Evening star., 1925-03-27
WARRANTS DRAWN
AGAINST AGENT IN
EMPLOYMENT CASE
Three Charges, Including Ex-
ceSsive Fee, Bases of
Prosecutors Move.
ISSUANCE LATE TODAY
EXPECTED BY THOMAS
Definite Ruling on Rights of Pa
irons and Accused Soughtsin
Test in Courts.

expected TO issue warrants late this
afternoon charging the proprietor Of
one Washington employment agency
with three separate violations of the
law under which such bureaus are
licensed to operate here.
The information papers on which
the warrants are to be based were
sworn to in Police Court this morn
ing by one of the assistants to the
corporation counsel and are now be-
fore the warrant clerk. waiting only
to be formally drawn up and sent to
police headquarters for service on
the agent
Wants LAW Clarified.
On this case the corporation coun-
sells Office expects to obtain a definite
Interpretation of the law which AS
sistant Corporation Counsel Edward
w. Thomas believes limits the fees
an employment agency may charge
TO 81, including registration fee and
the charge for finally placing an ap-
plicant in a position paying more
than $25 month.
The information papers allege that the
agent violated the law in that he did:
applicant for employment as fee
more than the fee of 81 for the pro
curing of employment and work as
set forth in Section s of an act OF
Congress approved February 20. 1908
Second-"Give false information
and make false promises and false
representation concerning employ
ment to an applicant who had regis
tered for employment and help, anu
Receipt Declared Invalid.
Third-"Give a certain receipt for
employment to an applicant from
whom a fee had been received said
applicant being then and there a fe-
male, and failed to have printed on
the back thereof, In the English
language, copy OF Section S of the
act of Congress approved February
20. 1903. said agency not being then
and there a theatrical or teachers
agency"
fourth count may be placed
against the agent. Mr.. Thomas said.
charging him with operating without
a license. Further investigation will
be made by the corporation counseIs
ofhce, however, before a warrant on
this premise is asked, although the
information paper for the issuance
of this warrant was sworn to at the
same time the others were Issued
The information on which these
charges are expected to be based was
furnished Mr.. Thomas by two per-
sons, one man and the other a
woman. who have volunteered, the
assistant corporation counsel said, TO
appear against the agent in order to
complete a test case. Other persons
Mr.. Thomas said. have been in touch
with the authorities regarding the
same agent and they may be called
as witnesses for the prosecution.
Found Position Filled.
The count alleging fraud was based
on the statement of one OF the wit
nesses that he had applied TO the
agent for work, paid his registration
fee and been sent to a place to ap-
ply for a position as a watchman.
| Reaching the place he was Informed
the job had been filled sometime
previous to the day he was sent out
by the employment bureau. A sec
tion of the law is believed to cover
such instances.
In the case of the woman, il is
stated, she was placed in an office
as a fling clerk. Her duties became
! SO burdensome that she appealed for
assistance. received none, and was
| finally obliged to quit when her
health failed. Both the charge Of
| accepting more than 50 fees and that
of failing to print on the back of re-
ceipts the law regulating fees are
expected to be based on the informa-
| tion received.
| In the meantime letters complain
| ing about the rates charged by Wash
| ington employment agencies contin-
| ued to reach the Office of the assist
/ ant corporation counsel In Police
Court and The Star today. One young
woman wrote the following letter 10
| The Star:
Calls Rates Too High.
your recently inaugurated cam
paign against the employment agen-
| cies in the city is one of the most
comm endable pieces of work that you
have done.
| Recently I returned to Washington
after almost two years absence and
| found it almost impossible to secure
! a position through any channels save
these The attitude that most OF them
take is one of utter indifference
II think that the rates charged by
! them all are almost prohibitive. Ten
per cent is a high price-Sut 25 is en-
/ tirely too high.
! II wish to thank you for your
work along this line. and sincerely
| trust that you will achieve your aim
that of abolishing these extremely
high rates and making the United
States Employment Bureau, 141o
! Pennsylvania avenue, general clear
| ing house for the various business
concerns located here"
| ~,-t ~uA~->~