The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-12-10
Frederick Haskin's Letter
Ida TarbeU on Unemployment.
tsDedsl corrvspOndenes Of rAe Arru.l

/ WorKmen store up resentment a.
become aggressive. The en,nie, y.
complains that labor is so unstssl
that he cannot count on il When \
really needs it. And stabiHtr
necessary if there is TO hs :.
sound progress in industry.
Miss Tarbell believes tbat -
ployers are beginning to fnd -.
they must adopt more sria,,is
methods of dealing with employs-
4 remember one factory a,
said, where 200 men received -
tice on Saturday that they woSis
not be needed Monday. Tbev ~
refused to think that a slumn -.
coming, and the despair thew sbo-
ed was terrible. They had no va
ing, but they had no redress
An intelligent handling ~
similar situation occurred in H.
Chicago plant. The employees s~S
officials here realized that in -
months they would have IN a..
down. The company is orysni-.5
on what is known as the shon ~
reservation plan. They said -.
want the whole body Of worti--
people to know that things =.
slowing up and to consider VII,
can be done if the factory has =
close. When a man goes out r.
will not hire a new one. Tbs-
they advised the men TO get otb..
work if they could.
1.-The factory soon began 10 wo,,
only four days a week, then tbrss
then two, and finally they closas
down 70 ra month. But the spjrf
of the men was different from MAJ
shown in plants where summarr
dismissals were made. They hal
had time to plan and save"
Employment Management.
Getting the individual emnloys,
to use scientific methods of haB5.
ling his employees is largely q MAJ.
ter of education, and can only h
accomplished gradually, it is zeal.
lied.
The most practical scheme which
the conference has urged upon tbs
country for quick results is TO ps.
tablish CARNATIONS in the ststes
and cities to study the local Iabo-
conditions. Some Of these organ.
cations have established DubIi-
employment bureaus. Jobless men
are registered and connected with
such work as the city and employes
of labor can find for them.
About half of the states have
employment committees and bg-
reaus. Some are better organin5
than others. Ohio and Wisconsin
have particularly good organiza-
tions.
There is need beside these for
federal public employment bureau
Miss Tarbell and other members Of
the conference believe. Mr.. Comp.
ers compared the possibilities Q,
such a bureau to those Of the
weather bureau. 1t would keep ID
touch with employment conditions
all over the country aud send OH
regular reports. If unemplOymer.
began TO be noticeable in a western
city or in a certain industry. The
rest of the country would know al
once. The bureau would also uy
to show where unemployment was
likely TO occur by its reports O.
production and demand.
On the other hand, the bureau
would be a clearing house for en-,
ployment. It's reports would shoV
where men were needed just as & f
would warn them away from dis
tricts where they could not hops
to find work. And if it had thl
funds it might act as an employ
ment Office, connecting men ana
women with Jobs.
The last sort of service has been
tested out and found satisfactory
in recent years. The federal gov
eminent established its employ
men service in the labor depart
ment during the war Considering
the terrific pressure on industry Of
the time. the bureau started on.
with a herCulean task, but it man
aged to help a great many dis
tracted employers to get in touch
with the kind of men and women
they wanted.
This federal employment service
is still in existence, though it is So
hampered by lack of funds that /
can scarcely do any extensive VOL
The conference asked congress 10
enlarge the appropriation for tbs
bureau for the coming year WhG
the lab0d department appropriate
is fixed