The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-28
COOPERATION DESIRED.
A Proposition to Hold a State
Commissioners ConVen-
ton.
A Plan by Which Unnecessary
Labor and Much State Money
Will Be Saved.

E. L. Fitzgerald, the new Labor Com
missioner, will go to Sacramento to-day
and present to Governor Budd propo-
sition which, if acted upon, will compel
every State commissioner to do his work
in more economical way. In his investi-
cation of labor matters, both in the City
and the counties, the new Labor Commits
sioner and his deputies have found that in
order to gather together statistics they
have been obliged to go over ground that
should be covered by other commissions.
His proposition is that the heads OF every
bureau and State commission shall hold a
convention, and, under the direction of the
Governor, form supervising board. This
board shall discuss all industrial and sta
tistical matters, and assign to each the
lines on which the work contemplated by
the law shall be performed. This will do
away with several State officers laboring in
the same field, 1t will further save the
State thousands of dollars for printing the
reports of the many commissions where
their work has been duplicated. 1t will
also make it necessary for every commits
sioner to work for his salary instead of
ldling away month after month and max
ing no returns for the funds expended.
Il
ernor, which will be presented to-day, he
indirectly pours some hot shot into the
camps OF other State commissioners who
have neglected to perform the duties of
their respective offices. In his letter he
says:
Hon. James II. Budd, Sacramento. Cal-DEAR
SIR: Investigation OF factories, workshops, etc,
has led to my discovering violations of statu-
tory and municipal laws, which, while they
may come within the purview of laws pre-
scribing the duties of the Labor Commissioner,
also encroach upon the rights of other
commissions and bodies; hence. it leads me to
present the following for your consideration:
Owing to the number of different commits
sions at present organized and existing under
the statutes and the lax manner in which the
work required of the various commissions is
set forth and prescribed by the said statutes it
is difficult to draw the lines as between the
work required OF one commission and that re-
quired OF another. AS all commissions are re-
CURED TO furnish statistical reports-the work
must necessarily be conflicting, contradictory,
overlapping and duplicated, involving an extra
expense upon the State for printing in tabu-
lated and other forms the result of years
work taken OF haphaZard and not confined to
the absolute territory of the commission which
should handle particular subject and furnish
to other commissions the data which might be
required and more properly belong to them
1t might be well to cite an instance of this
superhuous work:
The Bureau of Labor Statistics in presenting
its report will, for instance, make q tabulated
sta tement showing the acreage of counties de-
voted to fruit-raising (vork properly belonging
to the Horticultural Commission), a table
showing the production of gold (Mining Bu-
reau), statement of children who do not work
In factories and who do not attend school led
ucational), accidents, ETC., occurring to factory
hands INSURANCE., mortgage, foreclosure de-
questions which are directly in the line of
work of the Commissioner of Labor, and whose
province 1t may be to handle such data, but
who could be materially assisted should the
different tat oh ho
matter under consideration and confine each
department to its particular territory.
II will be seen At once that an immense saw
ing to the State can be made should these mat
tiers be taken up and apportioned where they
belong.
;, Now, how to overcome this dificulty7 The
Executive could issue call to oil chiefs of
bureaus and Organize q Board of Supervisors
OF Statistics to meet monthly who should have
general supervision of the collection of statis-
tics. Any department contemplating an in
yestigation of any particular subject should
first report the same to the board, which
would then determine to what department the
to the board of the completed work it should
be simplified and abridged and any matters
germane to the work of some other depart
m m should be given over to the department
vent duplication of the work, make the data
more comprehensive and tend to make q com
pete st statistical report which in itself would
by the Board of Commissioners win
lead to research and the obtaining of informa-
ton from sources which are not at present
deemed Of sufhcient importance to warrant in
vestfgation and are consequently lost; or. in
other words, the practical application of the
saying, What is everybody's business is no.
body's business" And last, but not least. with
the Governor of the State as ex-officio Chairman
OF the board he viii be familiar with all work
done by the various commissions, as to the
amount and quality of same, thereby insurins
to the people of the State proper administra
,lon OF the departments maintained by them
In complete and economic manner Respect
fully submitted, E. L. FIT1eEnAIn
Commissioner Bureau Labor Statistics
Since Mr.. Fitzgerald has been making
his investigations he has found that he has
practically had the field to himself. In
many places he has been Obliged to do
work that should have been attended to by
the health officers, police and school Off
Gals. He states that if the Horticulture.
Nltlculture, Railroad, Bank, Insurance.
Building and Loan, Good Roads, Code
Debris, Mining, Public Works and other
commissioners will join forces and appor-
ton out their work where the lines are not
well defined by law, it will be much easier
TO all. 1t will also compel those who are
inclined to shirk their duties to perform
their share or have their negligence called
directly to the attention of the Governor.
The Governor has already expressed his
dissatisfaction with the work. or rather the
negligence of certain commissioners and
the proposed convention and suggestions
are right in his line of thought.
THE Royal Baking Powder is a cream
OF tartar powder OF high degree of merit.