The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-02-26
Labor Commissioner McEwen An.
:, nounces Plans for Up to- Date
Institution as Educational Feat.
ure for Employers and Employ
ed-Profitable Gathering of La
Dor Bureau 5 Members. F.s

An announcement Of immediate
plans for the Installing Of q museum
of safety devices by the labor bureau
of the state and q demand for more
systematic, and more accurate work,
among the employees of the labor
bureau were the features of q meet
ing Of the factory inspectors which
was called by William E. McEwen,
Commissioned Of Labor, at the state
capitol on Washington's birthday.
..You are doing good work and lots
Of It," Mr.. McEwen said in his talk
to his assistants, "but we must have. !.
more system. The inspections must
be carefully made and the data se-
cured must be accurate to the last
detail. We are anxious to make a
good record for our office and the
only way it can be done is to be care
full with the details of the work.
This is a business administration and
we want to conduct it in a business
like manner. H. 80
Discuss Compulsory Education.
The factory inspectors from all over
the state were present-17 in all, and
the reports were made of the condi-
tions as found in the different dis
tricts. The enforcement of the COM
pulsory education law was discussed
at length and the inspectors who have
been acting as truant officers. declar-
ed that little opposition was encoun-
tered in their work. z.s<
A stirring talk for the enforcement
Of this law was made by Inspector
Peter Karpen. s., :. E-s:1-st
A. B. Gray of Minneapolis, spoke Of
the best methods of interesting the
employers in the new. safety devices.
which are daily being perfected for
the safety of the factory workers and
a lengthy discussion followed.
Safety Device Museum Planned.
It was announced by Mr.. McEwen,
that plans were now under way for:
a museum Of these devices. It Is hoped
that space may be had in the old
capitol, for this collections, and sthzt
| it is believed the manufacturers would
readily avail themselvessof thisop
portunity TO- demonst7ste :tlslr de- Dc:
vices. =. zz2sS
!, Child Labor was liscugsesdlslssss
as the conditions which govern the
! women clerks in the small towns. It
was reported that in the last named
instance, women are obliged to work
| as long as II hours a day, while the
state law places the maximum at IS
T hours week. A campaign will be
started at once to do away with this
! evil. -
F. e. Hoffman, state statistician,
! made a plea for accuracy in making
| out the inspection blanks and point
! ed out the necessity Of attending to
! this phase of the work.
Proposes 9-Month School Year.
Mrs. Mary E. Starkweather ad-
| vanoed the idea that 1t would be
| we'll to interest the rural communities
in a nine-month school year with as
many vacations as necessary to inject
the agricultural needs of the coun-
try. She pointed out, that better
teachers could thus be secured, and
that the state would bear their part
Of the expense, and that all objection
to the present compulsory education
law would be thus obliterated. 4
The exchange of ideas at this meet
ing proved so popular that it is the
intention of Mr.. McEwen to hold an
other meeting in the near future and
make these gatherings regular part
of the work.