Evening star., 1920-06-25
LABOR BUREAUS
TO CURTA|L WORK
Cancellation and Statistics
Employees Will Have to
Be Released.

Work of two bureaus of the De-
partment of Labor will be seriously
curtailed and many employees re-
leased during the fiscal year begin
ming July 1, because of limited ap-
propriations.
The two bureaus. whose appropria-
tions have been seriously cut are the
bureau of conciliation and the bureau
of labor statistics. The bureau OF
conciliation. with a field force OF
thirty men and an othce lorce IN
Washington of four, has had its ap-
preparation cut in half over the apo
preparation for the fiscal year i9zo
from $500. 900 to 100000. :,
In the face of continued outbreak
of strikes and sporadic labor trou-
chief agency of the government IN
alleviating labor troubles, VIII pc
forced to practically cut it's work IN
half, Hugh l.. kerwin, director OF tne
bureau. said today. Not only VIII
the actual work of the bureau De
cut, but about half of the trained
force of conciliators. experienced III
the handling of strikes and indus-
trial troubles. will be released Many
already have found other employ
ment. During the fiscal year enned
June go 1919. the bureau handled
l,lSU cases OF lluHStIisil
per cent of which were settIeo
through the mediation of the gov
ernment agents.
Field Forces FuriOughed.
Most of the field force of the bu-
reau already has been furloughed. as
the bureau is now out of funds ana
must wait until July l for its new
appropriation to become avalla PIE.
Within the past few weeks labor dit-
ficulties. involving in one case as
high as 10000 men. have been re-
ferred to the bureau with requests
for conciliation. but the bureau mas
been unable to supply concll1ators
owing to the limited funds at It's dls-
posal. In one of these cases state
troops were called in ana trouple
ensued. During the coming fiscal
wear unless the strike situation is
very much bettered, the bureau VIII
be able to do very little in setting
industrial troubles.
The appropriation of the bureau or
labor statistics for studying statistics
relating to the cost of living and oth-
er statistics used in various govern
ment reports has been cut from $29!:.
14O to S24296O. Several EMPLOYEES VIII
be dropped shortly after July 1 ana
their places will not be filed, owing
to the limited appropriation In all
twenty-five places in the bureau nave
been discontinued.
Work Confronting Bureau.
Greatly amplified work to be under
taken by the bureau of Immigration
during the coming fiscal year must be
accomplished on the same approprIa-
ton as last year-S260, 900. The bu-
reau will have to care for the 5000
persons arrested and ordered held for
deportation and must also function
under the seamen's act. On the other
hand immigration has been restricted.
The appropriation for the women's
bureau has been raised from $4,000
to $4,000. With these additional
funds the bureau will amplify its re-
search work into the women in in
dustry subject and will supplement its
report with additional recommends
tions as to hours and working condi-
tions for woman workers.
The bureau of naturalization, which
last year got $3.50, ,000, has had appro-
priated S525.OOO for the fiscal year be-
ginning July /.
The biggest cut in the appropria-
tions for the Department of Labor
came in the employment service.
which received an appropriation of
S225,000. In 1918 the employment
service received s5,50O.O00 to continue
it work of finding employment. The
service has been reduced to a bare
skeleton working basis and some of
the employees will have to be drop
ped.