The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-18
49, q -.
HOW HE'D Do 1T,
Mr.. johnson Would ReOrganize
Labor Bureau.
Believes Employment Agency
Should Be One of Them.
FACTORY INSPECTION.
This Also Should Be One of the
Divisions.
Would Require Several Amend
FACTORY INSPECTION.
Would Require Several Amend
ments to the Law.

w. L. A. Johnson, state labor COM
missioner, returned Saturday from his
trip to San Francisco. where he at
tended the convention of the national
association of state labor commission
ers.
He brought back with him a scheme
for the reorganization of the Kansas
state labor department; a scheme
which was thoroughly discussed at the
convention, and which met the general
approval of the delegates there assem-
bled.
1t is proposed to present to the next
legislature a bill providing for the Gre
alton OF four bureaus under the charge
of the state labor department. One
bureau will be for the collection of
statistics about labor and factory con-
ditions in the state; another will be in
charge of factory inspection, and the
enforcement of factory laws; the third
will be the free employment bureau,
now, conducted as a separate Depart
ment; and the fourth is a bureau for
the arbitration of labor difficulties.
1t will not require a very material
amendment of present conditions to
bring about this new order of things.
for the rudinents of each bureau are
already in existence.
If the plan is put into operation. it
would necessitate redrafting of the ex-
listing laws, and the creation of posi-
bic one or two more clerkships in the
the free employment bureau is indie
pendent, under the charge of T. B.
Gerow. Under the plan proposed by Mr..
Johnson, it would be made bureau of
the department of labor. The work of
collecting statistics, which is one of the
important branches of the department.
work, would be placed in the hands of
another bureau chief. Factory inspec-
ton, which is now handled by Mr.. John
son himself, would be given to another
bureau chief, and it is possible that the
head Of each of these bureaus together
with the labor commissioner, would con-
Stitute a board of arbitration to which
difficulties might be referred for adjust
ment.
In speaking of this proposed readjust-
ment of the work of his department,
Labor Commissioner johnson says:
''At the present time, the law makes
and while I have not neglected the work
I realize that with the other duties of
my office it is difficult to give this
branch the attention that it deserves.
THE discussion at San Francisco
was centered on the question of wheth-
er factory inspection and the collection
of statistics could be handled satisfac-
| torily by the same department. 1t was
claimed by some that there was bound
to be a clash, and that one department
could not accomplish as good results as
| two different departments. 1t was held
| that the employers who were called to
| time for violations of factory laws might
| be unwilling to give cordial assistance
to the work of collecting statistics. 1t
seemed to be the general conclusion,
however, that by having each branch of
the work in charge of a different
| bureau, under one general department,
4
tory owners are law abiding, and gen.
orally make no objection to obeying the
law if the matter is properly presented
| to them. They are willing to assist US
in the preparation of statistics.
1.-THE free employment work naturally
| comes within the scope of this depart
4 ment. prepared the bill for the Gre
| ating of free employment bureau, and
| presented it to the legislature My bill
made it a branch of this department.
But the legislature decided that they
! wanted it left independent. and I make
no objection. as the principal thing was
to get the bureau established.
1--WE are already able to do a good
deal Of work in the line of arbitration,
in spite of the fact that no official
board for that purpose is in existence.
BY taking hold of an impending diff
Guilty before the opposing sides have
outlined positions from. which they
cannot recede, I have been able in a
number of instances to bring about a
satisfactory settlement. This. would be
chiefly the province of an arbitration
board. There would be nothing COM
pulsory about it; it would simply af-
ford the machinery, in readiness fol-
operation, in case the parties to q
. labor dispute desired to avail them
selves of the opportunity to use it.
/ "I don't know when these changes
can be brought about, but it looks tc
me as though it would be a very good
basis for the department to work
| upon. suppose a bin would have tc
be prepared for presentation to the