The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-10-10
HON. w. H. WILLIAMS, -, =
LABOR COMMISSIONER
Advocates the Measure and Will
- Work to Have it Enacted
Into Law.

great interest throughout the state on
the subject Of Industrial schools. He
is also fully alive to the horrors of
child labor, and impressing school
authorities everywhere with the neces-'
sity of exercising the greatest visi-
lance to ensure the attendance at
school Of the future men and women
Of our nation.
Mr.. Williams very properly con-
tends that the wrong-doing of one
generation lives, into the successive
ones, and unless it's, progress is, ar
rested will become an uncomfortable
mischief.
His visit to Duluth had two-fold
purpose: to interview Superintendent
Denfeld on certain child labor pro-
position, which is being found very
successful in the conduct Of the
schools at st. Paul and Minneapolis;
and also to call officially upon depart
ment officers at Duluth.
For National Labor Department. :.
Mr.. Williams Is a strong advocate
for the establishment Of a department
of labor in connection with the United
States government. He says, that
''the whole prosperity and progress of
the United States is dependent upon
the freedom and justice and equality
with which we. treat the, laboring
masses and because of the resulting
increase Of prosperity which always
follows
The fairer and juster and more lib
eral conditions Of labor in the coun-
try: the greater is the, prosperity and
welfare Of the nation.
One of the most important reasons
why labor should have this fuller re
cognttton In q our government is the
hact that I'VE; need. asmore E11otpu9 9hs
and accurate knowledge by the gov
ernment and the people as a whole,
through the instrumentality Of the
government, Of theHcondition of labor
in the country.
The Employment Bureaus.
Mr. Williams is back of the move
ment to eliminate the dishonest en-
ployment agent and he will work
hard for the passing of a. law, which
will make possible that end. He sug-
gests that instead of the cities being
vested with the power Of granting,
licenses to employment agencies, that
the state free employment bureau
have the authority, and also the right
to withdraw them when they see fit.
''The city is in no position to in
vestigate cases where agencies have
misused their licenses said Mr.. Will
1iams. In our work we are in con-
stant touch with labor and the labor
bureaus Of every state, and so can
better learn the truth when charges
are brought against the pay agencies.
Some action should be taken in
this matter directly, for laborers, are
regularly, being victimized by pay
agencies in the cities of Minnesota.
recently received a letter from a
labor commissioner of Montana that
that state is overcrowded with idle
men, and still more men are being
sent in, many Of them from Mime
sofa, with: the ideta that jobs are open
to them here. He asked that I do
all in my power to put an end to it
In this state. I received that same
from North and South Dakotas when
the harvest season started, and I went
and Investigated there myself. found
the conditions as represented. There
were more men than jobs and more
were being shipped In regularly by
agencies. The agencies were not so
bad in that case as were the railroads,
which advertised in the Eastern pa
pers that there were jobs for thou
sands Of men in the Northwestern
harvest fields. At that time I got
a. letter from the mayor of Phila-
delphia stating that. If there was
plenty Of work in this part of the
country he could easily*,1 furnish us
with 5000 men. wrote: back, keep
them. we have more than we know
what to do WITH 49,.
Conditions at Duluth. -.-
Things are getting a: trifle better
now, though. in Minnesota. At the
state free bureaus in Duluth, James
Walsh, manager, is doing an increas-
Ing, business, daily. In. Minneapolis
this month we have given more: men
work than during any time since the
panic started last fall: We have this
month: employed i. about 1000 men,
which issabout up to our old standard
The factories, wholesale houses and
mills are. beginning to refill .. their
crews again. But things are not yet
what they should be. -. =.
'<# = : '%"on. Child Labor; :" :,'s' :, :
Last year. the flaboE commission OF
this. state started an organized cam
lpaign against child. labor" continued
Mr. Williams. I'VE then placed .ap4
proxirnately 1000 children in school,i
This year:we will be even more vig:of-
our in our crusade against boys and
girls being put. to work. - am In
Duluth now; to talk with supt., Il. -.
Denfeld about the conditions !, here
and to see IL he thinks that the tai-' tr,i-'
aney OFFICER needs some one to help
him now while the school season sis
IJust staltinE. q -he tas more than