The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-09-24
UNEMPLOYED ISSUE
 SOLVED BY BANK
Florida Financial House Opens Bureau for Jobless Places Many - Stabi- lizes Labor Question.
By H. c. HAMILTON QnteFnationaI News Service Staff
 C0HS.eS-ranndarafN !

West Palm Beach. Florida, Sept. A and farmers of his sec ton of F'lorida-known the world ov- CT mainly as a winter resort-declare there is no business depression for them, and one of the reasons, the chief one, in fact. is that T. T. Reese, president of the Farmers Bank and Trust Company, has seen to it that the city's labor is kept busy.
 The only employment bureau op- erated by bank in the United States is what the people of West Palm Beach and Palm Beach call MT. Reese's venture. Whether this is ac- curate MT. Reese himself was unable to state, but he did say he did not know of any other similar agency for absorbing a community'S labor.
 The idea was born just after the ar mistice was signed, MT. Reese told a representative of the International News Service. There came news of many men out of employment, and MT Reese wanted to help. employer and labor to get together-with the added incentive of new friends for his posits. More than 500 men have been placed in positions since the venture began, and it is still in operation.
 Most of the positions filled were those of stenographers, bookkeepers, cashiers, boat captains, pilots, engin- eers, cooks, buffers, laundresses. housekeepers, landscape gardeners. caretakers and mechanics of all inc 1dLLcT cldSS IS III great est demand and keeps the bank in constant touch with the huge mum Der of winter residents of this section.
 Three-Fourths Make Good.
 MT. Reese makes it a, point to per sonally interview every person ed," before that
 placed" before that person takes up his new duties, and the record shows men and women have made good. The figures are accurate, because most of them opened accounts with the bank
 impression it makes on a man to be placed in a position through bank" said MT. Reese. We believe here that the free employment bureau, if adopted generally by the banks, will go a long way toward solving employ ment problems
 Venture Successful.
 The employment bureau in reality is an offspring of a previous venture When the war began to take MT. Reese's stenographers. cashiers, tell CTS and other employees he had to cast about for men to take their places, he established a night school in the bank, and, with himself one of the instructors, began to give free in- itruction in these professions to men and women responded to his first call for pupils. Eventually he used up all the material at hand and had taught stenography, bookkeeping typewriting, etc. to all those avail hble. Having filled the market with the potential workers he employed as many as he could and then started out to find positions for others. The venture was so successful that he re- solved to do what he could to find places for others.
 The night school has been discon- tinued, but MT. Reese said he stands ready to renew it if occasion de- mands He is a competent telegraph operator, stenogra.pher and book keeper, professions through which he passed during his rise to his present