The Washington herald., 1914-12-08
urges NATIONAL
LABOR EXCHANGE
Industrial Commission Favors
Establishment of Federal
Employment Bureau.
SUBMITS EIPST REpnRT
SUBMITS FIRST REPORT
Says Casual Employment Is Menace
to American Institutions. Resulting in
Vagrancy and Disintegration.

The first annual report Of the United
States Commission on Industrial Rela-
tions was filed with Congress yesterday,
the commission having been appointed
by Congress to inquire into the underly-
ing causes of industrial unrest and to
formulate a working program.
Nothing comes so clear to the COM
mission as the imperative necessity of
organizing a market for labor on a mod
ern business basis. so that there will be
no vacant jobs and idle workers in the
same community at the same time. or
within distance where the transportation
Is practicable" says the report.
The concensus of opinion is that legis-
lation for a national system of labor
exchanges is an immediate necessity.
The plan the commission proposes to
establish a bureau OF employment in the
Department of Labor which would CO.
operate with State and municipal en-
ployment offices. regulate private agencies
doing interstate business and establish
clearinghouse for distributing informa-
ton, thus uniting all labor exchanges
into one national system.
Casual Labor Il Menace.
THE system Of casual labor, by which
men are hired for a few hours a day, a
few days a week, is filled with menace.
not only to industry. but to American
institutions. From casual and infrequent
labor it is but a step to vagrancy and
general disintegration. and out OF these
despairs and revolts serious dangers
threaten organized society"
The report declares that both parties
to the industrial conflict are coming
to be possessed of a very definite dis
to those institutions that should have
the respect. support, and confidence
of every citizen.
AnalyZinE the testimony OF wit
nesses at the hearings. the commits
sion finds substantial agreement by all
witnesses as to the following causes
of industrial unrest:
Largely a worldwide movement
arising from a laudable desire for bet
ter living conditions.
"a protest against low wages. long
hours and improper VI king conditions
in many industries
"A desire on the part of the work
ers for a voice in the determination of
under which they labor. and
a revolt against arbitrary treatment
of individual forkers and suppression
of organization.
Unemployment a Cause.
Unemployed and insecurity of en-
ployment.
Unjust distribution of the products
of industry.
misunderstanding and prejudice.
Agitation and agitators.
Rapid rise in prices as compared
with wages.
THE rapidly growing feeling that re-
dress for injuries and oppression cannot
be secured through existing institutions"
In addition says the report 1T has
been stated by many witnesses that the
tremendous immigration OF the last quar-
ter century, while not itself a direct
cause of unrest, has served to accentuate
the conditions arising from other causes
by creating an oversupply OF labor un-
ia miliar with American customs, Ian
guage. and conditions
According to the commissions report
some of the causes of unrest advanced
by employers at the hearings are as
follows:
Normal and healthy desire for better
living conditions
misunderstanding and prejudice. Lack
Of conception that interests OF both labor
and capital are Identical.
Agitation by politicians and irrespon-
sible agitators
Unemployment.
Unreasonable demands arising from
strength Of organization.
Labor leaders who stir up trouble 20
keep themselves in office and TO graft
On employers
'Inefficiency Of workers, resulting in
cost OF living
Rapidly increasing complexity OF in
iustry.
Sudden transition OF large number
of foreigners from repression to freedom.
which makes them an easy prey to agi-
tators.
Universal craze to get rich quick"