Omaha daily bee., 1889-01-20
EMBROIDERY
LABOR STATISTICS.
First Biennial Report of Commits
siOner Jenkins of the State Bureau.

First Biennial Report of Commits.
sionerJ Jenkins of the State Bureau.
The first biennial report of the bureau OF
labor and industrial statistics made its ap-
pearance, and was presented to the governor
very recently. The report, which comprises
210 pages of closely set type, is one OF a most
interesting nature, not alone to employers,
| but to persons who earn their living
by the sweat of their brows. The
law establishing the bureau was passed
in July 1887, consequently the present report
embraces the statistics. of the past eighteen
months. The statements and figures pre-
! sented in the report are complied with great
care. They will be read with satisfac-
J ton to those interested in labor
With the object of obtaining accurate data
relative to labor and its products several
blanks with pertinent questions relative to
the subject were distributed broadcast among
employers and employees. Farmers, engi-
neers, railroaders, mechanics and contractors
were alike furnished with these blanks.
The first chapter deals with THE Rise and
Progress of the Bureau of Labor Statistics"
This chapter deals with the growth and aims
of labor statistics, and epitomizes the senti-
ments of Hon. G. ID. Wright as expressed in
an address to the American Social Science
association September, 1888, and deals ex-
clusIvely with the establishment of sta
tistical bureaus of labor. The first of these
was established in Boston in 1869, and the
most recent Ill NeDTaSka III 1891, OF WHICH tne
present is the first report.
The second chapter deals with labor orga-
nizations, their duties and benefits, and
quotes remarks made by eminent men of the
present and preceding age about them. The
first is by MIR. w. T.. Gladstone, who in
speaking of labor organizations, says: Bear
in mind the full and absolute right of all
individuals, employers and workmen alike to
bring to market the commodity they have to
dispose of whether it be labor or
rapiful in the best terms in
their power as long and only as long as they
exercise their own rights without prejudice
to the rights of others. This is followed by
other quotations from men of equal emf
hence.
Labor organizations were also questioned
on the establ shment and workings of
labor institutions for the protection
of different classes of employees
and among those who answered was the
Painters union, which says, Arbitration,
if possible. Strikes only as a last resort"
"We believe in arbitration as the best
means. "-Stone-cutters
Arbitration first and strikes as "a last and
only hope Gas Filters.
"Arbitration Is the only correct way of
settling difficulties. "-knlghts of Labor.
The next chapter, which is a long one,
deals with strikes and states that ut no time
in the history of Nebraska have labor organ
iZations received such an impetus as in 1856.
This may be accounted for by the railroad
strikes which occurred here in 1884. After
tntS agitation WOrKlnSnen saw thelf weak
ness, saw the enormous power and money
with which they had 10 contend, saw
that they were battling with a power which,
if allowed its way, would become more dcs-
potic than a Nero or a Napoleon. and as a
consequence, labor organizations, which pre-
vious to this time were unknown, or perhaps
IN their infancy, began to grow. Men who
had formerly been lethargic and careless,
seeing the almost o~mnipotent forces they
had to contend with, sought those who
who would lead them out of what evidently
appeared to be leading them into serfdom,
worse than that of slaves. Meetings were
organized and unions formed, and where in
1884 one organization existed now ten -four
ish. Every possible trade and employment
awoke TO the situation, and at the pres
ent day it 10 dificult TO find one
system of employment of any description
wherein a few hundred are engaged without
some kind Of organization or friendly society
whose object is the protection of Its mem.
bers.
This chapter also deals with the strikes
that have taken place in Omaha. IL speaks
at length on the b~ricklayers' strike of
last summer and gives the reasons of the diff
feulty, as it also does of the engineers
strike ON the IL. x M. railroad, which has Just
terminated. The question of arbitration IS
spoken of at length and among the remarks
may be noticed those of Governor Thayer in
his inaugural address in 1881, showing that
the governor has made a study Of