Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-11-24
new WAYS NEEDED
IN SECURING HELP
Sage Foundation Says Fed.
eraI, State and City Officials
Must cooperate.
BY }. G. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

opecial Dispatcn 10 Inc star. a
NEW YORK. November 24.-"You
never can tell till you've tried 'em
and then you are likely to be wrong g.
That conclusion of Mr. Kipling is
concurred in thoroughly by the Rus
sell Sage Foundation which has just
concluded an exhaustive investiga-
ton Of public employment Offices and
their methods. Experts of the founda-
ton do not take much stock in Sc
Letting workers by the look in the
applicants eye, the condition of his
hahds or the griminess of his col
lar. The report also opposes the ar
bitrary classificatio OF applicants
according to any standard list of
personality types
No system or method Of character
ANALYSIS has yet produced results
which justify its adoption or even
suggest that it be tried in a public
employment Office, according to the
foundation. The report does not op-
pose research along character analysis
lines, but issues warning against
placing too much dependence on any
scheme OF rating individuals which
appeals to the imagination, but which
has not demonstrated its usefulness.
Human minds says a statement
by the foundation. have been
grouped by some persons interested
IN employment questions into divi-
sions that are presumable exclusive,
such as the executive. detail, pro-
motion, accounting. clerical; selling,
mechanical and other types These
adjectives do describe attributes of
the mind, but it is doubtful II people
can fairly be SO tagged and labeled
The science and art OF successfully
doing this have not Vet been dis
covered"
In discussing the employment stu
alton today. Shelby y. Harrison,
director OF the department of surveys
and exhibits Of the foundation. who
was in charge OF the survey. which
occupied five years, said: The solu-
ton of the employment problem de-
ponds very largely on the ability OF
the STAFF in each local employment
ONCE to discover as itelligently as
possible the exact requirements Of the
JOB which the employer wants filled
and the capabilty and adaptablity
OF the individual worker applying for
this job.
He added that the present methods
whereby workers get jobs and en-
ployers get workers are Inadequate
to the needs of both employer and
employe. The report recommends the
establishment Of a nation wide free
employment service. to be operated
jointly by Federal, State and munic-
ipal governments.
The foundation stresses the need
OF such a service because existing
employment agencies meet only part
OF the need, and leave employment
service demands Of important sec
tons or the country and some inn
portant industries entirely unde-
welcomed Ia in
scope, 1t is added. can reduce unem-
ployment and at the same time give
employers the maximum assistance in
securing labor. None OF the existing
non governmental agencies offers suf-
fcient promise of development along
these lines, nor is there any means
of co-ordinating the activities of ex-
listing agencies.
1t is necessary, the report con-
cludes, particularly during strikes OF
other active controversies between
employer and employe, to have abso-
lutte impsrtiality, which cannot be
secured through existing agencies.