Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-01-22
1900 Out Of 1000 Men Who
Applied For Work to Mar.
l, 1919, Placed
MRS. HOWARD SERVES
Since March /. 1920 to Present Time
More Than 1000 Have Sought Work
and No Places Were Fer Them.

i Responding to Virgim}a's War Gail
/ for more workers, Honorable Anthony
/ Can1fneati, Commissioner General Of
! Immigration. Mr.. E. NJ. Kline and
Mas. Glace Porter Hopkins, al CT the
! Federal Department of Labor, Wash
lington, came to Alexandria cary in
September, 1917, to organize here a
oranih of the u. S. Employment Ser
vice. As an aid to the cause, (no funds
were available for the work. all local
organizations of men ard women IL
ssarested in Industrial am, social prob
ems were invited to cooperate. The
result was the formation of Federated
Council on Enjoyment; the director
being DR.. VIM. Morgan Smith, our
pos,t master. The council was COM
posed of one representative fccm
every mans organization wiling TO
cooperate, and a Wjomen,s Federated
| Council on Employment, composed in
| IKE manner, of a representative from
every wcman's club, fraternal or
church society offering to cooperate
with the Federal Government in an
effort. first, to supply the required
aniourt of help for the war indust-
mes in The State; second, to aid in
the Distribution Of this labor so that
every employer in every section
! should have the number and the kind
Of help needed for his or her part!-
cu!ar plant; third. to aid in the prop
er housing of laDor transported from
one vicinity to another; ard fourth,
to :ook after the general welfare Of
workers involved in the war labor.
The meeting was held in the Alex
ariria City Post Office in room af-
serwaras especially Sc. aside by the
Federal Government for the use OF
the AleNa ndria branch of the U. 5.
Employment Service. Ait this meet
ing the Alexandria Wcmen's Federat-
ed Council on Employment was or
garized and pledged to cooperate with
| he u. S. Department of Labor IN
finding opportunities for employment
for these in need CT work and help
for those in need of assistants in
| every field. of human endestor. The
work was to sbe conducted in accord
ance with the pan of the Women :
Division Of the U. s. Employment.
! Miss Helen Norris Cummings, who
had previously been appointed Prest-
dent by Commissioner General Cami-
ne'tti, fer the Virginia State Women's
Organization work, was unanimous
T. ~ elected at this meeting Chairman
of the Alexandra Women's Federat-
ed Council on Employment, and Mrs.
T. CliBtcn Howard was elected Sec
rei5ary and authorized to inaugurate
work Immediately upon. the insta.la-
ton cf the official equipment, includ-
ing stationery with franliing privi-
ege, etc., which the Federal Depart
aent of Lacor agreed to supply.
| Simultaneously with the opening OF
this Employment Bureau. the. Draft
Board used the Court Rccnl in the
Pest Office, and when able to leave
lcr desk. Mrs Howard frequently AID
ed the hard pressed officials TO ASSIST
hose eft times bew;ldered young men
10 FIJI out tha:r papers, and she pro-
missed each cne that when ne ret,rn-
I'd from the war, the employment bu-
reau would be waiting for HIM with
fthe open, door Of opportunity That
very assurance in no small degree
contributed to the mems peace Cd
mind and satisfaction in leaving fcr
camp.
Steadily the men left for war, and
ste1d:ly the new War'Industries were
1 beng opened in Alexandra. The Vir.
eIria Shipbuilding Corporation, Gen.
eral Sh:pouifding Corporation, Elk
press Spark Plug Factory, anf
Fleischrnan Construction Company
, builders Of. the Nava1 Torpedo Plant
were calling for men, and in they
\ came, first facnl the nearby Nirg:nis
towns, and then the call vas hearc
IN far away States sand the answe1
came In never ending stream q
/ linen. The Employment Bureau be
came clearing house for many Q:
the personal difficulties of the men
u for they found in Mrs. Howard ,
tcontinued on Page Four)