New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-12-02
AND LABOR
Industrial Development of the Year
Rcl1ezced.


Washington. Dec important and unusual
statements and recommends tons made b.
Secretary Oscar s Straus in the sixth annual ia
port Of the Department Of Commerce and Labor,
public to-day.
our age" says Secretary straus. has been
very properly called era OF commercial devel-
opment and expansion. and the United States. by
reason OF It's many exceptional advantages, its
boundIess natural resources, and possessing 4
growing. intelligent energetic. enterprisns and
seIf-reiant population. is reaping greater share
OF Industrial and commercial prosperity than any
OF the ether nations Of the world As the hsad o.
the department I; has been nv constant aim 50
to administer its various branches u afford
the greatest amount OF assistance. information and
guidance TO the various Industrial and commercial
activities that come under its administrative
scope"
Secretary straus prints out that labor and the
industries and commerce are interdependent
That commerce which is developed and expanded
the detrfneut either OF the health or of the
wage standard Of the Iaborsrs engaged therein
however profitable II might be in the material
sense. IS harmful 70 nations welfare and should
De discourage he says.
Particular attention IS devoted by the Secretary
in his report to the bureaus OF immigration and
naturalization. corporations and labor. Concerning
the bureau of immigration secretary Straus points
out that UP 20 the close O. the Cjvl War all our
laws were framed to encourage immigration, and
that since then American legislation. while not
the elimination OF undesirable classes As result
Of this legislation the percentage OF foreign born
persons in population has remained practically
stationary for forty years .Copcretely. the per
Centsge Of foreign born in 1850 vas ia while in
1900 il 49, He goes
During a portion Of the past fiscal year. and
tending into the present this country has suffered
an Industrial depression due to nun Der OF causes
smonr others - oJ,a-nrodIc1on which we're world
vide. but perhaps for the time being more accent
tres The srecf Of this depression upon in11nigra-
ton was immediate the fiscal year OF 1919 showing
Deducting the total departures Of aliens from the
2s aF ri alien d DdPsa tito Ss the About 5
per cent OF those admitted were ifterate- The
country BY arriving aliens 81. s422s an aver
age Of almost s2 per capita warrants as OF r,s Ge
and 10 ao2 aliens were rejected at the port o. ar
6i II, s7e sctuaIfy IS per cent in excess
OF the net immigration
Considerable space is devoted IN the report TO the
figures on incoming japanese. which snow gradual
bT+ sure reduction. During the year the net IN
crease in Japanese population vas only 5.s26- Sec
r.tarv Straus SAYS that the japanese and American
governments are cooperating 10 enforce the law
respecting the coming of japanese aborers 70 this
country.
Greater success has attended the efforts OF the
erartr7en+ TO enforce the allen contract labor law
during The last year than in any preceding year
L Il pointed that the greatest vtolatoTs or
the contract labor laws the American manu-
faCtIrHTS
found among the vtoIators Of the law During the
wear 1892 contract IabOrers were rejected an in
crease "a per cent over the rejectiOns for 1901
IN all at72 contract IabOrers were deported during
the wear Particular efforts were directed toward
the suppression Of the white slave traffic. this coun
try cooperating with many European governments
to concert proper measures to attain this purpose
The work Of the division of information in the
distribution alien immigrants through the coun-
try IS considered at length Secretary Stratus To-
cards the work of this division Of the highest
importance II tends TO relieve the congestion OF
aliens in centres Statistics on the division
OF naturalization show that 2244 courts have been
engaged IN tho year IN comforting naturaliZa-
+o- r1ro7 aliens During the year 1925 decIara-
tons q intention and 4S-s7s petitions for natu-
raIizat,ou were fled Suggestions are made OF I'M
portant amendments 20 the legislation relating 70
the naturalization OF aliens
The Secretary SAYS that the bureau OF corpora
tons now has on hand Investigations OF the to
bacco steel and lumber industries inland water
WAYS the Inter1a tional Harvester Company. and
further investigation Of the petroleum industry and
cotton exchanges He Is Of opinion that advance
toward corporate reform must come through some
general system OF publicity He says
II IS becoming more and more obvious that the
work OF the government in regulating corporations
sn9gG RG5 Pe as such but hoald deal rather
with the way in which the combination powers are
use Of these great industrial forces Only such
co 5 or5binafions as uae their powers for evil
should be brought under the condemnation OF the
law.
Secretary Straus strongly recommends the adOp-
+fop Of definite y stem OF positive supervision and
emulation OF corporations through administra-
live office urging thai such a system - construc-
,5,-a not destructive Through this Once IL would
10 nossibI. TO publish important facts to cor
,orate operations safeguarding the unnecessary
publication Of all proper business secrets.
In reference to the bureau OF labor Secretary
straus says that il Is making a study Of the gen
eral subject OF worklngmens insurance, industrial
accidents and employ RS liability. He regards a.
one Of the great needs in industrial relations
radical change In the law respecting employers
liability The law granting compensation 10 dis
abIed government employees the Secretary says
should be extended. the end that the government
itself should aid in the Improvement Of the eondi-
tons Of labor
TIE report deals exhaustively with all OF the
operations OF the department in the last year and
Secretary Straus makes important rscon'nends-
tons am suggestions as 10 the coatnu@nee o. tne
Es