Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-26
LABOR DEPARTMENT LUXURY,
DISCL OSED BY STATE PROBE


, when he and Mr. McDermott get to-
gether. as tney are almost certain to
do. it is prophesied that things will
be very lively indeed.
/ Mr.. Murray continued to bore in
with persistent inquiries as to those
| EXPENSE accounts. when these engi-
neers stay over, as you say they
sometimes do. they engage a room at
a hotel, we are to assume?' Yes,
said Mr.. Bryant And they charge
that up. do they?'
THEY charge that up, too" assented
| Mr.. Bryant
I Engineers Expense Accounts.
wv aat 40 their expense accounts
amount to-" asked Counsel Murray.
MIR. Leveredges is S75795, and Mr..
Weekss. S7i2," the witness replied.
MIR. Murray, | should like to read
for your assistance and that of the
commissioners a comparison of eX-
pense accounts of the Labor Depart
ment and the Bureau of Tenement
House Supervision, which depart
ments I insist are similar in many
RESPECTS. At the same time | would
like to ask Mr. Bryant when l have
finished how he explains the vast diff
ference" Mr. McDermott then read
the following figures from the two de-
partments Twenty-three accounts
of assistants and inspectors of both
departments were read and the posi-
tions were taken in regular order so
as to parallel their importance to
their departments.
The figures we're: Tenement house
bureau. $76. S95. s103. s121, s3S, 1882,
Sis. sl21 SO. S123, s12S. 1928, s13S,
s1O3, s1S4. $50. S1O6, S1O2, sos, $S5,
1874, S1l3 and sos: department of labor
s42. SIS, s43S, 1919, 1923, 1913, $3.50, S1S9,
s100 $3.50, $242, 1890, s517, $50, S5l5, SAT-,
1919. s522, s405, s497, 1922, 1886 and $S19
The figures were not totaled, but
the total showed wide differences, as
follows: Tenement house bureau eX-
penses, SAIL labor department eX-
penses. $I7S5.
Mr. McDermott pushed awkward
questions as to how much money had
been collected by the department in
penalties for infractions of rules. Mr..
Bryant said that he did not believe
the best results were obtained by
antagonizing manufacturers.
Mr.. Allen. of the tenement house
bureau. showed that his department
had collected $1,000 in penalties" said
Mr. McDermott. How much have
you collectedF.
No Tally on Collection.
Mr.. Bryant could not say, He
thought there ought to be 81 900 due
in penalties. but did not know how
much was actually collected.
How much has been collected in
penalties for infractions of the law
with regard to conditions in manu-
factories?" asked Mr.. McDermott.
1.-THE penalty for infractions of the
law is $50 said Mr.. Bryant. 1--WE
have prosecuted some twenty orI
thirty cases"
That is not what / asked" said
McDermott. ~ want to know what
has been collected.
Counsel Murray, in his imperturb
able way. came into the quizzins.
MIR. McDermott wants to know how
much money has actually been col
lected in fines and penalties" said he.
II should say about $1,000 said
Mr.. Bryant
Il want to know what amount has
been collected by the department by
the application of the law" said Mr..
McDermott.
What is your system of collecting
these penalties" asked Counsel Muir
ray, THE attorney general collects
the fines and transmits them to me,
replied Mr.. Bryant. II receive the
check and endorse it and send it to
the bank
How much have you received in
that way" asked Mr.. Murray. 81
do not know exactly" said Mr.
Bryant. ut ought to be about $1,000.
Ny idea of this department is not
that it is money making PROPOSE
ton. ?"
Mine Inspections Dropped.
Mr. McDermott was apparently con-
sumed with a desire to know why it
was that certain laws that had OBJ
tanned up to the time that Commits
sioner Bryant was appointed, in 1904,
We're abrogated by other laws in
which he had some interest, from the
fact that he was consulted before they
were drafted, neglected those feat
ures entirely. One of these, TO which
Mr.. McDermott attached the greatest
Importance was that requiring the
inspection of mines. He succeeded in
showing that never since Mr.. Bryant
has been in office has there been any
supervision at all over mines. Not
even the child labor in mines has
been supervised, Mr.. Bryant admit
ted
81 cannot be held responsible for
the legislation that has been passed
by the Legislature" Mr.. Bryant eX-
claimed. not once, but three or four
times, during the investigation to-
day. Mr., McDermott took exception
to this. us it not a coincidence" he
exclaimed, that several of the labor
laws were repealed just after you
went into office? You say yourself
that you were responsible for the
passage of several laws recently
which are apparently good laws.
How do you account for the fact that
during the whole time that you were
in office no inspection of the mines in
the State was instituted"
Mr.. Bryant could not say.
The probe will be resumed next
Monday.