Evening star., 1902-03-28
WANTED BY THE WEST
DELEGATES FROM TRANS-MISSIS-
sIPPI CONGRESS HEARD.
Advocate the Proposed Government
Department to Be Devoted to the
Interests Of Commerce..

Ex-Governor L. Bradford Prince of New
Mexico, with VIM H Bunker of San Fran
cisco, Cal, represented the trans Mississippi
congress before the House committee on
commerce this morning in advocacy of the
department of commerce and labor bill.
Governor Prince explained that the trans
Mississippi congress was commercial or
ganiZation of twelve years standing, and
included in it's membership representati
of every commercial organization in all of
the eighteen states and territories west
OF the Mississippi river, as well as these
states and territories themselves through
a representative appointed by the governor
OF each.
Chosen by the Congress.
At the session of this congress held last
summer Governor Price and Mr. Bunker
were delegated to present to Congress the
views of that congress embodied in brief
resolution which recited that we again
urge upon the United States Congress
speedily to provide for the establishment of
a new department to be known as the de-
partment of commerce, with representation
in the cabinet in order that the great COM
mercial interests Of the people shall have
the benefit of governmental attention and
cooperation
Governor Prince called attention to the
fact that this resolution did not include
labor in that department. The discussion in
the congress when the matter was up, he
said, showed clearly that 1t was the con-
sensus of opinion that nothing should be
included in the new department which
would detract from it's usefulness in the
one direction-to enlarge our foreign COM
merce.
Mr.. Bunker indorsed all that Governor
DIT, l,,.l GIoI
ment Of the project on behalf Of the San
Francisco chamber of commerce.
Wants Labor Included.
John w. Hayes, secretary OF the knights
of Labor, was the next speaker. Mr.. Hayes
had filed an Endorsement of the Senate
proposition to include labor in the new de-
partment, and his first statement today was
that he indorsed all that had been said by
those who had been heard as the represen-
tatives Of labor, and who had urged the
establishment of a separate and distinct de-
partment for labor. But continued Mr..
Hayes II do not believe we will get such a
separate department in this generation
Mr. Hayes said that, all 6fniaIs to the
contrary notwithstanding, the labor organ
iZatiOns were political organiZa tions. For
instance. the glassworkers wanted a tariff
on glass, and when that question was up
that organization was concerned.
The Bureau of Labor.
Turning his attention to the administra-
ton of the government labor bureau, Mr..
Hayes said I'VE know the shortcomings
Of the labor bureau, and we do not attrib-
ute all of the shortcomings of that bureau
to the present commissioner. The law does
not permit him to make recommendations,
and / know from personal knowledge that
the field work Of that department is not
collected by it's own agents. i can name
but it would discharge the mani can name
the man who collected the statistics for
Harrisburg while located in a hotel in
Philadelphia"
Mr. Hayes said that as the situation was
today labor got no consideration from the
cabinet, and he believed that the creation
mercial man, would result In a bettered con-
dttion for labor An assistant secretary
could have charge Of the labor bureau, and
could be given additional power in the mat
ter of collecting statistics. The bureau now
has no power to demand informal ton; it can
only beg it.
The committee will continue tomorrow
Representative BabcOck introduced two
District bills in the House today. One is
a similar measure to that introduced in
the Senate yesterday by Mr.. Mcmillan, pro-
viding for secretary of the District of
Columbia, the details Of which were given
in The Star yesterday. The other bill re-
lates to the regulation of dogs in the Dis
trice Of Columbia, and is also q District
bill, the details of which have been printed
in The Star.