Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-03-24
AGENTS DENY FEES
FOR EMPLOYMENT
VIOLATE STATUTE
Charge of So Applies Only to
DOmestics and Laborers,
Is Their Defense.
MORE COMPLAINTS COME
FROM THOSE FOUND JOBS
Officials May Seek Test Case to Es-
tablish Scope of Law and
Suggest Revisions.

With another batch of telephone
messages and letters from young
men and women here who declared
they had been charged exorbitant
rates by employment agencies that
had placed them in positions, The
Star received two letters today from
bureaus operating in Washington,
one of which claimed that the law
fixing the fee that may be charged
an applicant for such service at 81
applies only to domestics and labor
ers.
This particular phase OF the statute
in question was discussed late yes
terday by Assistant Corporation
Counsel Edward W. Thomas and AS
sistant Corporation Counsel ]. ]. Nc
Cara ghy. In view of the fact that
SO far as either Of these attorneys
knew no court has ever formally in
terpreted the law, it was held that a
test case should be found and have
the statute put TO the fullest test
May Ask Law Revision.
Mr.. Thomas declared that, whatever
the law might have implied by its
legal wording, instances brought to
his attention showed that many job
seekers here had been obliged to pay
unwarranted fees. 1t was his view
that If the existing law failed to
cover such instances, the case would
at least give the authorities basis
for seeking new legislation from the
next Congress to correct the evil"
as he expressed it.
The letter asserting that the law
fixing the fee at 50 applies only to
domestics and laborers was written
by John D. Kendall. president of the
Washington Business Bureau. 1t fol-
lows:
Il wish to draw attention to the
fact that your articles in Sundays
and Mondays Star of this week are
misleading and eminently unjust to
the employment agencies in this city
| that specialize in business and pro-
| fessional help.
Charges Declared Usual.
In the first place, the law as quoted
| in your columns which states that
| only So fee may be charged applies
/ only to domestic help and laborers
and TO no other classes of employ
ment.
IN the second place. no private EN-
! ployment agency could exist in this
| city on a commission charge of less
! than 20 70 25 per cent of one months
! salary. These charges are the same
! as those in effect in Baltimore, Phil
adelphia and New York for positions
| secured in business and professional
! capacities, in which cities, on account
! of their much larger population, the
j profits are spondingly greater.
/ The most successful private EN-
! ployment agencies in this city do not
net a return of over 5000 a year,
which is small return for any sue
cessful, established business.
Resents "GOuging- Term.
Il take great exception to the term
! 'gouging' as employed to local en-
| ployment charges in this city so
! prominently displayed in your Sunday
| edition, and If your paper is fair you
will publish this statement as prom
! inently as you have your other ar
| ticles on the subject.
Il wish to add that a properly con-
! Quoted employment agency renders
very real and efficient help to both
employe and employer, saving en-
ployes, in many cases, weeks of unem-
lployment, and the so-called exorbitant
charges which at the most aggregate
an amount equal to one weeks salary
and payable in easy terms often save
| the person out of work many weeks
! of salaries"
Statute Is Quoted.
That section of the Jaw under dis
pute follows: Sec s. That the fees
charged for the employment of ag-
ricultural hands, coachmen, grooms,
hostlers, seamstresses, cooks. waiters
mattresses, scrubwomen, nurses lex
cept professional nurses), chamber
maids, maids of all work, domestics.
servants or other laborers Except
seamen) or for the purpose of procuring
or giving information concerning such
person for or to employers shall be
as follows:
employment agents or agencies
shall be entitled to receive in ad-
vance from an employer of male or
female employees 50 each.
Employment agents or agencies
shall be entitled to receive in advance
from the applicant for work or en-
ployment, either male or female, 81
each, one-half of which is to be re-
turned on demand If such applicant
is not secured a fair opportunity for
employment within 10 days after the
receipt of said original fee of 81:
Provided, That where the male or fe-
male employe receives employment at
rate of wage of S25 per month or
more, said employment agent or
agency SHALL on obtaining employ
ment for such employe, receive an ad
ditional 81 from said employe.
Limitation is Stated.
) "And provided further, That 1t shall
be unlawful for any employment
agent or agency to receive more than
the fees set forth in this act in the
!, business aforesaid"
The whole argument revolves
around the meaning Of the words "or
other laborers." 1t is contended that
by it's wording the law includes
seamstresses in the category of la
borers. and that stenographers would
therefore be included. Furthermore
. in a section devoted to definitions the
salute plainly says, without making
any exception:
'The term applicant shall mean any
person seeking work, employment or
engagement OF any legal character"
Furthermore, search in Websters
New International Dictionary gives
the following definition of the word
labor: Physical or mental toll" 1t
is believed that this corroborates the
definition of the law itself, which in
that paragraph makes no exceptions
as to classes of labor.
More Complaints Received.
Several instances where young
women have paid more than the 81
fec have been brought to the atten-