solutions advanced for
the relief was the resumption Of building
which is at standstiit and the shorten
ing OF the working hours of present en-
ploycs and putting on moro help to ah-
Sorb some Of the unemployed. Mayor
Vester hoped for new legislation for the
city Of Wheeling to allow bond issues
to begin contemplated improvements
but these could not start with favorable
legislation until July which would not
relieve the situation At p resent. Both
he and Fred +. Faris speaking as archI-
teCts said an initial movement should
begin in the building trades, but all con-
tcmrlated building Is held UP by the
high cost of materials. some of which
has been reduced. but the building pub
lie have not seen their way clear yet and
did not venture an opinion as to when
the season would open up; this line Of
industry would induct hundreds of job
less men into the working world.
W. O. S1cCluskey. Jr.. speaking for
the county, said TINT all road building
is at a standstill as this is bad sea-
son for it. but the county commissioners
bod Lei oIrfo ~ road hnjl1i0r
for the year amounting to approximate
~ 100000. which would be started as
soon as this years taxes arc estimated
and he thought this would help TO re-
licvc the situation somewhat when road
building time arrives.
In the building trades. such as car
pentcrs. brick layers. etc, there seems
to be n waiting policy until tho present
wage scales expire in tho spring but
this is far away look as it cannot be
stated to a certainty whether the trades
will ask for an increase: comply with
existing wages or stand n reduction. This
brought to light the fact that no now
houses or dwellings, being built had n
tendency to raise rents,
Reports from the Salvation Army In
both relief and industrial departments
shows that tho last two or three months
Tho unemployed Ind increased trcmen-
dnusly hun most Of the applicants were
"noaters" travelling here and there. hut
Il was noticed that many coal miners.
especially from Ohio were appealing for
relief. a source which has never asked
for charity before.
Tho Home Service section Of tho Red
Cross reported that many returned SOL
dicrs cannot find any work: some
thought they would get their old posi-
tons back which they did nj n lower
salary: others found their places vacant
as there was no work to do. Many SOL
dicrs who are healthy looking arc really
not able to work. in a great many cases
this ia caused by being gasscd and AMI
soldiers who has been slightly TasScd
takes years to become normal again.
Soldiers come back and find no work. so