Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-26
LABOR DEPT. IS
QUITE A LUXURY,
PROBE D|SCLOSES
Inspectors Work at Their Own
Homes and Expense Accounts
Are Never Audited.
Especial to the newark star.l

TRENTON, Feb. 26-That the State
Department OF Labor is more of a
luxury than a necessity was clearly
brought out in the last hour of yes
terday afternoons investigation by
the new Economy and Efficiency
Commission. This information was
drawn in so many words from Com
missioner Lewis T. Bryant, the head
of the department, who admitted that
his twenty-one inspectors have free
rein in their work and that absolutely
no cneck is kept on them.
Theirs is a gentleman's job said
Commissioner Bryant when Assem-
blyman Walter L. McDermott asked
him If he could locate any of his men
at any hour on a working day. II
have no occasion to keep informed
on their whereabouts" he continued
IF l cannot trust these men / do not
want them around me. / would not
follow them and institute a check
system upon Them
He returned similar answer when
asked If the men were not compelled
to get signatures from manufacturers
they visited to show they called where
they said they called. He admitted
that 1t might be possible for them
to work part days or not to work at
all on some days IL they made it up
on another day.
Expense Accounts Not Audited.
In the matter of expenses allowed
assistants and inspectors Mr.. McDer-
mott found other cause for complaint
and questioning. He brought out the
admissions that certain engineers who
served three days a week on an aver
n In tho main nffipP nf RI
ment OF Labor in Trenton were al
lowed railroad fares when they came
to Trenton from their homes outside
of this city, were ailowsd lunch money
on those days and in some instances
were allowed hotel expenses. so that
they might remain over night. Ex-
pense accounts were put in monthly
and the men took affidavit to them.
They we're not audited or corrected
in any way.
The case Of Miss Edna Allen caused
considerable questioning and Mr.,
Bryant admitted that while she Is
listed as Special Inspector" she
does no inspection work at all, but is
employed on office work. Her salary
Is 81, 500 year. Asked why she was
listed as an inspector, since she does
no inspection work, Mr.. Bryant re-
piled: "She has passed the examina-
tion for an Inspector"
He denied that she is only a stem
ographer and said her work Is not
merely clerical "She has charge OF
the licensing of bakers and con-
fectioneps., he said. 1T Is impor-
tsnt work. consider * " not stcno-
graphic work, because she dictates
many letters and receives many in
the course OF her work"
works Several Days Week,
Asked how many days each week
Miss Allen spends in the Trenton Of
flee, Mr.. Bryant said she came up
every week How often?" he was
asked. Several days each week." he
replied. 1t had been alleged that Miss
Allen, who lives In Atlantic City,
some weeks came to Trenton only one
day.
1t was also brought out that she
receives allowance for railroad fare
when she reports at the office of her
employment In Trenton. She is not
allowed lunch money or hotel ex-
penses, Mr.. Bryant said, but boards
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