All that is needed is to establish a trustworthy and disinterested centre round which the unemployed can group themselves,and which will form the nucleus of a great Co-operative Self-helping Association.The advantages of such a Bureau are obvious.But in this,also,I do not speak from theory.I have behind me the experience of seven months of labour both in England and Australia.In London we have a registration office in Upper Thames Street,where the unemployed come every morning in droves to register their names and to see whether they can obtain situations.In Australia,I see,it was stated in the House of Assembly that our Officers had been instrumental in finding situations for no less than one hundred and thirty-two "Out-of-Works"in a few days.Here,in London,we have succeeded in obtaining employment for a great number,although,of course,it is beyond our power to help all those who apply.We have sent hay-makers down to the country and there is every reason to believe that when our Organisation is better known,and in more extended operation,we shall have a great labour exchange between town and country,so that when there is scarcity in one place and congestion in another,there will be information immediately sent,so that the surplus labour can be drafted into those districts where labour is wanted.For instance,in the harvest seasons,with changeable weather,it is quite a common occurrence for the crops to be seriously damaged for want of labourers,while at the same time there will be thousands wandering about in the big towns and cities seeking work,but finding no one to hire them.Extend this system all over the world,and make it not only applicable to the transfer of workers between the towns and the provinces,but between Country and Country,and it is impossible to exaggerate the enormous advantages which would result.The officer in charge of our experimental Labour Bureau sends me the following notes as to what has already been done through the agency of the Upper Thames Street office:
SALVATION ARMY SOCIAL REFORM WING.
LABOR BUREAU.
Bureau opened June 16th,1890.The following are particulars of transactions up to September 26th,1890:--Applications for employment--Men .2462Women .208
-----2670
====
Applications from Employers for Men .128Women .59
-----187
====
Sent to Work--Men .301Women .68
----369
====
Permanent Situations .146Temporary Employment,viz:--Boardmen,Cleaners,&c.,&c .223Sent to Workshop in Hanbury Street .165====
SECTION 4.--THE HOUSEHOLD SALVAGE BRIGADE.
It is obvious that the moment you begin to find work for the unemployed labour of the community,no matter what you do by way of the registration and bringing together of those who want work and those who want workers,there will still remain a vast residuum of unemployed,and it will be the duty of those who undertake to deal with the question to devise means for securing them employment.Many things are possible when there is a directing intelligence at headquarters and discipline in the rank and file,which would be utterly impossible when everyone is left to go where he pleases,when ten men are running for one man's job,and when no one can be depended upon to be in the way at the time he is wanted.When my Scheme is carried out,there will be in every populous centre a Captain of Industry,an Officer specially charged with the regimentation of unorganised labour,who would be continually on the alert,thinking how best to utilise the waste human material in his district.It is contrary to all previous experience to suppose that the addition of so much trained intelligence will not operate beneficially in securing the disposal of a commodity which is at present a drug in the market.
Robertson,of Brighton,used frequently to remark that every truth was built up of two apparent contradictory propositions.In the same way Imay say that the solution of every social difficulty is to be found in the discovery of two corresponding difficulties.It is like the puzzle maps of children.When you are putting one together,you suddenly come upon some awkward piece that will not fit in anywhere,but you do not in disgust and despair break your piece into fragments or throw it away.On the contrary,you keep it by you,knowing that before long you will discover a number of other pieces which it will be impossible to fit in until you fix your unmanageable,unshapely piece in the centre.Now,in the work of piecing together the fragments which lie scattered around the base of our social system we must not despair because we have in the unorganised,untrained labourers that which seems hopelessly out of fit with everything around.There must be something corresponding to it which is equally useless until he can be brought to bear upon it.In other words,having got one difficulty in the case of the Out-of-Works,we must cast about to find another difficulty to pair off against it,and then out of two difficulties will arise the solution of the problem.
We shall not have far to seek before we discover in every town and in every country the corresponding element to our unemployed labourer.
We have waste labour on the one hand;we have waste commodities on the other.About waste land I shall speak in the next chapter;I am concerned now solely with waste commodities.Herein we have a means of immediately employing a large number of men under conditions which will enable us to permanently provide for many of those whose hard lot we are now considering.
