National Labor Exchanges.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 May 1910, Page 4

National Labor Exchanges.

FIVE WEEKS' WORKING. ; The figures given by the president of tlio Board of Trade fcitis week afford the first opportunity of eetinuiting the probable results of the new experiment of tlie Naitdonial Labour Exchanges. Five weeks have passed since Itilie exchanges were opened. About eighty have been in operation during the whole of that iperiod, and others havo been working for a shorter time. The total is now rather more than one hundred; lees than a third of these are in Lomidon. The total registrations havo been 270,000, but more than luui have failed to re-register every weok. . Only those wlio enter their names at least once a week are reckoned on the "live register." These at present 'number 104,000. Employers havo suffered 32,000 situations and of these 19,900 have .been filled. If tliis rate is maintained over 200,000 situations will bo filled in the first year. But as tlio whole hundred exchanges have not been working for the whole, period, amd as itlie work must certainly increase and other exchanges have stall to be established, the minimum for the first year will he at lc&stfc a quarter of a million -places filled. Two points in the figure® invite comment. The difference of 166,000 between tiho total registered and those wlio remain on the list is only partially accounted for by the 20,000 who have obtained jobs, and by the .possibility that at first the same men Registered nt two or three exchanges. Fnr the greater hulk of these are inefficient employables who havo not even the energy to conttainne registering. A more serious fact is the dtfscreipancv between ifche situations offerM (32,000) nml those filled (19,000) Vhieh are a little over 60 per cent. In the last year of the London exchanges 76 per eanit of the. places offered were filled, and in the German exchanges the figure is still higher.

As - yet; the advisory eommitteo have not been appointed, the great 'difficulty ibeung probably the division of the country into suitable areae. A single exchange does not require a committee, while eneh of the divisional areas requires more th&n one. .Until these advisory bodies Are. Appointed no progress can bo made with the organiisationj of special juvonilo branches in ooitj unction -with %c< local education authorities. Whon, 'however, it ia remembered that the whole immense organisation, with ft staff numbering .more,than l*»lf of tita -whole of tho nest of the Board of Trade. Jras been r-rpated in four months, the lack of final perfection is not surprisimis;. It m only by tfihe most untiring energy and-incessant -work on the oart of nil the. officials that the <v<rn.nw.tion has .been so fa* advanced.