The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-01-30
A LABOR DEPARrMENT.---III.

Ihls y our y . aTticIe On this sgbjest.
very great imfoI noe We attse1 Z it,
be our excuse for keeping il before
our readers.
81 COR last article We referred 70 the La
Dor Def ortment established By the Prussian
government; LIST, because we desired to
show that it was not a theory of ours which
we we're trying 10 make look well on pa
per, but which had nothing in it %, be-
cause We thought 81 atement Of the prac-
tical workings aui objects of such depart
ment 10 another country, would be the
strongest arg1msnt we could offer in favor
0f its adoption in our own country. We
though. that i. a dssp)tic government "a
so mindful Of ii. working people, our own
republic might seil profit by the example.
Thus far, thg Piussian Labor Department
bas bad bat one thing ia view-the protec-
ton and encouragement Of co opera ion, in
every form 5y which it can be applied to all
industrial pursuits, whether Of production
OF distribution. The design, however, is to
place under is care everything connected
with workingmen and woIkingn ems socie-
ties.
In England they have labor Depart
ment also, though Of a different sind, and
not 20 perfect The government appoints a
commissioner, OF special agent, to whom all
laws, rules regulations Of cooperative as
sociations must be referred for approval,
and made ID conform 10 certain established
rules, aud to whom every association is re-
quired tu report al stated eriods. The in
tention 81 the law, il that be shall have a
general supervision and care over all such
associations.
Our proposition is That there be a Labor
Department established at " ashiagton, and
thar it be similar to the Prussian depart
ment. The bead Of that department, who n we
viii cali the secretary OF labor, should be
required 10 enforce strict compliance, by
al cooperative associations, to general
laws, made for their management. He
should be required 70 keep . req try Of,
and graft licences to all such associations,
and wheneye- the necessary evidence wac
filed n bis bands, that zen per cent. Of the
capital stock Of any such association was
paid in cash, he should loan to it's proper
officers, sum equal to one-fourib the
amount Of cash capital, nd like amount
for every succeeding ten per ceut. Of the
capital stock paid ia eusb, providing, of
course, that such loans were desired, For
every loan thus made be should take mort
gage bearing two per cent. upon the prop
erty Of the association, said mortgage to be
q preferred claim, TO be collected ahead of
all others These privileges should extend
to all organizations of woIklngmen, or
women, having for their object production
or distribution.
This department should also be required
10 colltcl and keep record Of the wages
paid 70 al kinds Of aboIers, at all kinds Of
lsbor--skilied and unskilled-the number Of
hours worked in the various departments Of
labor the prices Of the ntet ssarles Of life,
Including rent, fuel, clothing, &c. /; the per
centage Of wealth produced to the wages
paid, and The profits realized in each depart
ment Of labor the nLnbtr Of farms in the
country, and the number ot acres 10 each
farmed, add the average production per acre,
measured by dollars, and all other things
n, cesssry 10 make up complete record Of
the industry OF the country. This would
prevent such terrible mistakes as nave been
made by Commissioners Wells, whose recent
report is reliable in scarcely single partic-
ulAr.