The Washington times., 1923-02-05
JOBS PLENTIFUL
! HERE, RECORD !.
SHOWS :.
Employment Bureau Has More
Vacancies Than Applicants
for Positions.
Continued from Page 49,

OOAlALiuCu 1IOIn 4 15C A0c
many demands are made on us by
Washington housewives we always
manage to have fifty or sixty more
openings on our record sheets than
we can fill.''
Behind the business-like front of
the employment bureau many pa
thetic and humorous episodes are
daily enacted. Only a few days
ago, Miss Smith advises, a cultured
woman of about thirty-five years
came in seeking position. Inn
pressed, evidentally, with Miss
Smiths sympathetic manner, she
related heartrending tale OF
broken finances and revealed her
identify as a Countess and the
family. While this woman could
speak several languages she had
no practical knowledge and is still
on the waiting list.
Persons of all nationalities and
walks of life meet in the various
departments of the bureau which
occupies two floors at the Penn
sylvania avenue address. Many of
them are former Yale and Harvard
men and Smith girls who have thus
far failed to make the grade.
Miss Smith takes pride in some of
the men and women she has placed
in particularly good positions. Among
these is a connection she made only
a week ago for one of the young men
registered with nationally known
firm at SIS week as an executive
secretary. Positions which pay more
than $4,000 are rarely filled at the
bureau, bpt~the workers there do not
inject themselves in the wage ques-
ton, leaving that adjustment up to
the principals.
Police Watch Applicants.
AS many persons who are sought
by the police frequent the employ
ment bureau, a. close contact has
grown up between the two. Eugene
Lancaster, who has charge of the
colored DOMESTIC division, has proven
himself especially adept at picking
out the dad ones A short time
ago he spotted a woman in the group
looking for work and found she had
deserted her husband and three chill
dren and was being sought by the
police.
Picking page from the records of
the bureau one finds that during the
week ended February 2 last there
were 139 opportunities recorded for
men, with only seventy-six applica-
tons for work, and that 141 men
were actually placed in positions dur
ing the six-day period. During the
same week there were 464 opportuni-
ties recorded for women, with only
363 applicants, and 225 women sue.
ceeded in obtaining jobs during the
six-day period.
Credit for the present status Of
the bureau belongs to Frank r.
Jelleff and a number of other
loyal and philosophical business
| men who came to the rescue OF
| former Commissioner Louis Brown
| low during the war period.
| Commissioner Brownlow, at the
| time, called few business men
together whom he knew to be loyal
| public-spirited workers. He explain
| ed that the Government, recognizing
| the District for once as a State
would establish an employment bu-
reau here, providing the Capital City
paid half of the expenses.
Raised Needed funds.
Now, gentlemen" Brownlow said
!
I am putting an appropriation for il
! in my annual estimate here, but the
money will not be available for a
year.
eff we are to take advantage OF
the proposition at once it will be up
to men like yourselves to, put II
over"
Without a moments delay the
| business men were busy raising the
necessary funds, and to Frank r.
Jelleff, who served as chairman Of
this-committee, belongs a great meas
| ure of credit for the launching of the
Federal employment service here,
which has accomplished untold good
| Working with Jelleff from time
to time were a dozen business men
| Among this number was E. c.
Graham, John Dolph, Robert Downs
Mark Lansburgh, Harry King, and
j. Philip Hermann.
Miss Smith says that the bust
ness men are still lending their
support to the bureau and that
they, in turn, are doing their ut
| To ~