Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-10-12
BUREAU OF
LABOR AND
STATISTICS
Report of Inspection.

that could. be spared from office
work and within the limit of the
money allowed for expenses of the
bureau, was devoted to that work.
Since April /, 1906, 673 establish
ments of different kinds were Wis
tied and in all not to exceed twenty
of these. but had more or less OF
dangerous places or exposed ma
chinery, that, in many cases, could
be safeguarded at small cost. While
many fail to act on the advice given,
am pleased to state that a large
number have done so, and much of
the element of danger has been re-
moved. This l learned from a Sec
end visit to some of the places. and
also from personal assurance. There
have been cases where my presence
has been requested by manufactur-
ers who wished to make their fac
tories safe, and benefit by the eX-
rerience that much observation of
machinery and manufacturing plants
would naturally give. While all are
courteous and a large number rem
ed! faults, when attention is called
to them, there are cases that
nothing but a law can reach. One
case in Ioint is where | inspected
a workshop in June, 1905, and called
attention to a cutoff saw swung by
a rope attachment without any pro-
lection in case the rope should
break, and also a ripsaw that did not
have the necessary guard, and eX-
planned how it ought to be guarded.
The warning was ignored and seven
days later the rope broke, letting
the saw swing beyond the limit and
resulting in the cutting of the op-
orators bowels open, causing much
suffering and loss of time. (The
cost of placing a safeguard on that
cutoff saw would not have. exceeded
25 cents.) Still, on visiting the
shop after the accident, found the
remedy had not vet been satisfac-
iorily applied to the cutoff saw, and
the ripsaw was still unguarded.
again respectfully recommend
the enactment of the Washington
law for protecting employees in fac
tories. mills, workshops, warehouses
and stores where machinery, eleva-
tors, lifts or stairs are used. as found
in the first biennial report of this
bureau of 1905, on page 154. This
law, have been assured by a party
in the mill business in Washington,
is working satisfactorily and reduc-
ing the percentage of accidents.
Being fully convinced that many ac-
cidents have been prevented by the
inspection, which could only reach
part of the factories. sufficient as
sistance should be given the bureau
that every establishment could be
visited and at less intervals.
Education.
The school teacher. at least when
the average pay received is taken
into consideration, may, with some
propriety, be placed in the category
with laborers. Most of them are
hard workers and still the poorest
paid wage earners in the state. 1t
Is true that a slight increase in COM
pensation is noted over two years
ago, but there is plenty of room for
further advance in pay as will be
seen by the statement in another
part of this report. When taken
into consideration that the average
for teachers includes the principals
salary, who gets better pay, though
none too much. il can readily be seen
why young men are loath to enter
the school work as a life profession.
The best schools can only be taught,
in general, by the man or woman
who aims TO make school teaching
their life work.
A movement is on TO induce leg
islation to authorize the purchase OF
text books by the state TO be fur
nished free to school children. This,
in my opinion. would be a benefit TO
the poor class OF people who. while
not being able to purchase books
for their children. are too proud TO
ask for them. II purchased in large
quantities there would be a great
saving in the expense, and. should
the state own its own printing plant,
as is being contemplated, the books
could be printed here which would
not only operate TO reduce the ex-
pense more materially, but the
money expended in their production
would remain within the state.
NauuaI 2rafufnQ "a receiving con-