The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1911-08-04
BUREAU OF LABOR.
Was Established TWenty-seven
Years Ago.
REPORT MOST INTERESTING.
Carroll D. Wright First Commissioner
of Labor-IndustriaI Depressions and
Wage Variations Investie ated and
Remedies Suggested.

The United States bureau of labor
was established by act of congress,
approved June 81, 1884. This act
provided for the appointment Of a
commissioner of labor by the presi-
dent and chief clerk, to be appoint
ed by the secretary of the interior, and
such employees as might be necessary
to conduct the work. No officers were
appointed until January, 1885, when
Carroll d. Wright received commits
sion from the president and assumed
the duties of commissioner on Jan. 81,
1885, and on Feb. 3 Oren w. Weaver
was appointed chief clerk. The first
work attempted by the bureau was to
collect information relative to the in
dustrial depressions, the investigation
comprehending a study of their char
acter and alleged causes, whether con
temporaneous in the great producing
countries of the world and whether
as to duration, severity, periodicity,
they have been similar in such coun-
tries.
The foreign countries selected for in
vestigations were Great Britain. Bel
GUM, France, Germany and, to some
extent, Switzerland and Italy. Five
agents were employed in the foreign
countries and fifteen In this.
The first annual report of the United
States bureau of labor was transmit
ted to the secretary of interior, L. Q.
G. .amar, ON March II. 1886. The
% ,;,l
cred the years from 1887 to 1886.
Among the many remedies suggest
ed to correct the then existing evils
were many that are intensely interest
ing. These remedies were suggested
by citizens in all walks of life as CLEAN
ed by the bureaus fifteen agents in
their field work, as follows: Legisla-
ton that will prevent the consolida-
ton Of large bodies Of capital; indus
trial cooperation; erection of central
factories to compete with the sugar
factories of Germany and France; ex-
tend the system of profit sharing; re-
duce the hours of labor; to compel
manufacturers to be content with less
than 10 per cent; organization of la
borers; organization of employers; for
congress to cease framing laws for the
industrial interests of the country; re-
strict immigration; better education for
the people; giving opportunity for the
self improvement of the workingmen;
allow no man to own more land than
he can use himself; estab lish industrial
schools; teach laborers and employers
that the decrease Of wages and profits
means fewer luXuries; boards of arbi-
tration to be created by legislation to
settle differences between capital and
labor by dividing profits of the bust
ness, above interest. equally between
them.
Prior to the establishment of the bu-
reau of labor three congressional COM
mittees had under discussion matters
pertaining to the general welfare Of
the people of the country, and in the
hearings which were held there were
brought out, in addition to the above,
other suggestions, such as the protec-
ton of children against the avarice of
parents and employers and not to be
y
public ownership of COAL to give the
franchise to women, to withdraw all
inducements held out to immigrants,
to absolutely prohibit Chinese, advo-
eating the public ownership of iron
lands, to make six hours a legal days
work, to reduce the working time of
labor until all found employment and
government ownership of telegraph
and telephone.
In the concluding portion of the re-
port, speaking directly of the lawmak-
ing power, under the subhead of IRE
needless" the following suggestions are
made:
SIT can stimulate the growth of the
principle of industrial copartnership
through methods of profit sharing by
WISE permissive laws. Public senti-
ment can encourage the perfect or
ganization Of the forces involved, to
the end that each shall treat with the
other representative and that produc-
ton shall be regulated by the demands
and not by the Ill advised eagerness
Of men who push their work individ
ually to the detriment of others: that
there may come the universal adop-
ton of shorter hours Of labor. and de-
mand that after capital and labor shall
have received a fixed and reasonable
compensation. each for its investment,
the net profits of production shall be
divided under profit sharing plan or
method or through Industrial copart-
nership. to the end that all the forces
of production shall be equally alive TO
mutual welfare. 1t can ask that the
contracts of labor be as free as the
1 greement for services rendered to
he end that the workman shall not be
obliged to make contracts on terms not
acceptable to him, and it can hold the
party which declines to resort to the
concillatory methods of arbitration
morally responsible for all the i'll eff
fects growing out of contest These
remedial agencies or remedial meth
DDS. alleviatory in their design, are all
possible by the reasonable acts OF
men. They are not chimerical schemes.
but measures adapted to practical
adoption. They demand simply Il fair
recognition of part only of the truth
tound up in the rule which insists
that all men shall do unto others as
they would have others do unto them"