The Cordova daily times., 1921-05-12
LABOR REPORT PRESENTED TO
 LEGISLATURE

Strong commendation of the work of ex-officio Labor Commissioner B. D. Stewart for his work in that of flee, in addition to his heavy duties as mine inspector, was contained in the report of tn ehouse committee on capital, labor and immigration re- garding the biennial report which the labor commissioner submitted to the house through the office of Governor Riggs. The report recommends that 750 copies of the report of MT. Stew art be printed flor the reason it con- tains tha first authentic and compre- hensive account of labor conditions and labor in our greatest industry the fisheries, which employs over 10000 people,"
 The committee report concluded: Considering that the office of labor commissioner is only an adjunct to that of the mining inspector and ne cessarily a great deal of time could not be given to the duties of labor commissioner, B. D. Stewart our min ing inspector, ex-officio labor commits sioner, is to be commended for the good work he has done in inspecting over 30 canneries in this minor branch of his office."
 Mir. Stewart devotes some attention 0 iy, l., report which covers a period from June 1, 1919 to December 31, 1920. He reports a serious labor shortage in the mining industry in 1919 and the early part of 1920, together with a marked drop in efficiency particular ly in the coastal sections. A similar shortage, it is stated was experienced in labor in the interior but the eff ficiency there was much higher. The Alaska road commission, he states, was the principal sufferer from the shortage of labor in the interior.
 Taking up the social side of the labor situation, the report declares social conditions at some canneries as affecting female employees are in many cases bad" and it strongly recommended that further investi- gation should be made into social conditions where native girls are employed" The report further states: The practice of parents al lowing girls or boys of high school age be sent from home to work in outlying canneries should be discour- aged"
 The report states that the opera tion of title fourteen of the revenue act of 1918 passed by congress in- hibiting the employment of children under the age of 19 years of age not only caused a shortage of certain classes of labor in the canneries, but caused a hardship on many native families unable to comply with the provisions of the act. This, it is stat ed, was somewhat improved during the past season by certain modified tions but 1t Is recommended that an effort be made to have the natives removed from the provisions of the act. .... ...
 A total of 20,565 people were em- ployed in canneries and allied plants during the season of 1920, according to the report, which was slightly less than the number employed the year previous. The money paid out in wages, however, last season was higher than in 1919. In 1920 wages paid amounted to $11,39s90 as con- pared to $10,90172 in 1919. Con- menting on the wage question, the report states. "A matter worthy of emphasis and, serious study Is the fact that the bulk of the cannery labor is imported from the states, is employed but four months in Alaska and is returned to the states and there paid for the seasons work. Thus Alaska loses almost entirely the benefit of the $11, 100000 payroll in- volved in Alaskan fishing operations"
 The report covers the accidents to employees in the canneries only, a similar statement being made in the mine inspectors report o1 the min ing inspectors report on the mining industry. In the canneries during the year 1919 there were ten fatal ac- cidents, 42 serious in nature and 35 slight. In 1920 there was an increase in fatalities of almost 100 per cent, the number being placed at IS, the number of serious accidents at 43 and of slight iniurjes at 23