UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE UNITED STATES 33 
Mr. Green. The Senator will explain that feature of the matter, 
although it is my impression that the State administers these employ- 
ment agencies altogether and their work is supplemented by the 
creation of these advisory boards who serve without compensation, 
to assist and help in dealing with the problems of unemployment. 
. Mr. CeLuar. May I continue with my line of questioning? I was 
interrupted. 
Mr. SumnEers. I beg your pardon for interrupting you, Mr. Cellar. 
Mr. Cerrar. Mr. Green, in your studies of this question, do you find 
that the State discriminate against the middle-aged and the old peo- 
ple in their applications for jobs? 
Mr. Green. In the private employment agencies, ves. 
Mr. Cerrar. I mean the private employment agencies. 
Mr. Green. Yes; and that is all there is now, practically. There 
are very few State employment agencies functioning. 
Mr. CeLLar. And that is, of course, a discrimination that aggra- 
vates this unemployment problem? 
Mr. Green. Exactly. That aggravates the unemployment situae 
tion, because in the private employment agencies those in charge 
seek to secure men for their clients who want men who are young and 
strong and able. The middle-aged, 40 or 45 years of age, are discrimi- 
nated against. It is impossible during a period of unemployment— 
almost mmpossible—for the middle-aged man to find employment. 
Mr. CerLer. Do you feel that such a Federal bureau could also 
ald and encourage vocational training among adults? 
Mr. Green. Yes. That will be in my judgment a fine instru- 
mentality through which the principle of vocational education can 
be emphasized and the work of vocational boards carried on. 
Mr. CerLrLer. That would in o way also meet the difficulties arising 
from the displacement of labor as” a result of the introduction of 
labor-saving devices? 
Mr. Green. That is the point that I emphasized just a moment 
8gO. 
SM. CeLLER. I just wanted to clinch it. 
Mr. GrEEN. Yes, sir. 
Mr. Cerier. We had—I do not know what committee it was, 
but there was a so-called Nolan bill sponsored by the American 
Federation of Labor in 1919. Do you know what became of that bill? 
Mr. Green. That was a minimum wage bill, was it not? 
Mr. CeLLer. No; that was a bill for the establishment of a Federal 
employment agency of the type that is embodied in this Wagner bill, 
Mr. Green. I am unable to say what became of it, but it has never 
appeared on the surface. 
Mr. CerLLer. How many unemployed are there in this country, 
approximately. 
Mr. Green. I have got the figures here. Our reports show that 
there are 3,609,000 wage earners out of employment. That is for the 
month of May. When I appeared before the Senate committee in 
support of these bills, our statistical department reported that there 
were 3,700,000 out of employment. 
Mr. CeLrer. That was in February. 
Mr. Green. That was in February, I think. 
Mr. CeLLER. So that there has not been any improvement since 
February?