The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-02
q" ARE DIVIDED AS TO DE-
DUCTIONs.
TESTIMONY IS FINISHED,
AND, THE CoMmITTEE DECIDED
NOT TO HEAR THE ATT0R-
NEYs, ARGUE. /
HELD AN EXECUTIVE SESSION,
But Could Not Get Together as to
What They Desired to
Report.

The taking Of testimony in the labor
bureau investigation closed last night,
and, after a short executive session, it
was apparent that while the commit
tee was practically agreed as to the
facts developed, 1t was not as unani-
nous In its deductions from those facts,
and the decision Of the committee was
to meet again at the call Of the chair
man to prepare a report.
There seems little doubt that the re-
port will sustain the chair that the
bureau has gone out Of its propec
sphere not only as designed by the
legislature which created 1T, but as
the custom of the former commission
ers OF the department guided It,
AS to the charge thai the 'Purchas-
ing Power of Gold" was a political
document, and designed so to be, there
Will no doubt be a difference Of opin-
ION, which may even result in the pre-
sentation of minority and majority
reports, although the committee has
hopes Of being able to present a unan-
lmous report, believing that this plan
would secure more favorable considera-
ton at the hands Of the senate.
Every member of the committee was
present When Attorney Erwin arrived
at o'clock, and the examination of
commissioner Powers Was resumed
where it was left eff Tuesday night.
Inc argument over the admissibility
OF the books of other state departments
was again taken up, and Mr.. Evans
said II was purely to show the good
falth OF the commissioner. Mr.. Erwin
also read his previous objection SEN
ator McHale wanted to know If the re-
ports offered were on the Purchasing
Power f.
of them were on '|The Purchasing Pow
er of Money" The committee voted
against the admission of the books.
The question of strikes was not
treated in the, report because just be-
fore the compilation was ready it was
announced that the federal bureau OF
statistics had almost ready an iderI-
teal publication. The title of the first
part was adopted in view of the fact
that the Massachusetts and other de-
partments had it, except that the term
gold" was used instead Of money"
on account Of the greater length of
time covered by the reports.
On cross examination Mr. Powers ex-
planned that his, settlement Of the
BeVans bill did not appear as such on
the auditors record. 1t was Jumped
into an account of his own for express
charges, postage, etc, paid by him
from time to time.
quire you to publish statistics of
strikes in this state without regard
to other states?" asked Mr. Erwin
Yes, but l do not understand that
we must publish a report on strikes
every two years, or until it is properly
colfated 1t would be. an impossibility,
even If we, had $3.50 900 a year, to make
a literal enforcement of the law"
Under What-Aead do you find the
authority for the book p
1T is price investigation; Is says it
Is in its first ten pages; it shows the
reward of agricultural toll; it is
wage as we'll as a price statistic"
| A discussion as to what labor in
cluded ensued. Mr.. Powers declaring
his inclusion of brain as we'll as hand
labor, capital and employer as we'll
as the employed" 1t had to determine
whether capital or labor, If either,
was getting an undue share Of the
! product
Mr.. Erwin intlmated that the work
of the department had been in science
and philosophy and not 'in figures Of
basic facts for statesmen to study
Senator McHale at this point inter
rupted the examination to ask if the
book was not intended to show that
the purchasing power Of gold had re-
manned substantially the same, while
other money went up or down. The
question was answered affirmatively,
| but with notifications.
Was not that it's chief purpose?"
mot the prime purpose"
Then it's my mistake but it's recur-
| renee as an incident was so frequent
! thought it Was7the burden of the book"
Factory Inspector Mayo was brought
back and testified that out Of eight
months work he spent 134 days in fac
! tory inspection. He accounted for his
other time ondvariOus lines of work
e.. In 1894 he Spente195 days in factory
/ inspection and inspected 119 factories.
He did other work the balance of the
time, including the enforcement of the
child labor law. He said the factory
law was enforced. in his district to the
! best of his abilityy
Mr.. Mayo went over the only printed
report Of factory inspection available
and said out of 261 places inspected
there were 1873 they knew in which the
| law had not been complied with.
Mr.. Mayo thought it was quite as i'm
portant to dc work for society and hui
mainly as to inspect factories.
Walter A. Hammond was recalled and
cOrrCborated Mr.. Powers testimony.
Miss Alice Bevans was recalled and
said she thought her former testi-
mOny about receiving SIS from Mr..
Powers for Farmer Hayseed was cor
rect. The receipt for $50 which was
in evidence was for other private work
l.
Ceived $50 from the state for Farmer
Hayseed; that was pay in full for her
work on that document Miss Bevans
gave a fiat contradiction to Mr.. Powers
statement as to reimbursing the state
for his private work.
Mr. Powers never had told me not
to take pay from the state for private
work" she said, and she reiterated her
former testimony in regard to the pri-
vate work and what was paid for it.
Frank j. CaSserIy was recalled in
regard to the prQOfreading on Farmer
Hayseed.''
He said some of the proofs, the ones
which he read, had vanished, and he
seemed to think it rather strange. He
was the last witness called and the
committee then went into executive ses-
sion to consider thereport, which ended
| as above stated.