The weekly examiner., 1901-06-22
LABOR IN MINNESOTA
USEFUL WORK UNDERTAKEN BY THE STATES BUREAU z

USEFUL WORK UNDERTAKEN BY THE
 STATES BUREAU. z Line of Investigations Which Indf-
 cate That It Is Really q Bureau I'm
 the Interest of LabOr-Fhe COmmis-
 sioner's Speech at Convention.
 Labor Commissioner O'Donnen of Minnesota has made study of the la Dor question and, unlike some of the other state labor statisticians of the country, has a pretty fair idea of the kind of information that will be of value in determining the status of the workingman and the practicable and desirable changes in industrial condi- tions that will lead to improvement. At the recent annual convention of labor commissioners held in St. Louis Com missioner O'Donnen made an address, from which the following is quoted:
 ''In the forthcoming biennial report of the Minnesota bureau we will try to classify the employees of establish ments and to give so far as possible the number of hours of work performed per day and week during the whole year. Supposing an establishment had carpenters, holders, machinists, paint CTS, plumbers and other tradesmen em- ployed, besides apprentices and helpers of all kinds, and that during a certain period of the year the plant was oper~ ated nine hours day with less num- Der of men than at another time with 8 greater number of men at ten hours a day, our aim is to get at the correct fig ures so far as possible. Our report, furthermore. will show the relative per- centage of apprentices to the journey men in any of the particular factories or trades that we may select for inves- tigation. @@ss% stes
 From time to time our department has urged upon the employers of labor in our state to provide a suitable emer- gency chest for their factories equipped with bandages, gauge, liniments and all necessary implements and medicines to render first aid to the injured. And am able to state with great satisfaction that our efforts have met with success in this direction. One of the large es- tablishments in our state employing be- tween TOO and 800 men has extended on our recommendation so far that they have provided two elaborate emer- gency chests, with stretchers, beds, etc. And the men employed have formed in each department an ambulance corps, and they have received a great deal of instruction from the company's doctor as to how to aid and take care of per sons injured until medical assistance can be procured or they can be remov- ed to their home or to the hospital. The employers of labor in our state are re- quired to report to the bureau of labor all accidents that require the services of a surgeon, and they are classified as to their nature, causes and also the in- dustries in which the injured were en- gagged at the time of the accident
 - -ssIhe emf forcing of laws regulating the part of the departments work, and, with the aid our department is receiv- ing from the school authorities, which in our state alone are authorized to excuse children from school attend ance, child labor has been reduced to minimum, and no employment per mits are granted to any child under 14 years of age without thorough in- vestigation by the school officials or one of the employees of the bureau as to the conditions and the needs of the family or of the child making ap- plicatiOn for such permit, and we may confidently say that the employ ment of children under IA years prac- 4 70 Minnesota. The factory inspectors re- ports for the city of St. Paul up to May 10 of this year show the following figures: In $40 establishments they found 11,346 persons employed. S,159 men, 3,O55 women, S1 boys and 51 girls under the age of 16 years, but over IA years, or, in other words, the number of children employed represents 1.16 per cent of the total number employed.
 '"The phenomenal development of the iron ore mining industry of our state has added new work to our depart ment, and our inspectors are at the present time engaged in mine inspec- tions. We expect to have this year fl mines in operation, and it is anticipated that the output for the year will reach the 1O,OOO,O00 ton mark. This industry gives employment to thousands of men, most of whom are foreign born.
 "For special investigation by the staff of the bureau I have selected, among others, the following subjects:
 "First.-The continuation of investi- gation of Sunday labor, which was or dered by the legislature of 1899.
 "Second.-Investigation as to the number of hours worked by stationary engineers and firemen and as to the general conditions surrounding such employment.
 'Third.-The eight hour workday from the standpoint of the employers.
 "Fourth.--The union label, its use in Minnesota, the good 1t has accomplish