Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-24
BY HENRY j. ALLEN.
Former United States Senator and Governor
of Kansas

BY HENRY j. ALLEN.
Former United States. Senator and Governor
of Kansas
There are over 1900 labor exchanges
in England besides many branches.
These are the official establishments OF
the Labor, ministry through which the
civil service administers the dole in the
various parts of England and the Brit
ish Isles. Each exchange has re1erea
court TO pass upon disputes which arise
continuously touching eligibility Of an-
plicants who have beer@denied registfa-
ton by the labor exchanges. Each rel
cree court is composed OF three mem
bers. two of whom, representing respec-
lively the labor viewpoint and the en-
ployer's viewpoint. serve without pay.
The chairman of the court is always
licensed barrister or solicitor and re-
ceives three guineaS, slightly over $lo
for each sitting of the court: he sits
three afternoons per week. There are,
therefore. 1900 lawyers drawing $4S
per week for three afternoons.
was privileged to be spectator
during an afternoon in one OF the Lon
don Courts. The first applicant was
man of forty-fiye years of age. He had
come to London two. years ago as
writer for an advertising firm, had
two dollars and fifty cents in alb to the
insurance fund. lost his job because OF
a depression IN business and had been
unemployed for several months. Tech
nically he was not eligible, as the regu-
lations call for thirty contributions over
a period of two years. However. he was
eligible under the provision for transit
tional unemployment If he could con-
vince the court that he was unavoid-
ably idle.
Application DisalIowed.
The Court had received from Kew
the history of his case and had 1t be-
fore them. Apparently he failed to i'm
press the referees as worthy case. His
application was diSallowed. He will.
therefore. continue to apply at his labor
exchange daily; II In six weeks the ex-
change has not found him job he
can renew his application, and, indie
pendent of all other considerations. will
be listed as member of the live regis
ter and receive seventeen slilings per
week for himself. nine shillingS for his
wife and two Si1ilings for each child.
In his case the payment VIII be thirty
Shillings per week or practically $3.50
In our money. All the action of the
court does is to deter him from the dole
for six weeks while job is being sought
for him. If he is not satisfied with the
decision of the referee court he can ap-
peal to the umpire for rehearing II
the umpire sustains the referee court
he Is no worse of. He will still be eli
gible for the dole In six weeks If lob
or suitable work" has not been found
for him in the meantime. Neither the
referee court, nor the umpire can do
more than deter him for six weeks.
There are seven umpires In England.
each located in one Of the seven dis
tricts into which the Kingdom has been
divided. The unpires are men of judi
cial standing and draw commensurate
salaries.
Impressed BY Courtesy.
young man of eighteen came before
the court. His record from Kew dis
closed only six payments to the irsur-
ance fund. II also disclosed certain
discreditable facts. He had once been
discharged by an employer for dishon-
esty. and, on a later occasion. he had
evaded Job offered him by labor ex-
change. There was some debate over
this. The boy claimed that it,was not
suitable employment. His father ap-
peared with him and said he had been
educating the boy to be a radio worker;
the job offered him was that of solder
ing wires in the radio industry but was
no. part of the work for which he had
been educating the boy. On later oc-
casion the vacancy officer in q labor
exchange had told the boy to sit down
and wait. This should have indicated
To the boy that the vacancy ofiicer had
found work for him. The boy did not
wait, hence the fact had gone into his
rather unfavorable record at Kew, and
confronted him at this hearing . His
application was disallowed. However
he win continue to apply at the labor
exchange; II In six weeks they have not
found him job, he will 90 on the dole.
In spite of his unpromising record. and
draw q weekly benefit as long as he can
keep out Of work. I was impressed by
the kindly courtesy of the members Of
the court. The witnesses are not put
under oath; they can be accompanied
by any friend, guardian or parent. Law
yers are not allowed to appear In these
cases.
An interesting case was that Of a
orle-armed man. veteran of the World
War. He had lost his job as Waterman
because the factory had shut down. He
had not made thirty payments to the
fund. Evidently his record at Kew had
something else unfavorable IN 1t and
his application was disallowed. The In
teresting fact to me was that he already
draws disability pension Of twenty
eight shillings week. about 81 in our
money. This, however. would in no
wise disqualify him from receiving the
dole. He has only to apply daily at
the labor exchange for six weeks. II
by that time he has not been put to
work at labor suitable for a one-armed
man seventeen Shillings per week for
himself and nine shillings per week for
his wife will be added to the $3.50 per
week he already draws from the govern
ment, together with so cents per week
for each child. This particular unen-
ployed man Will be drawing from the
government, In six weeks, $13 per week
IN spite of any decision Of courts of
referees or umpires.
Deliberately Left Job.
A typical case was that OF a weaver
He had deliberately left Job, although