Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-25

salaries of $4,000. The peculiar word
| ing OF the act empowers the COM
| missioner of labor to fix these sal
aries. 1t seems improper that ht
should have a discretion.
THE work of inspection seems tc
be completely disorganized. There Is
no check on the men in the field
except their own weekly reports. II
| is rather probable that they are the
a species of police duty who are sub
| jected to no surveillance and who re-
port only once a week.
/ 1.-The commissioner explained, when
! the reason for this laXity was asked,
that he considered inspection to be
the work of gentlemen, and did not
care to challenge the reports of the
| inspectors. In New York the inspec-
tors of the department of labor report
every night and their work is gone
over by supervisors.
Inspectors Work Fell OF.
1.-The effects are shown in the re-
ports of the department, for they
show an astonishing decline In inspec-
tions from the day that the present
commissioner took hold. In the first
year of his service the inspectors were
very mucn less than half as numerous
as they had been the year before
under his predecessor. They have in
creased slightly in their total num-
Der from year to year as inspectors
have been added, but the average in
spection man has steadily declined
until in 1911, it dropped so that there
was barely one inspection per day by
each inspector. In 1912 the report OF
the department contains no record
whatever of inspections. In W1scon-
sin, with a force of thirteen inspee-
tors, there were in 1912 11,l97 inspec-
lions. In New Jersey, in the year
before, 1911, with force of inspectors
almost double in number, or more
than double (for the so-called Eek
perts" are simply inspectors) there
were only 1913 inspections. In 1912
the Tenement House Commission.
with an inspection force of about the
same number as the labor department,
effected over $4,000 inspections, to say
nothing of a multitude of other activi-
ties.
Records Not Kept Up.
1T is submitted tht the chief OBJ
ject of the labor department is the
protection of human life and health.
The character of the departments
work is reflected in the statistics of
mortality and accidents. 1t is to
be npted that beginning with the first
year of service of the present COM
missioner. there has been no record
in the department of the number of
deaths of the nature of injuries oc-
curing in New Jersey factories. In
every other State and in foreign
countries these statistics are treated
as of substantial Importance, and are
published in great detail. Fortunate
ly, New Jersey has had, in its bureau
of statistics. means of noting these
results of the administration of the
labor department, which would 9TH
erwise be lacking.
1T appears beyond all question that
the number of deaths and serious ac-
cidents in the factories of New Jer-
sey is increasing at an alarming rate:
In 1911, 81 We're killed, 278 seriously
injured; in 1912, 8 were killed, 447 Sc
riously injured; i'll 1913, 116 were
killed, Az seriously injured. In the
last five months the rate of deaths
has been still greater than in 1913.
1.-The commissioner of labor con-
tended that this was because the re-
ports of the Employers Liability
Commission revealed more injuries
than heretofore. This is an error, for
in spite of a great accumulation of
unassorted reports of accidents the
bureau of statistics reports more
deaths in all the industries of New
Jersey than the department of labor.
The number of deaths in all indus
tries and occupations reported by the
department of labor in 1912 was only
1913, whereas in the same year the
number of deaths reported in all in
dustries by the bureau of statistics
was 325, a
Jersey Accidents on Increase.
Elsewhere, under intelligent adj
ministration of safety laws, casualties
are being reduced IN number In 1911
the Pennsylvania railroad reduced
its serious shop accidents sixty three
per cent; since January, 1912, the
same company has shown a decrease
in shop accidents from about 800 per
month to slightly over 10 per month.
Other railroads and industries also
exhibit substantial decreases. Ac-
cording to the Federal Bureau of
Mines, there has been great decrease
| in mortality among miners. in face,
| the great work of saving life and
limb among the Industries seems to
be making strides everywhere except
in New Jersey. In our State, n 1872,
NOThtIldA WIS killed. III Il ldClf2+ y,
on an average, every two and one
half days. In Tolman's work on
Safety" the effect of such conditions
is we'll described. He says, page 81:
Serious accidents completely de-
moralize shop. This Generalization
may last for day or a week. During
this period of distress and excitement
the operatives are inefficient and ex-
pectant of further trouble. and the
rate of production drops, while spoil
age and seconds due to nervousness
and inattention increase. Considering.
also, that the absence of employees
is greater and the whole spirit and
morale of the plant broken down, the
economic advantage of accident pre-
vent on becomes apparent.
The Commission of Labor admitted
that up to six months ago he had no
system for following up and reporting
accidtnts. That he has any such
system now is to be doubted. In 1act,
the policy of the department to lay
slight stress upon accident preven-
ton, or the investigation of accidents
and their causes was commented upon
IN 1909, IN a report made by the gov
eminent of the United States. The
work of the Employers Liability
Commission is now merged in the
labor department. II the report of
this branch of the department are to
he taken as the measure of it's use
tulness. it is hard to see why it
should be continued at such great ex-
pense. Except for n schedule of COM
pensation for injuries somewhat re-
sembl'ng those published in other
states, the reports are not to be
aou1f,ffred in usefulness with tbosa Of