30 UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE UNITED STATES

Mr. Green. I believe that is the case, Congressman, although I
have not just at my finger’s end a report of that kind. That is my
understanding and impression.
Mr. LAGuarpia. The New York report of 1910 expressed that
point.
Senator WaeNer. Miss Perkins is here. She is the industrial
commissioner of New York and I think she will give us some interesting
 testimony on that very subject.
Mr. GreEN. Yes, Miss Perkins, I am sure will give you complete
information on that, so far as she can speak for New York.
The CrairMAN. Mr. Green, who is the author of the brief?
Mr. GreeN. The distinguished attorney of the American Federation
 of Labor, Mr. Easby-Smith of Washington. He prepared this
brief after making a very exhaustive and careful investigation of the
decisions and the points raised by my distinguished friend, Mr.
Emery, and after the address had been delivered by Senator Bingham
a few nights ago.
Mr. CeLLER. Mr. Green, did we not have Federal employment
agencies established during the war?
Mr. GREEN. Yes, sir.
Mr. CeLLeR. And that functioned adequately for the purposes of
the emergency, did it not?
Mr. Green. Very well. It functioned very well.
Mr. CeLLER. Do you, as president of the American Federation of
Labor, find in your studies that the present employment agencies
of the States are adequate for the purpose of coping with the present
unemployment situation?
Mr. Green: Totally inadequate, and particularly the private
employment agencies. Workers are compelled to turn to these private
employment agencies and you know what the situation is there.
They are compelled to pay a fee and they all of them deal with local
situations rather than with the national situation. There is no
cooperation,
Mr. CeLLER. Do you think it fair to compel the man out of employment
 to pay a fee to get a job?
Mr. Green. [ think it is an injustice.
Mr. CerLEr. Do you think a Federal employment agency might
remedy that situation?
Mr. Green. Wonderfully.
Mr. CeLLER. There are a number of countries that prohibit the
charging of fees for the purpose of getting jobs for unemploved: is
that correct?
Mr. GREEN. Yes, sir.
Mr. CeLLER. 1 believe that is true of five Provinces in Canada and
seven European countries.
Mr. Green. I could not give you the number, but I do know that
that statement is correct; that it is prohibited by statute in certain
laces.
P Mr. Cerrer. Do you find also, Mr. Green, that much unemployment
 is due to so-called technological displacement of men as a result
of labor-saving devices?
Mr. GREEN. A very great deal of it. In fact, when conditions are
normal, more than 9 per cent of all the working people of the country
are unemployed, and much of that is due to technological unemployment.