Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-26

people of the United States useful in
formation on subjects connected with la
Dor in the most general and comprehen-
sve sense of that word, and especially
upon it's relations to capital. the hours Of
labor. the earnings of labor, and moral
prosperity It is especially charged to
investigate the causes of and facts re-
lating to controversies and disputes be-
tween employers and employees. as they
may occur, and which may happen to in
terfere with the welfare of the people of
the several states.''
Those form a part of the duties with
which the bureau Of labor of the De-
partment of Com
Duties of Bureau merce and Labor is
rr charged. but give
VI "oA' only a slight idea Of
the work done by that branch of the de-
partment. Nearly thirty years ago. when
the bureau was organized, the commits
siOner of labor addressed letter to the
Secretary Of the Interior outlining the
policy of the Office, in which he said: ut
should be remembered that a bureau of
labor cannot solve industrial or social
problems. nor can it bring direct returns
in "a material way to the citizens of the
country; but its work must be claSsed
among educational efforts, and by judi
cious Investigations and the fearless pub
LEGATION thereof 1t may and should ena-
bic the people to comprehend more clearly
and more fully many of the problems
which now veX them"
This, then. is the fine Of work which
the bureau has carried out since its es-
tablishment, and which has resulted in
tically all phases Of labor conditions in
this country, with published accounts
thereof. >,
a history of this bureau. if shown by
means of chart, would be similar to
the efforts Of "a small country: store. to
grow up with the, community. going up.
then down, but finally reaching an as
sured position. But long. before there
was a bureau to wage the war OF exist
ence, Legislative efforts had been going
on for its establishment. AS far back as
1871 George F. Hoar, a representative
from Massachusetts introduced bill in
the House ito provide for the appoint
ment OF a commission on the subject of
wages and hours of labor and the di-
vision of profits between labor and CAPT.
tai in the United States.' Later that
same year Mr.. HOar reintroduced his bill,
with certain amendments, and it passed.
uary, the following year, was referred to
the committee on education. 1t was re-
ported back !by Senator Sawyer with a
Few minor amendments tackled on. but
nothing was done that session and the
bill was left. to die the same death thou
sands upon thousands of other bills have
been left to. suffer.
Massachusetts. however was keenly
alive to the need of federal bureau of
labor. and the failure of her representa-
tive did not check her efforts Early in
1873 the legislature of Massachusetts sent
a resolution to Congress asking for the
establishment Of a national bureau of la
Dor. That same year Mr.. Murch of Maine
introduced d bill for the establishment OF
such bureau. while Mr.. Hoar then
senator. introduced a bill for the estab-
llshinent OF labor commission No
action, however. was taken on either
bill. The following year a bill was in
troduced to establish several bureaus, one
OF labor statistics among them, in the
department OF the Interior, but this bill
was never even considered. This state of
analrs continued for some time Finally.
IN 1891. a bill was passed establishing a
bureau OF labor in the Department of the
interior, and was signed by the Presi-
uen' June - OF that year The act pro-
Niueu tnat The commissioner of labor
shall collect Information upon the sub
Ject OF labor, Its relation to capital the
hours OF labor and the earnings of labor
ing men and women. and the means of
thciI material, social. 10telleC-
tuaI and moral prosperity"
during this fight for federal Office
pertaining to labor Massachusetts was
most prominent. due largely to the fact
~ tme estapishment of bureau of sta
ustlcs OF labor in that state Behind the
later pllis, too. were the efforts Of va
flouS labor organizations that had sent
repeated petitions. Once the bureau was
organized od which took place January,
1888, the labor organizations did not
cease in their endeavors The bureau
had been in existence but three years
When the Knights of Labor asked that
congress create a department Of labor.
Representative O'Neill Of Missouri to thic
end introduced bill in the House which
was passed promptly by both branches of
Congress, and the bureau became a do
pdrtment June, 1883
All that was really accomplished by
thls act was to give the bureau indie
pendent functions and an indanend.n+
name, as the work was continued along
the same lines as before and the head Of
the ne" department was not made a
Hiemper or the cabinet. Then, in 1909
came the passage of the act este bIishinp
Department of Commerce and Labor
Which resulted in the one-time DEPART
heht Oh LABOR returning to it's former no.
sition OF bureau. And now, in view
VI me present agitation in favor of
department of labor. perhaps the bureau
or today will rise to the dignity Of q de-
partment once more.
The work of the bureau is COMPOSED of
two principal lines of work. closely re-
lated to each other
Reports ana These are special
T,.,4;,,,4;. inves igations in
con ton with
vital subjects with their subsequent re-
ports, and statistical work. Charles p
Neill, as commissioner Of labor, has
charge of the work of the entire bureau.
but G.. w. w. Hanger is directly in
charge of the statistical work. The pow
of the commissioner are SO broad
that he can undertake practically any
investigation which in his judgment re-
lates to the welfare Of the working peo-
pie of the country.
Working along lines slightly different
from those of the majority of govern
ment bureaus. it is only natural that the
general results should differ also. AS
broad statement it is safe to say that all
government departments, together with
their respective branches, issue annual
reports. Yet. taken in its usual sense,
the bureau of labor does not. The annual
statement of this branch of government
has for several years been confined solely
to an account of the bulletins published
during the year and those in preparation,
together with a brief account Of the work
done in connection with the government
workingmen's compensation act, as con-
tanned in the report to the Secretary of