Evening star., 1921-09-28
OFFICIALS SUPPORT
PRESIDENTS 'SSTAND
ON UNEMPL PL0yMENT
Do Not Favor Appropriation
by Congress to Relieve
JobIess in Country.
LABOR BUREAU DIRECTOR
OPPOSES INCREASED FUND
Ledoux Appears Before Committee.
A. F. L. Opposes Pri-
vate Agencies.

Government administrative officials.
it was indicated today. will back up
President Hardings stand for unem-
ployment relief through other than
federal appropriation measures.
In testimony given this morning be-
fore the unemployment conference
subcommittee on employment agen-
cieS and registration bureaus Francis
l. Jones. director of the United States
employment service, said he would
not favor an emergency increase in
the appropriation for that bureau.
This government agency is now
operating under considerably cur
tailed appropriation. Members of the
subcommittee put several questions
as to the desirability of enlarging the
service to meet the present unem-
ployment situation.
Prefers Normal Expansion.
Mr.. Jones said that the policy of
the employment service is to develop
coordination between the state en-
ployment bureaus, and that 1t prefers
to expand it's activities in a normal
way under modest appropriations.
rather than to- develop overnight with
liberal appropriations.
He added, however, that if Congress
would place s160.O0O at the disposal of
the service, it would be able to con-
duct an unemployment survey which
should produce great deal of valuable
data.
Effort was made by several members
of the committee to develop Mr.. Jones'
opinion as to how large an appropria-
tlon the United States employment
service would like to have, but the wit
ness gave generalized answers which
involved no figures. He said the pres
ent appropriation for the service is
s225,00O.
LedOux Interested Listener.
Urbain Ledoux. who recently "sold"
unemployed on the auction block in
Boston, was an interested listener to
the testimony given by Mr.. Jones
and expected to give his views to
the subcommittee concerning the part
viding work for the involuntary idle
Mr.. Ledoux appeared before the
committee just before adjournment
for luncheon. Mr.. Ledoux declared
himself in favor of establishment of
public employment agencies as
public agencies are indispensable and
characterized private agencies as ''the
worst of parasites"
About Is per cent of the unem-
pioyeo IN the cllleS ne mad visited
are among those listed as clerical
help" Mr.. Ledoux said.
He said the city of Washington
should be ashamed of the municipal
lodging house here, which he charac-
terized as a fire-trap of the worst
kind 1T closes at 10 o'clock like a
convent" Ledoux said. Il was told
by the superintendent that he feared
the lodging house would be over
whelmed this winter with the num-
Der of men expected to come here
seeking compensation from the vet
erans' bureau"
William c. Roberts. chairman of
the legislative committee of the
American Federation of Labor, de-
clared the stand of the federation en-
phatically in favor of public employ
ment agencies and as emphatically
vate agencies ought to be abolished"
Mr.. Roberts said. Other witnesses
heard today included Miss Mary LIE
Dame and Shelby NJ. Harrison of the
Russell Sage Foundation of New
York.
The relation of public employment
agencies to the problem of unemploy-
ment was discussed by several wit
nesses before the subcommittee this
morning. The meeting was presided
over by Julius H. Barnes of Toledo,
chairman.
John Ihlder. the first witness, rep
resenting the United States Chamber
of Commerce, said that organization
had expressed itself through a refer
endum conducted in 1919 as being in
favor of a federal employment sys-
tenn which would work in co-opera-
tion with state and local agencies.
Massachusetts Man Testifles.
Detailed information concerning the
development and operation of public
employment agencies in the state of
Massachusetts, was given by Russell
F. Phelps. director of labor statistics
of the Massachusetts labor depart
ment, who also put in a good word
for private employment agencies. He
criticised, however. the practice of
some private establishments in charg-
ing in advance for placing applicants
in positions. At this time, he said, it
is desirable that employment service
should be furnished without charge
and suggested the best system would
be for local authorities to handle the
direct contract with the workers
supervised by the state. which would
coordinate employment information.
Progress Ii Noted.
Progress of the unemployment con-
ference today indicated an emergency
Continued on Page 2. Column 5.)