Although the committee in charge of the bureau did not think it advisable to continue it under improved business conditions, and in competition with free labor advertise ments in daily papers, with the Free State Labor Bureau, and with commercial agencies, — which on a business basis aggressively canvassed and advertised for available positions for employment, — they remained of the opinion that the free labor bureau is an important factor in phil anthropic work. If such a bureau is to be operated pri vately, it would, in the opinion of the committee which had gained this experience, better be conducted by a society organized for the particular purpose, rather than by one engaged in general relief work. The two reasons urged for this belief are, that many men whom the bureau would be especially designed to help would not avail themselves of its opportunities on account of the tinge of charity re sulting from its connection with a relief society, and that employers are likely to assume that lower wages can be paid, because those who come to the bureau are evidently in urgent need of work. To the first of these objections it may be replied that the fact that the bureau is conducted independently does not lessen its charitable character, as suming that it is operated from philanthropic motives; and to the second, that a relief society would obviously be less than its duty if it enabled employers to obtain men at less than current wages, although it must be ad mitted that such societies have not been free from criticism in this respect. It is true, as has already been pointed out, that those who can properly be placed by a free employ ment bureau are not as a rule the persons who are legiti mately under the care of relief agencies, and there would, therefore, seem to be no adequate reason for conducting the two as parts of one institution.
In the five years ending September 30, 1900, the bureau registered and investigated the references of 23,485 men and boys. Forty-five per cent of these had satisfactory references ; 25 per cent had unsatisfactory references ; and 21 per cent were unknown by those to whom they had re ferred. Of the men whose references were satisfactory, 75 per cent, or 9595, were placed, at an average, expense of $2.08.
Upon a somewhat different plan is the free employment bureau of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, conducted by the Particular Council of New York. Its unique feature is that it has grown out of the needs of the conferences established in the various parishes of the church with which the society is affiliated. Comparatively few of the men for whom positions are found apply directly at the bureau, most of them being men who are known to the visitors of the society to be in need of employment because of application for assistance in other ways. On the other hand the positions to be found are made known to the bureau by members of the society, who are asked to report to the bureau vacancies among their own employees, in business houses, retail stores, etc. This plan enables the bureau to avoid the expense and disadvantages of public advertising, and gives reliable information regarding both applicants and positions.
The records of the free employment bureau of the United Hebrew Charities of the same city show that in a period of twenty-four years work was procured for 65,774 persons, although these figures would probably be somewhat re duced if the statistical methods which were later intro duced in the bureau had been in vogue during the entire period.
Several states maintain free employment agencies. That of Illinois is typical, its law having gone into effect on August 1, 1899. Under this law the managers of employment agencies for hire are required to pay a license of $200 per annum, and to give a bond of $1000. Mem bers of local unions were largely instrumental in secur ing the new law. The manner of conducting the free employment agencies is specifically provided, and it is expected that the work will be carried on throughout the state systematically. Superintendents of local bureaus are required to report on Thursday of each week to the state bureau of labor statistics the number of applications for positions and for help during the preceding week, and also the unfilled applications remaining on the books at the beginning of the week. The secretary of labor statistics is to print each week lists showing separately and in com bination the lists received from each office, and is to mail this list to each agency. A copy of these lists is also to be mailed to the factory and mine inspectors of the state. It is the duty of the various superintendents to place themselves in communication with the principal manufacturers, merchants, and other employers of labor, in order that the cooperation of employers and labor may be obtained. To this end the superintendents are author ized to advertise in, the daily papers such situations as they can fill, and they may advertise in a general way for the cooperation of large contractors and employers, in trade journals or other publications which may reach such employers. The sum of $400 per annum is allowed the superintendent for advertising purposes.
The day nursery in its simplest form is a home in which the children may be left during the day in order to relieve the mother? This is a comparatively new form of assistance, but it has speedily become popular, and its usefulness is unquestionable. Two objects have been kept in view by the managers of day nurseries : First, to provide care for children who would otherwise be homeless or without proper care through the day be cause the mother is necessarily employed ; second, to enable mothers who otherwise must stay at home to accept employment, thus obviating the necessity for relief. It has already become reasonably clear that indiscriminate aid in the form of care for children in day nurseries is nearly as objectionable as any other indiscriminate relief. To enable the mother to work when the father is lazy or shiftless or incompetent is sometimes to incur direct responsibility for perpetuating bad family conditions. To receive children whose mothers are not employed, but who find it difficult otherwise to keep their children from the street, seems like a natural and praiseworthy course, but experienced workers come to refuse to do this, on the ground that it removes the chief incentives for bet ter accommodations at home. To receive children whose 1 "The Scope of Day Nursery Work," Mary H. Dewey, Proceedings of National Conference of Charities and Correction, 1897, p. 105.