Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-24
DOHERTY DEFENDS WORK
OF BUREAU OF LABOR
Answers Emmett G. Dawson as to
What Has Been Accom-
plisiied.
STATISTICS LATEST TO BE HAD
Virginia Inspectors Averaged Larger
Number of Reports for Violation
OF Labor Laws Than Those OF Any
Other State.

The contest for tho Office of State
| Commissioner OF Labor grew several
degrees warmer yesterday when Com
missioner James b. Doherty issued Il
statement In which he makes tart re-
ply TO the sharp criticism of himself
ana his department pronounced against
him in published statement by En-
, nett {. Dawson. former president OF
the State Federation of Labor.
Commissioner Doherty says Dawson
Is either attempting 10 mislead tho
public or is ignorant OF the law and
! facts discussed by tho latter in his
criticism of Doherty's official conduct.
1t is apparent that sentiment in the
state Federation of Labor is divided
In the matter of the commissionership
night. although Commissioner DohertyS
friends assert that an overwhelming
majority of the unions In the State
favor his reappointmcnt. The friends
OF Howard T. Colvin and NJ. r. Face,
Dohcrty's opponents in the fight, claim
for each strong support in the Fedora
ton. Both tho Dohcrty and Pace sup
porters charge that Colvin Is tho can
didate of the Socialist element in tho
state Federation. Mr.. Colvin denies
that he Is the candidate Of any faction
In tho union ranks.
DOHERrY DEFENDS
WORK OF INSPECTORS
Tho statement Of Commissioner Do
herty reads:
This is the second criticism that has
been aimed at the department in tho
last several weeks. The first criti-
ctsm 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
tho Union by large margin. In fact.
the nearest competitor to Virginia was
Illinois. which showed twcnty-sx and
Ia,
Virginia averaged 124 l-9 per inspec-
tor. The critics of the department
were unable to find a flaw or to dis
prove single figure issued by the
bureau showing its activity in the
enforcement Of the labor laws of this
Commonwealth.
BEING unable to further criticize the
enforcement of the law. Mr.. Dawson
undertakes to criticize the report OF
the department. He says that the
statistics are eighteen months old
when published. This statement is
based on Ignorance or Is deliberate
attempt to mislead the people Of this
city. The statistics published by the
Department Of Labor covering manu-
facturers include all work done to De-
cember 81. of the previous year That
is TO say that the statistics published
for the year 1915 will cover all work
done TO December 81. 1914. The tables
for this report have been ready for
VIC piiHtci Since July ID, ana cannot
be published until the Superintendent
of Public Printing let's his contract
and this is usually done on or about
September % of each year.
FIGURES USED FOR
COMPARATIVE PURPOSES
The figures of the report for the
year previous are used only for com
parative purposes. They are used in
order that person reading the report
can make comparisons as TO decreases
| or increases without the necessity Of
having to look up the report of the
previous year. The wages and hours
covering railroad employees are made
up TO June 80, 1915. The reports of in
spectors, both for coal mines and fac
tories. include all inspections made to
Auguts ! OF this year. Hence all
matters entering the report. other
than statistical tables are made up
10 within sixty days of the time the
report goes to the press. The tables
arc 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 La
Dor provides that II shall be the duty
OF the said bureau to collect, assert
systematic and present in annual re-
ports TO the Governor, TO be by him
hienniany transmitted to the Legisla-
ture. statistical details relating TO all
departments OF labor. Hence, the de-
partment is not authorized to Issue any
publication other than the annual re-
port.
AS to the time of publication and
the matters treated In the reports:
Virginia compares favorabIy with any
department in the United States with n
ike appropriation. and in fact sur
passes many departments which oper-