Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-11-09
SOLDIERS WILL
BE GIVEN HELP
Labor and Industry Depart
ment Starts Series of I'M
portant Conferences

Plans for meeting conditions Of in
dustrial readjustment in Pennsyl-
vania following the close of the war
and for coping with conditions prior
to its close, were outlined by Acting
Commissioner Walter McNichols, re-
Gently appointed to head the Depart
ment of Labor and Industry, in a
series of conferences held during the
last two days by principal officials
of the department.
Acting Commissioner McNichols an
nounced that the principal aims of the
Department of Labor and Industry
will be to cooperate with employers
and employees, to prevent employ
ment of women and children during
too long work periods or at insult
able tasks; to prevent excessive labor
turnover; to aid in finding suitable
jobs for returned disabled and able
bodied soldiers and sailors; to keep
industrial conditions stabilized
throughout the state and to meet
promptly through the Emergency
ency toward unemployment of num-
bers of workers; to prevent strikes
or lockouts; to prevent, in any To-
cality. increase of industrial acci-
dents, due to shifting of workers to
new tasks, and to make every effort
to reduce the present accident toll;
to aid municipalities of the state in
formulating plans for local public
work especially during the recon
struction period.
The Industrial Board, of the depart
ment, is perfecting arrangements to
keep in close touch with the indus
trial situation and at the first sign
of any tendency towards unemploy-
ment of great numbers of men will
Immediately make known the fact.
as required by law, to the Emergency
Public Work Commission.
statewide survey Of tasks now
performed by women in industrial
plants, and heretofore regarded as
mems work, is to be started at once
by the Industrial surgeons and en-
gineers of the Division of Hygiene
and Engineering Of the Department.
This survey is to be made for the
purpose of analyzing women's pres
ent tasks In industry to safeguard
women against work of heavy char
acter that may be detrimental to
their health and to the health of
future genexations.
Plans for close cooperation with
employers and employees are being
formulated in order that it may be
definitely known that the Department
of Labor and Industry has no auth
ority to let down the labor laws in
any plant nor to allow night work of
women in manufacturing establish
ments nor longer hours of work for
children than designated in existing
state statutes.
That Industrial accidents may be
kept to a minimum, methods for close
cooperation between the Bureau of
Inspection and the Bureau of Statis-
tics and Information are being per-
fected. AS accident reports are re-
ceived daily in the Bureau of Statis-
tics and Information any indication
of increase of accidents in any local
ity of the state. will be Immediately
made known to the Bureau of Inspec-
tion for concentrated activities along
lines of inspection for safeguards and
for safety education, in such local
tiles. in addition to the constant
work of the department to cut down
The waste from Industrial casualties
Through the Bureau of Municipal
tiles every assistance will be given
every municipality in the state desir-
ing to institute public works or
planning following the close Of the
war.