The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-19
THELABOR COMMISSIONER
Mr.. Fitzgerald Expects to In
spect the Factories of
the State.
APPOINTS A SPECIAL AGENT.
His Crusade In Behalf of EMPLOYEES
Is to Be Commenced at
Once.

What has been practically dead-letter
upon the statute-books since its enactment
as a law by the Legislature six years ago
is to be taken up by the new labor com
missioner, E. l.. Fitzgerald, and put into
enforcement, if possible, as his very first
step toward demonstrating that his office
has WORK to do. The law is known in the
Statutes of 1882 as "An act to provide
for the proper sanitation of factories and
workshops and the preservation of health
of the employed" approved February 6,
1889. So far as Mr.. Fitzgerald has been
able to ascertain, no attempt has ever been
made to put the law to test. The excuses
for not doing so have been various. among
them having been doubt in the mind of
his predecessors as to its constitutionality.
'There is only one way to determine it's
constitutionality, says Mr.. Fitzgerald,
land that is to enforce It," Accordingly,
he proposes to begin an inspection of fac
tories and workshops at once, and the cru
SADIE against poorly equipped establish
ments is to be commenced to-day.
To assist him in making a most thor
ough investigation he has appointed as a
special agent NJ. A. Roberts, who is secre-
tary of the Federated Trades of Oakland
and represents as delegate the American
Railway Union in that body. The work
of inspection will fall largely upon Mf.
Roberts, but regular deputy of the
Labor Bureau will accompany him in the
person of Il. NJ. Green, an Oakland ma
chinist
His appointment as deputy was the
first thing Mr.. Fitzgerald did upon taking
possession of his office.
Speaking of his plans yesterday Com
e.
tory or workshop is reported to me as
being in dangerous or unhealthy condi-
ton | propose to make a personal exam
nation; and if / find the report substan-
tiated l will make such suggestions as l
think will remedy the evils com planned of.
| will give plenty of time for the remedies
suggested to be applied, for don't intend
to work hardship upon anybody; but I
am going to enforce the law.
"Ihere has been general complaint for
some time that employees are not properly
accommodated with necessary sanitary
conveniences in this city, and particularly
in the cases of females. | am told that it
is not an uncommon thing for them to be
required to perform hard work, without
being properly supplied with seats. And
again, I am told some places are very
poorly ventilated, and there are certain
accommodations which common human
ity would require to be provided that are
either inadequate, unfit for use, or i'm
properly located or arranged.
Now, in this matter | am DESTROYS of
receiving suggestions from the public and
the press. | don't come into this office
thinking that know everything, and 1
things | intend to do, however, which
have been left undone, and I suppose thst
is what | am drawing salary for.
Another thing | shall give out in
formation to the public through the press
from time to time. | don't believe in wait
ing two years and then putting all the ac-
crued information in tabulated form be-
fore the public in the shape of a book
which man would not read unless he was
paid to do so. l don't mean to say that
this office will not make its customary re-
port and recommendations; what mean
is that the public shall receive the in
formation to which it is entitled to as
master without having to wait two years or
more.
During the summer / expect to make q
few trips through the State to gather in
formation relating TO agricultural labor,
and think the results will prove interest
ing to the public.
MY first work, though, shall be the in
spection of factories and workshops. EN-
ployes are entitled to humanitarian con-
sideration. especially in matters of santa
ton; in fact, that much is due to society
in the way of health precaution, and it is
because / feel prompted by these motives
that shall make complete examination.
Mr.. Roberts is good man and has made
as many sacrifices for labor as any other
man. Mr.. Green is very intelligent man
and / think they will prove an effective
team, fair and impartial, but energetic in
the performance of their duties"
No appropriation was made by the last
Legislature for the support of Commits
sioner FitZgerald's Office but that does
not bother him, he says. He will fall back
upon the statute known as the empower
ing act, approved February 8, 1889. Sec
ton 10 of that law provides that the Labor
Commissioner is to receive a salary of
$4,000 year, the salary of his deputy to be
$500, and the Office to be supported by q
sum mot exceeding $4500'' for the travel
ing' and "other contingent expenses of
the bureau" Mr.. Fitzgerald will stand
on that.
He has not appointed his principal dep
uty. From certain sources it is ascertained
that there are number of aspirants for
that position. Among them are Alex
McCabe, brother of E. McCabe, Governor
Budd's private secretary, and Cleveland
Dam of Oakland, who was formerly Sec
rotary of the Board of Public Works in
that city. Ex-senator Goucher of Fresno
billet might be secured by Mr.. McCabe.
Incidentally Mr.. Fitzgerald will gather
statistics on child labor. He expects to
attempt thorough investigation of the
employment agency business. Free en-
ployment bureaus will be favored by Mr..
Fitzgerald. During the last legislative
session he attempted to get through bill
providing for them. From Commissioner
Powers report of the Labor Bureau of
Minnesota for 1882 he recalls a statement
made by Labor Commissioner Willard G.
Hall of Missouri. In that statement Mr..
Hall shows that labor in Ohio was
robbed annually of 100000 by these en-
ployment agencies. One institution of
Columbus made money so fast that the
agent was frightened out of town by the
immense profits he derived from his fraud
ulent descriptive advertising. He was
afraid the wrath of the victims he had de-
ceived and swindled would fall upon him
if he remained.