National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-04-25

Tho United States bureau of labor, of
which some complaint is being made, on
account of the tardiness with which it gets
its foothold, is claimed to be something
new. Tho wording of the law makes its
functions much widor than those of the
eleven or twelve state bureaus that are
confined to statistics alone. This national
bureau has for its object wider field
nothing less than to collect information
regarding "the promotion of tho material,
social, intellectual, and moral prosperity
Of the working classes" 1t differs from
the state bureaus of statistics in this en-
largement Of its functional powers. 1t is
this which keeps the labor organizations
on tho qui vive lest some unseen enemy
succeed in stabbing tho big infant in tho
back, aud ending its existence in anoth or
sepulchTnl dead-letter law. They hint
that possibly strong in-fowing breeze
from their myriad camps may SGT in to.
ward Washington in such an event.
COMMISSIONER CARROLL ID. WRIGHT.
This gentleman, who is not college
man. hut who hus boon schooled in tho
hard struggle of flif@.nnd who, in tho ex-
perience of u twelve years investigation
of labor, has given much satisfaction by
his unbiased management of the Massa-
chusetts bureau of labor statistics, yes.
terday expressed his full confidence that
aif-h his plans will bo- carried out rs agreed
upon between Secretary Lamar and him.
sclf, and that in few days tho bureau
will present scene Of activity. That it
has not done so before is not, as it is
claimed, the fault Of the commissioner.
The fact that there 10 no other such ma
.A..a h0.vA .s.. .,Nz IL
be quito significant. England has q
registry Of friendly societies at London,
which gathers tho statistics Of the burial
associations and of one or two other
grades of so-called confraternities, but IL
Ia limited to statistics, nor has it any
thing to do with any Of the Or
ganizations OF resistance and self
help. There are also several sta
tistical offices in Europe for OBJ
tanning and publishing limited
routine information but these are mostly
rich mems societies, and receive no guar
antee OF funds or direction from any gov
ernment; much less do the working peo-
| plo enjoy any co-interest In them. The
organizations claim to have created this
new labor bureau, although individuals
have also given their counsels aud infiu-
enoe. They claim to have created it sine
and have anxiously oentered their hopes
there, with O studied determination TO
realize from it. Within q few years and
since the Knights of Labor assumed the
role Of absorbing and centering the trade
unions under one platform of political
principles there has been fresh impetus
Of the general organization of labor. The
above society has an established central
government stationed at Scranton. Pa,
and is funded institution. Its last act
OF yoemanry has been vigorous seed
sowing in the best plowed ground of the
south, at Richmond and Wheeling, where
the old citizens unions have combined
with the new associations under the
Knights. Many colored people are join
ing, and they look to political measures
as the quickest and most natural means
of getting q better share of what their
tolls create.
| STRENGTH OF THE ORGANIZATION.
The labor movement of Washington Is
very proud just now. A new force has
been given by its successes last year and
this in securing the passage through Con-
gress oftwo bills, the first at tho close OF
the last years session was the law creating
the labor bureau referred to-; the second,
passed last winter, securing the prohibi-
tion OF contract labor to this country, a
species Of slavery which lay at the bot.
tom Of an increasing immigration. and
had become quite thriving industry
with n certain class of labor obbers at
New York and elsewhere. The system
was stamped as . revival Of tho slave
trade in another form and had be.
come intolerably odious to the labor
organizations. They originated these
bills, fought them through Con-
| nd ratnaH 81 .sa !.
AS a consequence new hope inspires
their organizers afresh. Az mass
meeting the other night il was announced
that tho organization in Washington
figured up 10, 900 men, In round numbers,
of tho pure quality. By pure quality il
meant trade unlonistS, Knights and Fed.
erationB of Labor. OF course these arc
connected with the greater league exist
ing all over the country, aud these 10000
men exert some influence outside OF
Washington. During the strike of the
coal miners last winter In tho Hooking
Valley q sum of over $1,000 was sent
from Washington TO their relief aud the
sum total sent them from all parts Of the
country exceeded 100000.
THE BURIAL SOCIETIES.
1t lisa curious fact that Washington Il
also honeycombod with mutually proteo.
tive societies Of other kinds to an extent
unsurpassed by any city Of its population
in the country. A careful canvass re-
Gently made of tho District of Columbil
reveals tho fact that somehow the Eng,
lish system of friendly and burial So
cioties is permanently rooted here There
are twenty-five of these, whose member,
ship is mostly colored. Generally they
are attached TO some church, but moi
3 necessarily. They aro all secret, and re
oice in such names as the Chaldeans
EmanoipatiOnists, Sons Of Moses, and
other quaint appellations. They are
l muLuRllY intarnctinR AnkLnininR annh