Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-09-22
DELAY IN ORGANIZATION WASTES
TIME OF FEDERAL INDUS.
TRIAL BOARD.
MONTHS LEFT
FOR voLUMlNous DUTIES
Former Commission Lasted Four Years
and Il Is Believed Present Body Has
Not Time 10 Complete Work Laid
Out For it-unless Time 10 Extended
Work Must Be Along Specific Lines.
Especial Correspondence

Washington. Sept. 22.-Congress will
in all proba hility be confronted with
demand before many. months to extend
the life of the industrial commission.
Over year has been wasted so far
as this commission is concerned. The
law creating it allowed it life Of three
years. But because of Indifference in
: some quarters over its work and con-
troversy as 10 membership, more than
a year went by before the commission
sioners named by President Taft never
obtained confirmation and when Presi-
dent Wilson named a commission, 1t
took many weeks Of unnecessary time
before it was confirmed. The members
of the board have but recently been
confirmed by the senate and now some
delay will result before there can be
organization and an undertaking OF the
task which the law imposes on it.
Work Requires Much Time.
In 1915 the lease Of life Of the com.
mission will expire. 1t is. saodled with
the investigation practically of the
whole problem Of the relations Of capt.
tai and labor in this country. Obviously,
the time that is allowed it is too brief
for the purpose, tho there is no ques-
ton much valuable information can be
gathered between now and 1915. 1t is
likely that as 1915 approaches, 1t will
be seen the commission ought to have
more time and congress will be asked to
extend the act which created 1t.
@H@va
the life of the commission will end.
Inasmuch as some months will be taken
in organization and preliminaries, 1t
looks as if it would not have over
over eighteen months of time in which
to do the actual work imposed on 1t.
Unless there is an appropriation al
lowed in deficiency bill this session.
no money will be available for the COM
mittee before next winter and this may
prove another source Of delay.
Duties Should Be More Specific.
Many believe the field Of investiga-
ton which The commission is directed
to cover is too vast and that II 1t had
been ordered to investigate along
few specific lines it would have been
more effective. It is recalled that the
industrial commission which preceded
this one existed from 1898 to 1902. It
prepared nineteen great volumes Of re-
port. dealing with almost all phases Of
social. agricultural and industrial rela-
tionship. 1t took about four years for
that commission to cover field which
the present commission Is expected to
cover in less than two.
However. there is not much doubt
good results will come from the new
commission. 1t may or may not have
it's life extended and may or may not
conduct as full an investigation as It
wants to. But It has some strong
strong figures on 1t. The presence on
the commission Of Prof. John r. Com
mons, of Madison. in itself means the
commissions work Is not going to be
merely erfunctorv. Even II the COM
mission should do nothing more than
collect and collate information now at
hand and available, it would doubtless
serve q good purpose.