Evening star., 1925-03-25
PLOYMENT LAW
TEST IS SUGGESTED
Rudolph Favors Prosecution
in Specific Case of
Extortion.

Cuno H. Rudolph. chairman of the
board of Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia, announced today
that he and the other District Com
missioners would lend every assist
ance within their power to the fight
to obtain q clear Interpretation of the
law governing fees employment
agencies may charge for placing per
sons in positions.
While the corporation counsels of
fee believes the statute makes it un-
lawful for such a bureau to charge
more than 81 for obtaining work for
a person, agents engaged in that bust
ness here claim that section of the
law applies only to domestic and la
borers. 1t does not limit the fees
stenographer or similar worker may
be assessed, 1t is claimed.
Test Case Suggested.
In view of this division of opinion,
it is the belief of Commissioner
Rudolph that a clear-cut case should
be found where more than the legal
rate has been charged. and the agent
be prosecuted under the existing law.
The verdict in such a case would be
the legal Interpretation of the law, and
the other agents on clearer basis.
In the meantime both the office
of Edward w. Thomas, assistant cor
poration counsel in Police Court, and
The Star offices are being fairly flood
ed with letters and calls from young
men and women who declared they
had paid some Washington agents ex-
orbitant rates. Mr. Thomas has at
least a score of complaints on his
desk, together with Cancelled checks
and receipts showing amounts paid.
The assistant corporation counsel
is studying these carefully, and be-
lieves that within few days he will
have a complete case against one
bureau. Prosecution will not be de-
layed any longer than the necessary
time to make adequate Investigations
and gather additional data to deter
mine the manner in which the pro-
ceedings will be inaugurated.
IS for Weeks Work.
More light was shed today on how
some of the agents conducted their
business in the past a young woman
called at The Star, recounting her
experiences with one bureau, which
has since gone out of business, two
years ago. Applying to this bureau
for a bookkeeper's job, she first paid
her 50 registration fee and was sent
to place that needed her services
for only two weeks. She paid a fee
of IS. in all, for that job.
The applicant returned to the
bureau and was sent to another place
that lasted only three months. II
fell beyond the 10-week Temporary
status, however, and she was Obliged
to pay the agent rs per cent of her
first months salary. Returning IN sl,
for real, permanent work, she was
told that she must pay another 50
registration fee before the bureau
would consider her application again
Then she went out and found worL,
for herself
That these practices are not CON
fined to Washington is vouched for
by another girl, who wrote the fol-
lowing letter to The Star:
Permit me to thank you for vour
efforts to expose these shoddv em-
ployment agencies that have sprune
up since the war and seem to control
every job in Washington. under
stand that in New York City thev not
only seem to, but they do control all
the jobs.
THE Industrial section of the Rus
sell Sage Foundation issued a survey
on this question and strongly con-
demned such agencies. If you have
not looked this over, l am sure Won
would find it interesting. Doubtless
you already have it."
An Anacostia farmer added his word
or praise for the expose in the fol-
lowing note: II write you this to let
you know 1 have not read anything
for some time that pleased me so
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