The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-03
QUITE A
whether MIR. Powers 'Prepared" or
"~Suppressed" Them.

Suppressed" Them.
Something of a sensation was Gre
ated in Minnesota newspaper offices
last night by the receipt of an Asso-
ciated Press dispatch, as follows:
Mr.. Mayo, of Minneapolis, announced that
suppressed by the labor commissioner oil
Minnesota. After some opposition, Mr.. Mayo
was permitted to read his paper. 1t urged
that the statistics prepared by factory commits
sioners show more definitely the progress
made in obliteration of child labor. Said Mr..
Mayo:
Not a single factory inspector in the
United States prepares his statements so as
to tell the truth. The reports contain a
lot of confusing figures and are often moth
ing but political buncombe, but do not tell
whether we are reducing child labor, and in
what proportion"
This was followed early this morn
ing by a correction substituting the
word "prepared' for "suppressed:"
The difficulty with the factory in
spection reports is, and has been, that
the first reports have been incom-
plete. For example, when a bureau is
established in any state, it is almost
invariably treated, at least by the
legislature which creates it, as an ex-
pertinent, and between the semi-polit-
ical character of it's organization, and
the usual small force accredited to it,
it's work is more or less superficial.
The natural result of this is that the
Investigations made by the depart
ment in child labor, as well as in any
other line, are for the most part made
in response to reports of the mora
fragrant violations of the aw. AS q
result, the first year a large number
of cases of violations of any law are
discovered. Backed by the operation
of a penal law, it is easy to remove
a large portion of complaint against
these factories, and, as the result in
succeeding years! the factory inspec-
tors find an opportunity to carry
their inspection to the factories. which
were not previously complained of,
and where, very likely, there was little
or no cause for complaint.
For instance:
In st. Paul, Minneapolis and Duluth,
since the inspection was begun, in 1898,
down to the present year, there are 133
concerns that nave constantly violated
the law.
During the inspection year of 1893
and 1894 there were II, 039 persons en-
ployed in these 1873 factories. And of
this number 438 were children under 16
years of age, under which age the law
forbids their employment, except
where it is absolutely necessary for
them to work to support themse1es or
parents. The number of children then
working comprised 3.95 per cent Of all
the employees in the 1873 factories. The
inspection of 1895 and 1896, after the
law became effective, showed that there
were II ,527 persons employed, Of which
| number only Alt were children, a per-
centage of $40 children to the whole
number of employees. In 1897 the in
spection just completed shows that in
these establishments there are now
| employed II, 087 persons, of which num-
Der only 149 are children, a percentage
of 1.34 children to the whole number OF
| employees. This is a decrease of sc per
cent in the number Of children en-
| ployed since the law went into effect.
But to compare the figures, the de-
crease from 1894 to 1896 was from 438 to
Ali only, an actual decrease Of less
than 5 per cent. While figuring on the
total number of employees the decrease
was from 1896 to $40, or fully 7 per
cent.
The ordinary figures of labor bu-
reaus, howeer, n Minnesota has
hitherto been no exception to the rule
has been to estimate the child labor
properly enough on the total number
of factories inspected. AS an absolute
test, this is right. 1t is only as the rel
ative results of inspections are com
pared veal by year, that they present
a misleading view. For example, the
number 438, which vas 3.95 per cent OF
the number of employees in 1894, be
ing decreased barely 20, in these facto-
ries would in a calculation on the total
number of factories inspected, appear
much less. For in this second group,
so to speak, consisting largely of fac
tories where child labor had never been
a serious annoyance. no considerable
| addition would be made to the number
of children employed, while the basis
of percentage computations was ma
| terially increased. Consequently, while
the actual figures for the factories in
volved in the first inspection revealed
a decrease Of only 5 per cent or
less in the amount of child labor en-
ployed, the percentage basis Of com
parison would show a falling on IN IN
verse ration to the number of new fac
tories added practically. The complla-
ton of figures in this name is there
| fore valueless as an index OF the ac-