The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-04-18
BY /. REssNIKov.

Oc6dH only dlJeT the FEBRUARY T6NOlu-
ton. Labor exchanges came into be-
ing as mediatory organs and retained
this form also in the beginning of the
post October revolution period. In
connection with severe unemployment
caused by the rehabilitation of the
army and curtailment of industry, the
labor exchanges extended their func-
tons considerably, paying doles to the
unemployed, organizing dining halls
and night shelters for them, etc.
TNthe epoch of military Communism
when all able-bodied persons were
obliged Ito work with certain excep-
tions laid down by law), labor ex-
changes became state organs for the
supply Of labor power and formed part
of local labor departments such as
the sub-department of accountancy
and distribution of labor power, which
was the title under which they func-
toned until the introduction Of the
new economic policy. At that time it
was not possible to employ people at
will Gan exception was made in the
cause of persons whose work is of a
confidential nature and in the case of
experts)
Since 1922, when the new economic
policy began to operate, labor ex-
changes came again into being;
whilst the obligation to engage labor
thru the exchange remained in force.
Persons not registered at the labor
exchange had no right to be engaged
and employers of labor trangressing
this rule had to answer for it before
the law.
EXCEPTIONS were made in cases
- demanding political reliability or
special knowledge on the part of the
person to be engaged, and also in case
the labor exchange could not satisfy
the demand of the hirer within the
stipulated time. In such cases the
hired persons were registered at the
labor exchange after their engage
ment.
Thus even in the period of NEP the
monopoly of the labor exchange in
connection with the hiring of labor,
and obligatory registration of agree
ment remained in force.
Persons registered at the labor ex-
change could not be engaged out of
their turn; this applied to all profes-
sions and occupations.
ENTERPRISES and institutions re-
II quired carefully selected employees
with a definite qualification. AS the
labor exchange had to observe the Sc
quence on the register, it could not
always give satisfaction to would-be-
employers, and it invariably happened
that considerably fewer persons were
engaged than were sent by the labor
exchange.
In view of this exceptions were al
lowed for a number of professions and
posts when in accordance with spec
tally published lists (such lists were
published on several occasions) would
be employers could engage workers
registering them subsequently at the
labor exchange.
ON the one hand the obligation to
Ohire labor thru the exchange re-
suited in those who had already found
work, who went from one place of EN-
ployment to another, being obliged to
go again thru the labor exchange
thereby increasing the number of those
on the register.
On the other hand the fact that un-
employed received doles and also en-
joyed other privileges (they live
almost rent free, pay very little for
communal services and are almost
free from taxation), caused great in
fux into the labor exchange of ficti-
tious unemployed, namely people who
registered not in order to get employ.
ment, but merely to benefit by the
privileges Of unemployed workers.
uoW large was the percentage Of
IL these so-called unemployed can be
judged by the results of the re-regis-