The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-19
LABOR STATISTICS
STATE LABOR COMMISSIONER AND
HIS ASSISTANTS PREPARING
BIENNIAL REPORT
RANGE TO BE COMPREHENSIVE
Eight-HOur Question VIII Be Dis
cussed From Standpoint of
EmpIoyer-Union Label
in Minnesota.

State Labor Commissioner O'Donnell
and his assistants are bUsily engaged in
preparing their biennial report, which
will be presented to the next session Of
the legislature 1t will be without doubt
the most important report ever issued
by the state department Of labor, and
viii contain a greater variety of impOr-
tant statistics man was ever before eel
lected.
Mr.. O'Donnen says: an addition to
giving detailed reports. on inspections of
factories, workshops, bakeries, railway
switch blocking and mine inspections, we
Will try in our report to classify the en-
ployes Of establishments and to give so
far as possible the number of hours of
work performed per day and week during
the whole year. We hope to show the
relative percentage of apprentices to the
JOurneymen in the various establishments
and trades. 1t viii contain the results of
special Investigations Of the subject of
Sunday labor; the number of hours worK-
ed by stationary engineers and tremen,
and the general conditions surrounding
their employment.
1T viii discuss the question of TIE
eight-hour day from the standpoint Of
the employer; also the union label its
use in Minnesota and the good IL has
accomplished; the conditions surrounding
workers in the manufacture of cigars and
in woodworking establishments. We VIII
give especial Importance to the subject
of the employment of women, with the
effect such employment has upon men
laborers, and upon the industries in
which they are engaged and the general
effect upon the wages of labor. We will
present number of important tables
bearing on tire question of rates Of wages,
hours Of labor number of strikes and their
causes, sanitary conditions or various es-
Establishments, opportunities afforded work
ers for reading and self-improvement We
viii give especial prominence to the sub
ject of early closing of stores, as viewed
by the employers of labor.
The employers have been, on the
whole very generous and willing in the
matter of aiding US in securing statistics
and Inc laboring men themselves have
shown great interest in filnng out the
blanks we have submitted to them.
From time to time cur department has
urged upon me employers of labor to
provide suitable emergency chests for
their factories equipped with bandages,
gauze, liniments and all necessary imple-
ments and medicines to render first aid
to the injured Our efforts, we are glad
to say, have met with considerable sue
cess One large establishment, employ
Ing nearly 500 men, extended our recon-
mendatiOns so that they have provided
two elaborate emergency chests, with
stretchers, beds, etc, and the men en-
ployed have formed in each department
an ambulance corps and have received
instructions from the company's doctor
as to how to take care of the injured un-
til medical help arrives.
"Our efforts have been limited, of
course, but we hope to present a great
deal Of interesting matter which will at
least throw light on labor conditions in