The Washington times., 1904-09-18
CARROLL WRIGHT
WILL SOON RETIRE
Will Resign Head Of Bureau
on December 1.
A LONG TIME IN THE SERVICE
Hopes to Have Work Well Established
on Three Lines-Labor Men
Want Place.
A LONG TIME IN THE SERVICE

Carroll D. Wright. who has long been
the head of the Bureau OF Labor Stats
ties, now attached TO the Department OF
Commerce and labor will reure from
the office en- December 1.
Few places which the President has 10
fiji will require greater care in the Sc
lection OF the right man. The Govern
ment's relation to labor Is very tick
Iish matter and must be handled with
great tact and diplomacy.
Colonel Wright has succeeded so well
in this that he was retained I'm office by
both Cleveland Administrations. al
though there were then. as always, n
largo number of professional labor men
who thought this job was cut out lor
one OF their class.
Would Precipitate Row.
II any President gave this place to a
man actively identified with labor he
would soon have a conflict on his hands
between the .wo great labor factions
which are generally In dispute. Only by
getting away from the immediate intiu-
cnce can the judicially minded observer
be secured.
Colonel Wright hopes before he leaves
the office 70 have its work well estab-
lished on three lines. He hopes 10 have
an annual review Of the range Of prices
Of the range of wages. and Of the strikes
of the twelve-Tnonth. or of the industrial
disturbances, The prices Of commodi-
ties II has long been possible TO present
regularly and accurately.
The range of wages. which this Du-
reau hopes to put on an equally Sclen-
tific basis, presents more difficulties. The
recent bulletin which has provoked so
much comment was INTENDED, without
arrf-
nish such basis for future calculations
In its preparation a study has been
made Of the range OF wages for the last
fourteen years. HencefOrth an annual
tabulation will be made, from which u
is hoped scientific conclusions will al
ways be at hand, showing the course OF
public earnings.
Report on Strikes.
The annual report on strikes which
Colonel Wright hopes to get establish
ed. will really be an issuance at fire.
quent and regular intervals Of what
now comes out at longer periods. Every
allusion in the newspapers to strike
is promptly clipped and made the sub
ject Of an inquiry.
Agents of the department have been
in Colorado and in Chicago, as they
were IN the anthracite field before the
formal examination of the case took
place. II is assumed TO be junction
/ Of the bureau, by the terms Of the
statute, TO make this first-hand investi-
/ cation I'm order that It's bulletins may
/ be complete and accurate. -.-- .H '.ts-s
| With current annual reports, showing
/ the range of wages and Of prices and
giving a history OF the labor distur-
/ Dances. IL is felt that the sta tistical
part Of this work will be well attended
/ TO.
! one OF the most interesting special
studies In which the bureau has in a
/ long time been engaged Is that concern
I ing the limitation Of Industrial output
] by reason Of trades-union restrictions.
/ Agents of the department were many
months in gathering the material Sew
/ eral Of them visited European countries
| The copy is now in the hands Of the
/ Public Printer, but on account of the
! rush of business at his Office. due e
! the publication of speeches for the cam
| paign, reproduced from the Con
| gressional Record" there may be some
delay in bringing It out. A revision oil
labor laws Is also at the Government
| Printing Office, awaiting publication.
| After December I Colonel Wright viii
devote his attention TO his duties Fl
connection with the presidency Of ClarF
College at Worcester and to the prepar
4 alton Of the Economic History Of tht
! United States" which he has under
taken for the Carnegie Institution.