Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-10-10
ARMY OF UNEMPLOYED
SWAMPS WORK BUREAU
Office Force Aided by voIun-
teers Busy Registering APP
plicants for Employment


The temporary offices OF the United
States Employment Bureau In the
Service Citizens headquarters In the
Library Building. Eighth and Market
streets. were swRmpcd this morning
10y inen anxious 10 register for place.
ment on jobs wherever the bureau can
ind employment. As early as o'clock
the army OF unemployed started to
congregate in the hallway and by the
time the offices We're opened there were
probably hundred men In line wait
ing.
The rush to register for work has
been so great that DIR. OdeI and his
| assistants i'm the office have been un-
able to do nothing toward finding en-
ployment for them as their entire
time has been taken up listing the
names. interrogating the applicants as
20 their qualifications and fitness and
classifying them. In fact the rush OF
unemployed has been so great that
the office force has not even had time
TO total the number of men and women
who have been registered to date. The
list however is not confined 20 the
mon, for several women have appeared
who are anxious to get work.
DIR. Odell stated this morning that
there is anyone. in the city who
can give employment to a man or
woman he would appreciate IL II they
would telephone to his Office for he
III long list Of people he could place
at once in almost any kind OF work
that might he mentioned. He is
al xious TO set down to the actual task
OF placing the unemployed, but this
has been delayed by the rush OF ap-
plicants for registration.
The old City Hall, which has been
placed at the disposal OF the bureau
Is being lifted up for the purpose and
wiz be occupied within few days.
DR.. Odell was advised by letter this
morning that truck load Of Office
furniture was to leave Philadelphia
this morning and would arrive in this
city sometime today for use in equip-
ping the offices in the old City Hail.
Miss Katherine Smith, the expert from
Washington who has been sent hero
10 help organize. the Office force. has
been kept busy registering the ap-
plicants, together with several men
and women who have volunteered 70
assist in this task.
Mayors Conference.
The emergency committee appolnt-
ed by Mayor Harvey last week will
have meeting this afternoon AT $40
O'Clock in the Council chamber In Citv
Han and it is expected efforts will
then be made to coordinate all the
various lines of endeavor now f.nc-
tioning for the relief Of the unemploy-
ed and their dependents. Among other
things to be considered will be the
appointment of a special committee
10 work with DR.. Odell In the employ
ment bureau.
one OF the big problems to be taken
up this afternoon viii be the care of
the hundreds of men who cannot be
placed on jobs. OF the 1000 TO 600
men estimated to be out of work IN
this city it is agreed that no matter
how much public work the city might
undertake all of them could not no
given employment. 1t is also claimed
iany Office and shop men could not
work on. construction jobs and conse-
quently could not be placed.
These men and their families win
nave to be cared for during the win
ter or until such bread winners can
secure work, and one purpose OF this
afternoons meeting will be 10 devise
ways and means of looking after the
welfare OF this class o. men and their
dependents. 1t was pointed out this
morning that if soup houses and bread
INES are 10 be avoided in Wilmington
most likely the city will be compelled
10 provide relief in other WAYS.
II has been found, however. that
wilmington is far ahead of many
other towns in its efforts 10 relieve
the unemployment situation. Mayor
Harvey has written to a number Of
places for information as to what they
are doing and the replies received and
which will be submitted to the meet
ing this afternoon show that this city
- far advanced in the work of caring
Tor its unemployed when compared 10
some OF the cities with which the
mayor communicated.
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