Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-24
DROPPING Of LABOR
DEPARTMENT SEEN
BY RALPH BARTON.

III
Copyright, 1921
WASHINGTON, May 21-Destruc-
tion of the department of labor is the
aim of several of the so-called re-
organization plans for the govern
ment departments, in the opinion of
prominent labor men, who are par
ticularly disturbed over the proposal
to remove the bureau of labor statis-
tics to the department of commerce.
They assert that the present assault
on the department is merely the eli
max of long opposition on the part
of business interests and powerful
group in congress.
proposals for the establishment
OF department of public welfare
nave from the first been looked UPON
WIN suspicion by the American Fed
ers and others have made known
their definite opposition to such a
project. The Kenyon-Fess bill to
create such a department originally
planned the removal of the woman's
bureau and this childrens bureau
although in its present form only the
latter will be transferred, the trans
Ter of the former would readily be
maze possible within short time.
ers and his associates that the de-
partment of labor was created for
the welfare of the dage-earners Of
the country, who comprise by far the
greater part of the population, and
iaht the organizations now included
IN the department should for that
reason remain there. The depart
ment of labor is, in short, held to
be a department of public welfare
insofar as the Workingmen and wom-
en- OF the nation and their families
are concerned.
The recently introduced Mccormick
Dill, which also provides for the Gre
atlon OF department of public well
Isre. is now being considered in con-
nfctlon with the Kenyon-Fess bill.
IL is much more favorably regarded
by labor interests than the other, for
1t does not in any way affect the
present department of labor organt-
cation.
1t is not only the ,Kenyon-t ess bill
and similar proposals that have caus-
ed apprehension in organized labor,
however, for Herbert uoover's
recommendation that the bureau of
labor statistics be Incorporated in
the department of commerce is con-
Sldered a much more serious thing
The bureau of labor statistics gath
ers information regarding wages and
living costs. These Were used ex-
tensively during the war 10 adjust
wages, ana at present the bureau is
working on new living cost figures TO
determine what basis should be
adopted in wage reduction policies.
Removal of the immigration and
naturalization bureaus from the de-
partment of labor has also been sug-
gested. If that were done and the
labor statistics, women'S and chill
dren's bureaus were transferred only
the Cancellation work of the depart
ment would be left and the depart
ment would be practically disman-
tied. Labor suspects certain poWe
full manufacturing interests, aligned
with the open shop" movement as
being behind the campaign to divest
the department of all it's functions,
and in support of that view it is
pointed out taht at the end of the
war, when the departments war time
activities were needed in the interest
of the returned soldiers rather than
of the enterprises engaged in war
work. those war time activities--the
war labor board, the war labor poll
cies board, the investigation and in
spection service, the training service,
the information and education serV-
ice. the working conditions service
and others-Were promptly put out