Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-01-25
TELLS Of ACTIVITIES
Of BUREAU Of LABOR
Secretary Wilson Explains
Duties of Youngest De-
partment of Government
MANY RAMIFICATIONS
Achievements Accomplished During
War Told-Address by Rep. r. w.
|Moorc-M:ss Cummings Presides.

An interesting account of the ac-
t;vit.es Of the Department of LABOR
was given last night in an address
delivered by Secretary cf Labor VII
Fam 3. Wilson i'm the Young Peoples
hailciirg under the auspices of the
{ Cameron Club. A large audience at
tended which filled the had. Among
the guests of the club were a num-
Der of representative of the vari-
Gus labor organizations Of the city.
Miss Helen Norris Cummings, presi-
dent of the Virgiria State Women's
Organization work and chairman cf
the Alexandria Women's Federated
.Courcil on Employment, presided, and
introduced the speakers. Occupying
seats on the stage were numoer CT
prominent club women from Wash
ingon and ether places
The act creating the Department
of Labor, said Mr. Wilson, was one
of the last bills signed by President
Taft. This department, ne said, IS
the :baby department" of the gov
ernmenls and came into being March
d, 1913. He said he was its first sec
retary.
The early efforts for the creation
cf such a bureau were told by the
speaker. they dating back as far as
1888 when. the department of Con-
mcrce and Labor was formed.
Mr.. Wilson tcld of the creation Of
the clildren's bureau. Child labor, he
declared, is primarily labor prob
h1n. Labor he asserted reaches to ali
cf the ramificatIons OF humanity and
the child laoor problem IS part of the
work. Child welfare, said the speaker,
is essentially labor problem and The
chadren's bureau. he said, is perform
ing q wonste1rful service and viii con-
t:nue to 10 so. The immigration Bu-
reau, he said, also has been transfer.
red to the Department of Labor. 4
review of The work OF this branch OF
the, department was given by the
speaker Prior to the war Mr.. Viii
son said that 100000 Immigrants
came No the United States annually
ard 100000 leave its shores for ter
c:gn ports. Immigration, he said is,
a greet economic question. The ma
io,;ty of the immigrants come with
oTr funds and turnito our industrial
pursuits. They, therefore, are COM
resitors in The market with our
workers here.
The naturalization prciolem also IS
locked after by this bureau, There IS
n,cnty Of room in this country to
take care Of all Of the we'll meaning
Aliens, said the speaker, but we have
not cne particle Of space for any who
come here to destroy cur institutions.
The department., he said, had been
severa,y criticized On the ground that
If has been too lenier.. with these
seeLirr to overthrow the government.
Mr.. Wilson said we have the best
democratic government on the face
cf the glcbe today.
Speaking Of the workipsmen CT this
country Mr.. Wilson said that with all
of the criticism cffecting our working
men today they produce more than
the workers of any other country and
that. he said. is responsible for the
high standard Of living. THE method
of dealing with the reds in this coun-
t.y was explained by Secretary VIII
sen. Such as are proven to be anar-
chists or seeking to overthrcw the
government this country. he said, has
no hesitancy in sending chem back, Inst
more than II would in repelling an in
vad:ng enemy. Work done by the U.
S. Employment service was told by
the speaker. This department., ne eS-
piained, facilities the movement of the
worker to the job.
Thousands of persons assisted with
cut compensation in trehrauoisTAO
u,,t compensation in the various cities
throughout the countv IN this. wors
curing the war, he said. The succsssfu
efforts L, censralizirg labor during ss'
w.ar was told by Mr.. wilson
During the war more than 5000.
900 war workers, he said, were trans
serred from one part Of the counsr,
10 another an3 Congress apps esatet
a revolving fund of/s25o,ooo Ssis