The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-08-21


ware of all of these as wholly baDkrunt. thew
will only sink what little money they possess
in them. Let the South steer clear of the
general bankruptcy threatening the North.
A. G. B.
A BUREAU OF INDUSTRY.
The Bureau Created by the Last Ohio
Legislature.
ECincinnatl Commercial1
COLUMBUS, Aug. 13.-The Cleveland
Convention resolved that "We recon-
mend, first, that Congress establish a
National Bureau Of Industry"
The project recommended" is not
novel. 1t has been favorite for some
years with organizations formed for the
discussion OF what is known as "the la
Dor problem" Not only this, but the
project has been adopted by several
States as a part Of their local system Of
gathering and disseminating statisti-
cal information. Massachusetts and
Pennsylvania have each Bureau of
Industry" and recent report from the
Pennsylvania office is before me. It is
a heavy volume OF over a thousand
pages. consisting In great part Of statis-
tics OF various industries in kthe COM
monwealth-not so we'll digested and
not so systematically arranged as the
census reports issued by the national
government. It is also lacking in that
feature which gives the chief value to
statistics-comparison.
The labor reformers" In Ohio had a
Representative in the last Legislature in
the person of Mr.. John Fehrenbatch, of
Cleveland. Mr.. Fehrenbatch introduced
bill to create a bureau Of labor, with
headquarters in the State. House, and it
was passed and on the very last night
OF the session became a law. Mr.. Stan.
ley Matthews, the author of the resolu-
ton adopted by the Republican State
Convention, might, If he had thought of
1t, have pointed proudly to the fact''-
in the platform style Of literature-that
a Republican Legislature in this State
had listened to the cry OF labor reform
ers, and given them bureau-a con-
venient piece of furniture wherein to
file all their grievances for the paternal
eye or the State government, 80 to speak.
When the Bureau Bill passed the ap.
preparation bills were already through,
and SO no one noticed that no appropri-
alton had been made for the salary Of a
laborer in the bureau. Gov. Young
took counsel OF the friends OF the meas
ure, and sent into the Senate the ap
pointment OF Mr.. FL. J. Walls. of Gin
c1nnati. as commissioner, and the ap-
po1ntment was unanimously confirmed.
Pending the question OF advising and
consenting to the appointment, Senator
Ransom gave Mr.. Walls fiattering in
dorsement to the Senate. saying that
the latter was in no sense politician,
not always voting the same ticket, but
a student of the questions involved in
various departments Of labor, and one
who, as editor Of a journal devoted to
the discussion Of such questions, had
achieved something already in the d.
rection to which his proposed official
work pointed.
Your correspondent interviewed Mr..
Walls recently, at his office in the State
House, for the purpose of ascertainipg
what he thought OF the labor plank in
the Republican platform, and also what
progress the Ohio commissioner was
Il regard the proposed bureau in
said Mr.. Watts, mot as
some OF the papers seem to think we
look upon it-not as a means by which
The governmentsh shall take charge Of any
OF the Industries Of the country and run
them, or anything of that sort. It's value
will be to labor that Of an Indicator
Just as the weather indications are of
Value.
Glow is it to help the laborer thus?,
1T will disseminate information as to |
what places are crowded already with |
aborers in any department; it will show |
1t what centres the markets of labor are
glutted; it will tend to bring about an |
equalization of the distribution of la /
oorers, and will prevent this rush upon |
particular labor centres which causes
20 much trouble.''
'Have you collected any facts yet
hat are Of interest for publication"
I'VE have not been at work long
enough for that. A large number OF
blanks have been sent out, and we are
sending them out now for the purpose
" collecting statistics.
when you get them don't see how
1ou can expect to reach the majority of
he people. This Pennsylvania volume,
or instance-the State will hardly 20
nto the printing business to the extent
''That isn't needed. The greatest ad-
,antage will come through the circula-
ion Of facts gathered here by the pub
ic press. The facts alone are less i'm
,ortant than the comparison of facts
which an intelligent officer may en-
'ody in his reports"
AS showing the scope CT the work un-
ertaken in his Office, Mr.. Walls hand
d us copies of four circulars which he
ends out to the various centres of in
ustrial occupation. The first of these
J a general blank for employers. It
ontains thirty-four questions, covering
be name Of the firm or company, loca-
ion, article manufactured, number en-
loyed and classification of employees;
uni Der of weeks establishment was run
all time or half time; number run in
372, reduction Of wages during the year
372, etc.