CURIOUS ADVERTISEMENTS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 68, 3 November 1911, Page 2

CURIOUS ADVERTISEMENTS.

The publication in its columns of an advertisement calling for an “ex-army bandsman, able to play oboe, and to work in a factory’' prompted the “Daily Express” to make some inquiries from Labour agencies in London concerning the many extraordinary requirements of employers. A representative of the newspaper was able to discover that the ex-army bandsman hail been secured, but the .uncials of the agency which found the suitable man considered that they hau satisfied far more curious requests. V few week's before they had advertised for a two headed lady and had forwarded the successful applicant to a .ravelling circus in Scotland. Another agency reported that it had advertised for “a carter to live in Wales, arm-swearer preferred,” and had secured a carter whoso qualifications exactly met the employer’s requirements. One of the labour exchanges was saddled not long ago with the task of liuding a “man to slaughter horses; must he fond of birds.’” Even tins; strange combination ol ferocity and fondness was procurable. A remarkable coincidence occnred recently in a London I ihour exchange. A starving man walked into the office and begged for employment of any kind. Ho said that he had seen hotter days in America where he had earned good wages by working a new and extremely complicated drilling machine whim was used by mining engineers. While he was telling his story a telephone message was received from a North of England linn, which asked if the labour exchange could find a man who understood the

very machine about which the stranger was speaking. The firm had searched in vain for a suitable man and contemplated sending to America for one. On hearing that the exchange could provide an experienced man at once the linn offered him a retaining fee of ten shillings a day until lie could reach the mine and a salary of £o per week. This case was quite out of the ordinary* but the exchanges seldom fail to meet the demands made upon them. Strangely enough their assistance is evoked sometimes by the authorities in securing policemen and one London agency boasts that it once satisfied an application for a curate.