The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-22
THE LABOR BUREAU.
Arrival of a Special Agent in
Seattle.
THE SCOPE or HIS INQUIRIES.
Work Already Accomplished By the De-
partment in Washington-How
Statistics Are Obtained.

Lucier Il Smith. speeial sgen, of the United
States department OF Labor. in Washington
City arrived III Ibs city ysste7dayfor the purpose
OF gathering information upon The various sub
!ects on which the department. Is now pursuing
81 investigation Mr.. Smith came here fron
Portland. where he has Just completed his in
qairies- He nEs been assigned 20 tie states o.
" darlington and Oregon. coaaltng himself TO
the larger cities, AID, when ,arocgh with these
states, wII take II Helena, Mont, on his way
/, East
The department OF labor" said Mr.. Smith
last night. is one which few people give the
same consideration 10 that they 90 the other de-
ps2rtmeots OF the government: AMI vet y may
safely Re said that tais department has, in the
snort time since its organization, collected and
Compiled mass Of information IL Importance
secondary 30 but few IL any OF the other depart
IlenIs o. the national government Tae anDua!
reports o! the department aud OF the kindred
bureaus established il nunber OF states, are
sought after b Students OF economic questions
the world over, and are being m41e the bssis OF
practical ideas II the science of government
ana wise leg station On matters pertaining 10
TIE Interests OF The working classes, rather than
the impractical theories of cranks and dreaulers
This department was established b. an act Of
congress ia l.c4 as bureau Of the department
OF the interior. aud Carroll i. Wright, taen
chief OF the Massachusetts bureau OF labor was
appointed as its head. with the title u labor
commissioner. Mr. Wright held the position
for several years while at the same time ne con-
Inued 20 I'll the position Of chief OF the MssSa-
ehUsetts labor bureau. IN ISIS the national
bureau was made department Of me govern
Inent, and Mr. Wright resigned his position IS
Chief OF the Massach QseLts bureau to devote MS
whole time TO the new department
The department. IS designed, IN the language
OF the set by which it was established, 10 ssc-
-- . a
United states useful information on subjects
connected with labor, il the mos, general sud
comprehensive sense Of the word and especially
Up0a It's relation 10 capital, the hours OF labor,
the earnings Of lsbo-ing men aud women. and
the means Of promoting their material, social.
intellectual and mo-al prosperity
another section OF the act 50 provides that
the commissioner shall ascertain tie cost Of pro-
duciug articles dutiab in the United states. IN
the leading counties where such articles
produced. including the wages paid in such in
oustries, hours employed, profits CT the pro
oucers, and the comparative cost OF living and
kind OF living. II is also his duty 10 report On
the effects OF the customs laws and the state OF
the currency upon agricultural industries,
especially as to its effect on mortgage indebted
ness Of farmers; what articles are controlled by
trusts or other combinations OF capital, bust
ness CON binatiOn or laD0r aud Sha. effect these
combinations have on production and prices.
- 10 report 10 cUuSTtss aHulaisf
the results Of the WORK Of MS department, and
is also authorized TO make special reports when
ever called UPON to do so. To carry out the Oh
jccts for which the department was created an
Office force OF about fifty clerks and a score OF
special agents are constantly employed, besides
half dozen expert agents at times
Since the department YVES first established as
a simple bureau che Investigations have ex-
tended over large number OF subjects and
each has been treated very fully and the reports
contain, IN addition to the statistical informa-
ton gathered by the agents, many valuable de-
ductions and suggestions from Mr.. Wright,
based on the facts therein presented tine
hrst report was on the Causes of Industrial De-
pressions, and has been widely quoted by
students OF political economy all through the
country. IL was exhaustive work carefully
prepared and is considered one OF the most val
liable statistical reports that has ever been pro-
duced in the country. The next report vas on
strikes and Lockouts,' showing their causes,
length of duration, effect on capital and labor,
losses to employer and emplove, etc. Then fol-
lowed respectively investigations and reports
on Prison Labo.,' 'Womens Work and Wages in
Large cities Marriages and Divorces. Wages
OF Railway Employees and Cost OF DutiabIe
Articles; the last subject including lion and
steel, cotton and wooden goods and glass, as the
principal commodities within the range OF the
inquiry"
The present investigation is in regard 10 the
prices 10 the consumer OF the leading commod-
itics in common use, together with the wages in
the leading occupations. The inquiry on this
| line Of investigation has jus; been commenced.
Regarding the details Of the work, Mr.. smith
last night gave the following Information TO
! PosT-lNTELLIGESCER reporter: 1--WE have nine
dife-ent blanks which We Use IL gathering the
require information. One blank ipcludes sixty
seven articles Of food with spaces for the prices
on the FIST day OF each month from June !, 1859,
to septembe: -, 1871 Another Is for sixty-six
articles OF clothes and clothing IN like manner
Cor the same period Another for six fuel and
| light commodities. fourth for thirty-four
metals aud implements. 4 fifth for fourteen
Classes OF lumber Gad Building materials 4
sixth FOR seven drugs AMI chemicals. A seventh
takes III iweuty-seyen articles Of household ard
furnishing goods And the other two are Tor the
rates OF daily wages the first day OF each
month for the same period for fifteen leading
industrial occupations. viz; bakers, black
smiths, brick,ayeTs. cabjnet-makeTs, carpenters,
common iaborers, farm iaborers, maciirists,
stone masons, iron moulders. painters, plumb
ers, stonecutters, tailo.s and tiusmiths The in
vestiSation was ordered by the Senate finance
committee, which i also the tariff COMMITTEES,
and those blanks were arranged by that COM
mittce, or rather the genera outline OF the mode
OF inquiry was laid down By IT,.
With regard 10 the importance of the present
investigation. Mr. Smith said
From statistical point OF view as well as
/ furnishing basis upon which eau be fornul-
ated important theories with relation 20 the con-
ditions Of living of the ab0rng classes this in
vestigstion should prove highly interesting.
After completing the presen: i:Ivcstig ation the
! department vii take up the subject OF indus
Trial education as system and viii compile an
exhaustive statistical report covering all the
/ schools throughout the country where labor OF
any Kind IS systematically taught
M. smith has been in the department as
aaF No. ~tr-ss .
credit OF being one OF Is most reliable mem bers
lie hsd considerable experience n the WORK
previous u his entering the department. having
been employed IN the United states census
bureau during the enumeration OF I>70 ana sub
se4ucHtlv a. az enumerator iii taking the state
census OF the state OF Minnesota in $50 He
spent several years teaching school IN Mime
sofa just previous 70 accepting his present posi-
tion. on the whole ne Is we'll adapted 10 the
work in which he i engaged.
The New Shaft at Roslyn.
RcsLTN, Aug. 0--iSpecigl From present