Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-08-31
WELFARE WORK IS
MOVING STEADILY
State Studying Condition of Immi.
grants and Working on Labor
Bureau Problems

Steps are being taken at the State
Department OF Lauor and Industry for
study of the immigrants who will
come into Pennsylvania this fall and
they will be followed up not only as
to what lines of industry they take up
but as to their housing and living
conditions and other details which
will aid in the establishment in the
future of State employment bureaus.
to the immigration that takes place
in case there is revival of industry
in the State when the countries which
ordinarily furnish the unskilled labor
are at war. This is considered to be
an excellent time to begin studies.
The State has been making an eN-
tensive study of employment bureaus
in other states and has had the
cooperation of the United States Bu-
reau of Industrial Relations in its
Investigations. 1t is probable that a
system of employment agencies will be
worked out before many months.
Safety in Quarries
Owing to the illness of James f..
Roderick. the State chief of mines, the
completion of the inquiry into safety
and other conditions in quarries, ore
banks and similar open-air operations
directed to be made by the last Cen
eral Assembly has been delayed. Chief
Roderick has been i'll for several weeks
and his recovery will be prolonged.
but before his illness he undertook
the inquiry and considerable data has
been gathered which will be submitted
to the Legislature in January.
1t was the idea to have the quarries
! investigated so that a system of in
spection, similar in part to the mine
inspection, could be devised. Several
bills for such systems. notably for
slate and cement quarries, have been
drafted in recent years.
To Secure Uniformity
A series of conferences will be held
this week at the State Department of
Labor and Industry for the purpose of
working out a plan for Standardization
of accident reports required from
manufacturing Establishments, rail-
| roads, quarries, mines and other op-
erations, and national, state, manu-
! facturers and labor organizations will
participate. For some time prelimi-
nary meetings have been held and
ideas presented by governmental,
labor, corporation and insurance ex-
! perts.
During the week a conference of
Pennsylvania people will be held and
| it will he followed by a meeting at
which officials will come from Wash
ington to represent the national gov
! ernment and from other states to dis
cuss the uniform provisions. The
| Public Service Commission and State
! Department of Mines are cooperating
with the Department of Labor and In
dustry and it is expected that forms
I will be much simpli1ed.
Grade Crossings, Too
The subject of grade crossings will
| be given consideration by the Public
Service Comm issioners at meetings
during September and when the first
| meeting is held tomorrow reports on
! a number Of crossings will he taken
| up. including some in Erie county
which were inspected by the members
of the commission.
Several forms of grade crossings
| have been under study including
| those i'm Philadelphia. where an ex-
| tensive program is under way; grade
crossings in boroughs in half a dozen
| countless municipal viaducts such as
| those in Wilkes Barre, New Castle.
| Butler and other places; rural grade
crossings and intersections of steam
and electric railroads. For months
| data regarding traffic and accidents at
crossings have been gathered and the
problems are being gone over by engi-
neers.