The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-25
Inspectors and the Duties with Which They
Are Charged-An Effort May Be Made to
Introduce the System in America.
Possibility of Government Aid in Ex-
tending Our Foreign Commerce.
Successful Cultivation of the CinchOna Tree
in Guatemala-The Depressed Condition
of the Silk Industry in France.
LABOR IN GERMANY.
Government Inspectors and the Duties They
Are Charged With.
Npecial to tue nd liz

Government Inspectors and the Duties They
Are Charged With.
Special to- the indianapolis Journay.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24-Some statesmen from
large manufacturing centers, who are studying the
labor problem, have been examining the laws of
Europe bearing upon that subject. Especial at
tention has been directed to Germany. The
German empire has law governing the employ
ment of workmen in factories which contains a
provision for factory inspectors appointed by
the government, whose duty it is to devote
themselves to the inspection of the factories of
the empire, and the amelioration of the condi-
tions under which it's working classes labor.
They are rather government superintendent,
and while they have no direction over the en-
ployes, they see that certain laws intended for
the latter are carried out and they make annual
reports to the government at Berlin upon the re-
suit of their observations. 1t is thought by some
that it would be good idea to introduce the in.
spection system into this country and it is likely
that an effort will be made in Congress this WIN
ter to bring it about These inspectors are ex-
pected to know the manner in which the facto-
ries are conducted, tie number of persons en-
ployed in them the state of industry in general,
the economic condition of the working classes,
and the activity of the police officials in perform
ing their duty in respect to factories; to give
especial attention to youthful laborers, and the
conditions under which they work, and the en-
ploymont of women in factories; to report the
number of accidents and their character; to make
q statement, far as possible of all cases of ill
ness occurring among factory operatives from in
fuences unfavorable to life; to set forth how the
working men are nourished at home and in the
factory; the prices of the necessares of life the
wages received; the character of the habitations
in which the workingmen and their families
dwell, aud, in fact, to treat of every subject
which can interest or affect the working men. !
1t would appear that 'all these duties would
come within the purview of the board of statis-
tics, recently created under our laws, but they
do not. fully, and it is probable that the duties
of the Commissioner of Statistics will be
enlarged, and that he will be given
greater scope. In Germany, however, there is
greater necessity for government supervision of
factory laborers than in this country. There the
employees never work less than ten hours day.
and very frequently fourteen hours There
wages for mechanics and laborers are lower than
in this country, and it is hardly fair to import
rules and regulations to govern American indus
tries, especially from a country like Germany,
which pays its laborers only about $3 25 week
and it's women but 81. 40 week. on the average
German mechanics seldom receive over 81. so
per week.
There is one feature, however, of the provisions
made for employees in factories in Germany which
might be emuated in this country, and that is
the furnishing by the factory owners of tenement
houses for their employees. 1t is ascertained that
with all tie factories in Germany, there are more
or less dwelling houses, with gardens for the
operatives, and other comforts and conveniences
not found in this country