The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-26
THE LABOR BUREAU.
It's Establishment Greatly De-
sired by the Local Unions.
AoooD DECISION FOR SAILORS.
Masters Are Liable for Advance Money
Given Before Sailing-Detroit's Nom
Union Crew-LabOr Notes.

| Senator Rutter remarked in connection
with the bill for the establishment of
bureau of labor statistics, that there was
a constitutional provision for establishing
the bureau in the Office of the secretary of
| state.
He said that at each of the previous ses-
sions of the legislature he found that this
provision caused the defeat of his bill for
the creation of the bureau; that at the
last session especially he drew his bill so
as TO simply have the office of the commits
sioner located in the secretary of states
office in hopes of getting around the con-
stitution in that way, but bill had been
| introduced in the house, at the request of
| Alien Weir, secretary of state, placing the
bureau under the control of the secretary
| of state. The result was that both bills
| were defeated. Speaking of this matter
| Saturday, President w. G. Armstrong, of
the Western Central Labor Union. said
"A labor bureau established in connec-
| ton with the office of secretary of state
would be useless. The money expended
in its effort would be wasted. These bu-
| reaus, to be of any service, must have the
| cooperation of the workingmen. Unless
| they are conducted by men who are
! known to be above political influences the
workingmen have no confidence in them
| and will not give their cooperation. Be-
sides. no one would know whether the bu-
reau had gathered facts or political clap
trap, and the reports would have no
weight. The whole tendency has been to
protect them from political influences.
All those interested in them have used
their efforts in this direction.
Unless the bureau can be established
/ H.
pointed by the governor with due regard
to his fitness for carrying on the work and
especially his freedom from all political
| alliances, it will not meet with the ap-
prevail of the organized workingmen.
But have looked up the section of the
constitution referred TO by Senator Rutter.
and l find that it does not apply to a labor
| bureau at all. 1t simply says: There
shall be established in the Office of the sec
rotary of state bureau of statistics, agri-
culture and immigration, under such regu-
lations as the legislature may provide
Now the bureau referred to in that provis-
ion is such as are established in the office
of the secretary of state in large number
of states. They are for the compilation of
general statistics relating to manufacture
ing, mining and the various industries of
and imported, the number and nationality
OF immigrants, and to encourage immigra-
ton by the sending out of information re-
garding the state. In some states these
are all separate offices conducted by clerks
working under the direction of the secre-
tary of state.
But bureau of labor statistics is quite
another institution. 1t is for the inyesti-
Of tin
ers especially, for the accumulation of
purely economic data. Its object is as
| much unlike a bureau of general statistics
| as it is possible to conceive. The only rea-
son for confounding the two is because the
members of the legislature did not clearly
understand the object of labor bureau.
If they had investigated the plan adopted
in other states they would find bureaus of
general statistics and also bureaus of labor
| statistics, the one under the direction of
the secretary of state, but the other con-
trolled by an independent commissioner
under the direction of the state legislature
| and the governor. That Is the way we
want it heresand that is the way it must
| be to be OF any use whatever"
The members of the Sailors Union are
| greatly pleased over the decision recently
| given by Judge Morrow in the United
| States district court in California, holding
| masters OF vessels liable for advance money
| given to sailors before starting on the yoy.
! age.
| This is practice that the union has
| been fighting for years, AS it enables I'M
| scrupulous boarding bosses to take advan-
| tage of the necessities of the sailors when
| they are on shore out of money and anx-
! ious TO get to sea. The boarding boss Sc
| lects the men who are hardest up and
| agrees to find vessel on which they can
| ship provided they will pay an agent a
| certain amount. varying from $40 to SIS
| apiece. The agent puts up Job with a
| captain, who takes the men, advances the
money, which is then divided between
| himself. the agent and the boarding boss.
There is United States law declaring
| that all claims against sailors for money
| advanced before starting on the voyage
void. except for the payment of bills lesit-
| imately contracted for board or clothing
while on shore. or to be given to relatives
| To get around this law the boarding
bosses simply charge the men up with
| amount of the advance for board and
| clothing. But Judge Morrow IN the case
that came before him. which was that of
the ship Eclipse. sailing from Departure
pay 10 san francisco. neIO that the yess
sci Was liable for the vi hole amount of the
money advanced to the crew, 800, and Or
dered decree entered accordingly.
| The ball given by the Linemen's Union
| IN the Armory Saturday night was not as
! successful as the members had hoped for
owing to the disagreeabeness OF the
weather. The hall was beautifully iilumi-
mated with different colored electric lights
i producing grand effect as they cast their
! commingled rays over the merry dancers.
| The committee thought 1t would more
! than pay expenses any how, as a large
number Of tickets had been sold in nd
| vance.
The next omen meeting of the Western
Central Labor Union has been postponed
until a week from Wednesday evening. as
the Legislative committee OF the labor or
carnations have meeting IN the hall
next Wednesday night for the further con
s.deCation of labor bills 10 be introduced
at the coming session OF the Legislature
The san Francisco Chronicle OF Deem
Der Il contained the following account Of
the taxing OF the non-union crew off the
bark Detroit by the members OF tie Sail
o-s' Union:
-p-Giar boat attack was made un1r thu
American bark Detroit Monday night She
was silently spproaThed by tive boats ti!Ied with
! uGiI,l sailors. many of them armed The vessel