1893 - State Library Information Center

PART III.Free Public Employment Offices.At the ninth national convention of the officers of the IT. 8.Bureaus of Labor Statistics, held at Denver, Colorado, May 24-28, 1892, it was unanimously resolved that " the Commissionersof Labor of the different States recommend to the Legislaturesof their different States the consideration of the advisability ofcreating free public employment offices, under State control andsupervision."This recommendation was the result of an earnest discussionof the evils of private employment agencies, which have beenextensively established in all our large centres of industries, andagainst which legislation has been directed apparently withouteffect. The " intelligence-office " system had been investigatedby bureau officials in a number of States, where their operationshad been especially mischievous. Mr. J. R, Sovereign, the Chiefof the Iowa Bureau, summed up the indictment against them inthe following words :" Some of the practices of private employment agencies are very inimical tothe interests of the laboring people; they invariably receive applications foremployment and advance fees far in excess of their ability to supply situations; the advance fee of a poor, needy applicant is received with as muchpleasure when the chances of securing a position are a thousand to one against;the applicant as under any other circumstances ; they nearly always advertisefor ten times as many laborers as are needed. They advertise for laborers andmechanics to go to the State of Washington or some other remote part of thecountry, under the vague promise that steady employment and good wageswill be secured. In addition to the usual registration fee, the applicants mustbuy railroad tickets, out of which the agencies receive additional commissions;it makes no difference whether there is any employment for them at the pointof their destination or not; the railroads get their pay, the agencies get theirfees, and employers get a surplus of laborers, in consequence of which wagesdecline, many are unemployed, and thus trampism is superinduced through nofault of those honestly seeking employment.' 1 (73)