Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-05
service to these two groups Of our un
employed population.

l. LIE - u IN liza l.
service to these two groups Of our un-
employed population.
During the past year, through the
work of the United States Employment
Service, 100000 farm laborers have
found employment largely in interstate
movement, and many hundreds of vet
Grams have been placed in profitable
work.
The present Federal employment serv-
ice is founded upon the idea Of CO.
ordination with State and local employ
ment agencies and especially for pur-
poses of aid in what may be termed in
terstate placements.
The Presidents Conference on IN
employment and the report made by the
| Senate Committee on Education and
Labor on February rs, 1929. emphasized
| this important interstate function. The
Wagner bill would have destroyed this
primary Federal function and set up
as a substitute, 48 separate organiza-
lions in the United States. based not
upon need, but upon population, with
no definite authority of control by the
Federal Government and no co-ordi-
mated function of interstate movements
of laborers Railway and other inter-
state public services have always pre-
sented especial difficulties to State en-
ployment agencies. 1t is we'll known
that some of the railroads and labor
organizations have been forced to MAIN
tain their own employment bureaus be-
cause of the interstate problems in
volved. Virtually little interstate service
would have been possible under the set
up proposed in the Wagner bill.
Wagner Bill Explained.
The Wagner bill was so framed that
there could not have been any definite
certainty that it would ever come into
complete operation in all OF the states.
With the present service abolished, II,
by the end OF June, 1888, some OF the
States were unable or unwilling to APP
propriate funds or to cooperate as the
measure provided, then there would be
no services in those States and no IN
terstate movement to and from those
States. The whole question Of Federal
subsidy to State governments Is ever
subject to great question, as, in some
States. it would be. used to set up agen-
cies local in character and performing
no interstate service. In others the
Federal appropriations would be used
merely to relieve the State of one-half
Of its present expenditure. with no in
crease in service There was no pro-
vision to guarantee the character or
qualifications of State employees who
would be partly paid by Federal funds.
The measure also provided for the
establishment of 40 advisory councils,
which meant the widest variety OF
opinion and the possibility of friction,
dispute and interference with admins
tration. Indeed it would have been
difficult to have devised a better plan
to defeat the unification of employment
policy.
The measure lacked that flexibility
essential for effective operation. I'm
employment is not factor OF popula-
ton. To unite successfully men with
Jobs, effort must be timed to actual
employment needs and conditions. This
has been my observation and experience
through nearly a quarter of century.
This is the aim Of those of us in the
Federal Department of Labor who are
striving to bring man and job together,
and to give to every man an oppor-
tunity to earn for himself and for his
family sufficient to support them &C
cording to the American standards of
living And right here, my friends, 1
scarcely need point out that that stand
ard is one of our national achieve
ments, of which we are most jealous at
this time. and that is why one Of the
most important steps in the develop
ment of American Government policy
was the enactment of restrictive immi-
grafton legislation few years ago, when
we realized, without question, that the
United States could not continue to
absorb the surplus populations of Euro
pean countries What greater tests have
our employment resources ever received
than those which came to us each year,
when as many as 100000 new arrivals
came to our shores during the peak Of
immigration. 1t is especially in times
of unemployment. such as the present,
that we can express our gratitude to
those leaders who brought about this
restriction of immigration, thereby les
sening competition in the labor market
and giving assurance to our working
people that their Jobs and their stand
ards Of living viii be safe and secure
from the influence Of those coming
here from abroad.
immigration Restricted.
The adaptability of our immigration
system to meet unemployment situations
in the United States is illustrated by
the fact that at the present time inmi-
grafton visas are not being issued to
immigrants who are coming to the
United States to seek employment.
There can be no question as to the
charged that the parents, wives and
minor children who were left behind
by former immigrants are not being
permitted to join their children, hus-
bands and fathers in this country and
that if admitted they would not become
competitors in cur labor market; in
other words, they are not workers. A
moments reflection by any one who
knows anything about the employment
of immigrants in the United States
would show the fallacy of these argu-
ments. For example, during the last
nine years more than 100000 immi-
grants between the ages of Is and 81
were admitted to the United States and
most of these were members of immi-
grant families. 1t is ridiculous to as
sumo that the great majority of these
young immigrants did not seek employ
ment in this country Immediately after