The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-09-24
DOHERTY REPLIES TO
DAWS0N'S CRITICISM
Declares All Matter. Exclusive Of Sta
tistical Tables. Are Reported Up
To Within Sixty Days.

State Labor Commissioner James
p. Doherty yesterday issued a state
ment replying to that of former Presi-
dent f. c. Dawson. of the State Fed
Grafton of Labor, In which Mr.. Dawson
criticised the State bureau of Labor
and its management Mr. Doherty, ir
reply to Mr.. Dawson, says:
This is the second criticism that
has been aimed at the department III
the last several weeks. The first criti-
cism was based on the ground that
the department had failed TO enforce
the labor laws of this Commonwealth
In my answer to that criticism, I
showed that Virginia exceeded every
State in the Union by a large margin.
In fact. the nearest competitor to
virginia was Illinois. which showed
twenty-six and onehah cases per in
spector, which Virginia averaged one
hundred and twentyfour and one-half
per Inspector. The critics of the de-
partment were una BILE 10 find a flaw
or to disaprove a single figure is
sued by the bureau showing its ac-
tivity In the enforcement of the labor
laws of this Commonwealth
Being unable TO further crit.cise
the enforcement of the law Mr..
Dawson undertakes 10 critictse the
report of the department. He says
that. the statistics are eighteen months
old when published. This statement
is based on ignorance or is a de-
liberate attempt TO mislead the people
Of this city. The statistics published
by the Department of Labor covering
manufacturers included all work done
to December 81 of the previous year.
That Is TO say that the statistics pub
lished for the year 1915 will cover
all work done 10 December 81. 1914.
The tables for this report have been
ready for the printer since July ] &.
and cannot he published until the
Superintendent of Public Printing lets
his contract and this is usually done
on or about September is Of each
year.
THE figures in the report for the
year previous are used only for com
parative purposes. They are used In
order that a person reading the re-
port can make comparisons as to
decreases or increases without the
necessity of having to look up the re-
port of the previous year. The ws-ges
and hours covering railroad employees
are made up to June so. 1915. The
reports OF inspectors. both for coal and
factories, include all inspections made
to August l of this year. Hence. all
matters entering tHe report. btneF
than statistical tables. are made up to
within sixty days OF the time the re-
port goes to the press. The tables
are made up as above stated to De-
cember 81 Of the previous year.
"As to the issuing Of bulletins. the
law governing the Department of
Labor provides that II shall be the
duty OF the said bureau to collect
assert, systematize and present In an
nual reports to the Governor. to be
by him bienially transmitted to the
Legislature. statistical details relating
10 all departments OF labor. Hence
the department is not authorized to is
sue any publication other than the an
nual report.
AS to the time of publication and
the matters treated In the reports:
Virginia compares favoEahly with any
department in the United States with
a like Appropriation and. in fact. sur
passes many departments which oper-
ate with greater appropriations