The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1920-07-13
BUREAUS OF
LABOR Dept
CURTAIL WORK

Work of two bureaus of the De-
partment Of Labor in Washington will
be seriously curtailed and many en-
ployss released during the fiscal year
beginning July 1 because of limited
appropriations.
The two bureaus whose appropria-
lions have been seriously cut are the
bureau of Cancellation and the bureau
of labor statistics. The bureau of con-
Citation, with a field force of 80 men
and an office force in Washington of
four, has had its appropriation cut in
half over the appropriation for the
fiscal year 1920 from 100000 to
$100, 900.
In the face of continued outbreak
of strikes and sporadic labor troubles,
agency of the government in alleviat-
ing labor troubles. will be forced to
practically cut its work in half Hugh
L. Kerwin, director Of the bureau,
said. Not only will the actual work
Of the bureau be cut, but about half
of the trained force of conciliators,
experienced in the handling of strikes
and industrial troubles, will be re1eas-
ed Many already have found other
employment. During the fiscal year
ended June 80. 1919, the bureau
handled 1.7SO cases of industrial
trouble, 95 per cent. of which were
settled through the mediation of the
government agents.
Most of the field force of the bu-
| reau already has been furloughed, as
the bureau is now out of funds and
! must wait for it's new appropriation
| to become available. Within the last
| few weeks labor difficulties, involving
| in one case as high as 10000 men,
| have been referred to the bureau with
| requests for Cancellation, but the bu-
reau has been unable to supply con-
| ciliators owing to the limited funds
at its disposal. In of these
cases state troops were called in and
| trouble enSued. During the coming
| fiscal year, unless the strike situation
] is very much bettered. the bureau
will be able to do very little in set
| Ting industrial troubles.
| The appropriation of the bureau OF
| labor statistics for studying statistics
| relating to the cost of living and othe,
statistics used in various government
| reports has been cut from $297, AZ
to s242, 800. Several employees soon viii
be dropped and their places will MOI
be filed owing to the limited ap,
preparations In a1I-22 places in the
bureau have been discontinued.
Greatly amp1ified work to be I'm
| dertaken by the bureau of immigra
| ton during the coming fiscal yeal
| must be ccomplished on the same
appropriation as last year-s260,O 900
The bureau will have to care for thu
| 5000 persons arrested and ordered
| held for deportation and must alst
| function under the Seamen'S act. o.
the other hand immigration has beef
| restricted.
The appropriation for the women
bureau has been raised from $40, 00
to $4,000. With these additiona
funds the bureau will amplify it's re
search work into the women in in
dustry subject and will supplement
its report with additional recommen
dations as to hours and working con
ditions for woman workers.
The bureau of naturalization, wf1icl
last year got s55o.ooo, has had appro
priated $525,000 for the fiscal yea
beginning July 1.
The biggest cut in the appropria
, tons for the Department of Labo
came in the employment service
which received an appropriation c
s225,0O0. In 1918 the employmen
service received $5,5o0,00o to continu
| its work Of finding employment TIL
service has been reduced to a bar
skeleton working basis and some c
the employees will have to be dropped
l-WaShigton Evening Star