West Virginia daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1894-1902, 1902-05-21


missioner Isaac v. Barton, which
will go to press In a few days, shows
West Virginia to have enjoyed a
degree of prosperity the past year
unsurpassed In her history and un-
equalled by that of any state In
the union. The report will be the
m ost exhaustive that has yet been
issued by Mr.. Barton. 1t gives
comparative tables of wages paid
at the opening and the close of the
year, the number Of m IN employed,
physical conditions In the various
plants and explanations of the new
labor laws. During the year Mr..
Barton personally inspected over
100 plants, visiting most of them
two or three times during the year
Convincing proof of the unparal
lelled prosperity of the state is the
increase of new industries. The
number of new establishments
started during the year were 336 as
against 1o8 during the preceding
year which held the record up to
the present time. The new indus
tries give employment to rs, 900
men as against 10000 employees
during the preceding year. The
increase In wages Is proportionate
and the capitalization of new In
dustries Is doubled over that of the
preceding year..
Mr.. Barton's report shows that
the laws passsd by the last legisla-
ture designed for the protection
and safety of employees, are being
generally observed. Two of the
measures which were the most rad
ical were one requiring store keep
ers and factory owners to provide
seats for female employees, and an
other requiring all mac hinery such
as engines, dynamos, belts and
shafting to be surrounded by rail-.
ings to prevent danger to life and
limb. Mr.. Barton expected some
difficulty enforcing the former
measure as at the time of Its pas
sage the store that allowed Its te-
male employees to sit down was the
exception. In very few In,
stances, howeve', did he en-.
counter any opposition. All
the great stores of Wheeling
fell In line with the suggestion, and
only one'or two required a second
notice. In only one instance did
he have to call the grand jury to
his assistance and that was In
Huntington. The manufacturers
observed the machinery law very
generally. 1t meant vast expense
to many of them, but they stood
for 1t gracefully. An idea of the
expense attached to the law can be
gained from the amount the Chesa.
peak & Ohio spent on their Hunt.
ington shops. Their machinery
was In such shape that they had to
rearrange the entire plant. Big
engines had to be removed and set
up In differeot positions, but the
work was done properly. Every
dangerous piece of machinery was
surrounded by stout iron pipe ex-
tending fopr feet high, fastened so
firmly that 1t would be impossible
for dog to get caught In the shafts
or cogs. The cost must have been
at least $50. 900, but 1t was done In
a months time after the commits.
sioner had issued the notice to the
company that its plant was not In
conformity with the law.
A considerable section of the re.
port Is devoted to the free employ
ment bureau. Mr.. Barton Is en-
thusiastic over the success OF the
institution During the year the
bureau had I,12S applications for
employment and succeeded in find
ing places for over I, 900 persons.
This includes every sort of job Inn :
aginable. Most of the applications
were from the neighboring states of
Pennsylvania and Ohio. Mr.. Bar.
ton will ask for a greater appropri-
alton, 1000, at the next legisla-
ture so as to broaden the scope of
the work. At the close of his term
he intends to recommend that an
additional department be added to
the state to be managed by a super.
intendent to be known as the free
emp loyment bureau. The. office
should be located In Wheeling and
separated from the labor commits
sioner's Office. By two years, MIR.
Barton thinks, the industries Of the
state will have developed so much