The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-06
NATIONAL LABOR BUREAU.
An Investigation Into the Character and
Causes of Industrial Depressiens.

| BosToN, June SIN an interview, Labor Com
missioner Wright explained the scope Of the
| investigation which the agents of the National
| Labor Bureau have been sent out to make in
this country and in Europe. The information
! sought, he said does not exist in any report
made under State or national government
II have no theories to substantiaten he contin-
tinued. ION the contrary, have marked oct a
wide investigation, as expressed in the plan
| approved by the Secretary of the Interior, in-
volving the question of industrial depressions,
| their character, their alleged causes, whether
they are contemporaneous in the great pro-
ducing countries of the world, and whether as
to duration, severity and periodicity, they are
alike in such countries This question involves
more detail than might be indicated by this
general statement My object is, in general
way, to classify alleged causes and ascertain
the actual facts in regard to the other points just
| named [ wish, further. to learn, If possible
the collateral causes and influences which affect
Industrial depressions, and the collateral results
which grow out of them. In order to accom-
plish this, among other instructions, / have
gwen the following specific directions to the
speclai agents of the bureau now at work in the
held, both in this country and in Europe:
Ascertain the effect in all directions of the
",
IT any such is or has been employed in any in
dustry IN your territory. These influences, you
will find, extend in four directions First upon
the labor employed before the employ of
the imported contract labor; second upon the
imported contract labor itself; third, upon the
consumers of the goods or material produced by
such imported labor; fourth upon the employ
ers of the contract labor. That is to say, you
are desired to learn whether the employment of
imported contract labor has reduced the wages
OF the old labor, and what other influences it has
mad upon them; whether imported labor is paid
less wages than the old, and whether the con-
dltlon OF the imported laborer has improved from
what 1T was when such laborer was imported;
whether the price of goods or material produced
oy the imported labor has been reduced to the
consumers and finally, whether the employer
OF such imported labor has increased or decreased
bis profits thereby. Ascertain in what industries
and to what extent foreign capital is employed in
developing the industries of your locality.
Ascertain the labor cost of the product of
each of the leading industries in your territory,
say to the extent of ten or twelve such indus
tries
Ascertain, if possible, in the leading indus
tries and. exactly as circumstances and facts
Will admit, the apparent displacement of mus
cular labor through the use of machinery; that
is, learn the number of men it would take, work
ing under hard processes, to manufacture given
quantity Of goods now produced with the aid of
mechanical power.
"Get the average cost of clothing for adults,
Lldie ana Ielndle, ana lOr cnllQren, per annum,
also the average quantity of fuel manning the
kind for family per annum
Ascertain the actual ration per day, per
week. or for any unit of time of workingmans
family; that is to say, the exact quantity and
cost of each article of food consumption for
given number of persons specifying adults and
children.
Give the facts as you may find them through
examination of local history or from your con-
situations with business men, or from your own
knOwieHOp of ma 6IIra md
ity of each of the industrial depressons within
the last fifty years; also, state in chronological
order when they occurred, the conditions which
preceded them, and what were the first symp-
toms of their appearance and the first signs cf
their disappearance; and state, also, far as
you can, the effect on savings banks, as to the
amount and number of new deposits and the
number of depositors You should bear IN mind
the difference between financial and industrial
depressions. They may GO together, or one may
precede the other, but in what you have to say
under this item give the facts as you find them.
Ii the parties you consult for information and
suggestions give you any points as to how de-
pressiens may be remedied or avoided bear them
In mind and report them to this Office. Also,
learn, If you can, at what stage of the progress
of the depression strikes are most likely to oc-
cur; that is, whether they are more frequent
when depression is first felt in an expected
decrease of wages or when the depression is
passing away. or whether they occur at both
these points, or at other points. State whether
skilled labor, such as machinsts, watch makers
and the higher grades of mechanical labor are
supplied from home or foreign recruits.
You will see from the foregoing Instructions
said Commissioner Wright, that the United
States Bureau of Labor is covering field of in
vestigation which has not yet been covered. The
different bureaus of the United States have not
covered any such field, nor can they. They can
| cooperate to a large extent, and most effectively
with the United States bureau in furnishing in
formation for different localities, but with the
$50 tpI ,@1A knxa
harmonious plan ard uniformly, we gather dis
tinctly the information from wide field. The
results of such an investigation must be of great
value, for they will demonstrate some truths
which have not yet been grasped in the discus
sions proposed commercial legislation, and
they will explode some bubbles and disclose
many fallacies which have become incorporated
in such discussion That these results will have
an important bearing on the tariff question must
be evident but such bearing does not belong to
the work of the bureau The collection, CLASH
fieation and report of the facts is its peculiar
province"