The Washington times., 1921-09-24
CHECK ON
CREED IS
D|SL|kED
Employers Prefer to Have Mobs
Of Unemployed Hanging
Around Gates of Factories.

Abolition Of the Department of
Labor, affecting 1,165 employees of
that department in the District of
Columbia, is being sought and lobbied
for by certain interests who seek
to destroy the department for their
own material gain" it was charged
today by officials Of that department.
Politics Involved.
Despite efforts of Congress to keep
politics out OF the Administration 8
reorganization program, on which
the joint Congressional committee of
six is now working with the Presi-
dents personal representative, Walter
r. Brown, 1t became known that a
campaign by outside interests Is now
being waged to have the department
abolished.
High labor officials, while admit
ting that certain interests were seek
ing to abolish the department, were
reticent about discussing the charge,
due to the fact that the bill creating
the joint reorganization commission
effectually gags" all Government
officials and clerks from discussing
or lobbying either for or against any
matter pertaining 10 the re-orSaniza.
pTOkTaI1, VI
missal from the service. Their dis
pleasure was manifest, however, due
to their predicament Of being the tar
get for propaganda seeking to abol-
ish the department, without being
able to either act or speak i'll their
own behalf.
Gag" Rule Effective.
Members of the reorganization
commission refused to affirm or deny
the report that the department would
be abolished, but it was intimated at
the White House yesterday that the
department would not only be con-
tinued, but that the scope of it's work
would be broadened by the creation
of the department Of labor and wei
fare to continue the present work Of
the department and the proposed pub
lie welfare work, under the present
Secretary of Labor.
1t was pointed out that while many
other branches of the Government
are a perpetual expense to the tax
payers, that such is not the case
with the Department OF Labor, which
is more than self supporting. Finan-
cial statement of the department
shows that for the fiscal year end
ing June so. 1921, the department
gress, a total Of $5.044,4 ,430, while 1t
turned back to the Treasury s6,012.-
600 for the same fiscal year, showing
net profit to the Government OF
S976.00o. Receipts Of the department
are dertYed chiefly through the Bu-
reau Of immigration.
Founded by Taft.
The persistent rumors that the de.
partment would be abolished, officials
stated. was Of political character and
given credence as a matter Of political
expedience in the belief that the Re-
publicans would abolish the depart.
ment, undoing the work of the Demo.
cratic party in establishing 1t, result
ing in Secretary Of Labor Wilson,
Democrat, being the first incumbent.
The records show, however, that the
establishment of the Department Of
Labor was the last official act Of
President Taft, he signing the bill Gre
ating that department only a few min
utes before he left the White House
for the Capitol to participate in the
first Inauguration Of President Wilson.
Nothing would please capital or
large employers of labor more than to
have the department abolished" labor
officials declared. Eight years Of ac-
tual practice has clearly demonstrated
the fact that the department is sue.
cessfully performing it's function. and
the departments activities in effect.ne
settlement of strikes and keeping the
unemployment down as much as Dos.
sible has proven thoroughly displeas-
ing to capitalistic interest.
The ideal situation, from the view.
point Of many labor employers, is to
have mobs Of unemployed men clamor-
ing at their gates for employment. II
10 an effectual club over those already
employed and helps the employer to
keep wages down.
Abolition Of the department, it was
declared, would be boon to capital
and a blow to the laboring man
should the department. be abolished II
would effect 1868 employees outside Of
the District.