Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-05
following Is text Of the ad-
dress made by Secretary of Labor
William NJ Doak in the National
Radio Forum. arranged by The

|
forecast network Of the Columbia Broad
casting System last night from Station
WMAL here:
The Department OF Labor is the
| youngest of the larger branches of the
Government. and yet labor shares mans
antiquity. Mans appearance in the
world was coincident with the appear
| ance of labor. There is an old saying
! which speaks Of the dignity of labor
To its other dignities 1t certainly adds
that Of age.
Labor preceded the knowledge and the
use Of fire. Fire was produced by labor
just as labor has produced everything
| which has come to bless us in a world
of progress. Labor is the all-in-all
to the world. Without labor there
could be no trade, there could be nc
means Of communication between man
and man and nation and nation. Labor
Is the worlds lever.
1t is a compliment TO the employed
| Of this country, and 1t is fact most
fitting that en- this, the 155th ami
versary of the signing Of the Declare
ton Of Independence, the head of the
| United States Department of Labor
should be privileged to explain, in an
open forum over a Nationwide broad
cast the functions and policies of that
branch of the Federal Government
which is intrusted with the duty of
fostering the welfare of the wage-earn-
ers Of the United States.
| Created in 1913.
| This summary of the duties of the
United States Department of Labor
brings to a close series of reviews Of
| the activities of the various branches
Of the Federal Government; individu-
ally, the other members of the Presi-
| dents cabinet already have been heard.
| Therefore, 1t becomes my privilege as
| the last speaker to thank those whose
generosity has made these broadcasts
possible, and has given the administra-
ton the opportunity to carry to the
people a knowledge of the services Of
| the diverse departments Of the Govern
ment
The Depa rtment of Labor was created
under an act Of Congress approved
March 4, 1918 It's service began on
| that date. It's first Secretary was Will
| liam B. Wilson of Pennsylvania, whose
term Of Office lasted eight years. He
was succeeded by James J. Davis of the
same State, who served for nine years.
| Mr.. Davis was succeeded by the present
| incumbent early in December last
The age of the Department of Labor is
exactly 10 years and months today.
| The name Of the department expresses
| the reason for its creation. The work
a-day world is a wide world The de-
! sire of this Government branch is to
aid the workers in whatever field they
may do their tilling. The Department
! of Labor serves a human purpose
! Employment means labor and labor
means employment. Every service con-
nected with the Department Of Labor
contributes to the cause of employ
ment seemingly at times indirectly. but
| always, nevertheless, directly. Statistics.
! Immigration. naturalization. Cancellation.
the Women's Bureau. the Children s
Bureau and the Employment Service, in
! a way. are all handmaidens in the serv-
ice of employment.
| Cancellation Big Work.
The greatest factor for industrial
peace is the conference table Failure
| there. the next step is in Cancellation
| through the medium of practical, SYM
| pathetic mediators. When these fail
proper arbitration is the next step. Our
Cancellation service affords practical
means for the taking of each of these
steps. 1t has been the greatest means
| OF accommodation in industrial rela-
| tionship known to the civilized world
I am proud Of it. and all who know of
| It's splendid work. feel sure. can be
justly gratif1ed with its excellent prog
ress
The organic act creating the Depart
| ment Of Labor made provision for such
a service because it evidently was with
| in the knowledge and intention of Con-
gress that the Federal Labor Department
| should be Of specific aid to employers
and employees in the peaceful tender
OF its good Offices in industrial disputes
| whenever slight or great differences be-
| tween them threatened even a tempo
| rary interruption of their understand
ing mutual respect and good will.
1t was also seemingly the belief Of
Congress that the activity of govern
| mental Cancellation best could be car
| ried on by complete departmental
unit, which would give It's whole time
| and effort to the delicate task of pro-
| noting peace In industry. through help
ing to remove the causes Of strikes and
lockouts and other forms of industrial
mistrust and i'll will
Except in certain contingencies. the
Cancellation service acts only on the re-
quest of the parties concerned in the
trouble, or on the invitation of the
interested public The Government
conciliator is in the detached position
OF a representative of all the people:
he learns the grievances of each side
and the aims for which each is contend
ing. He then seeks to smooth their
uneven tempers and to bring about a
meeting of minds. In the end. and
this point cannot be too strongly
emphasized, the Governments concilia-
tor always strives toward the goal of
inducing the two disputant parties to
settle their differences between them
selves. The Cancellation service of the
Department of Labor has done good work
from the beginning and it is doing
good work today. One example I will
give: In the month of March of this
year. the services good Offices were
exercised in connection with so disputes
affecting total of 1929 workers. The
conciliator is a peacemaker: he brings
harmony IN the field Of industrial war
fare.
Labor Statistics Provided.
We have in the department a Bureau
of Labor Statistics. It's work covers
broad field. It is authorized to study
and to make reports upon the subject
Of labor and upon the means for pro-
noting the welfare of the wage earners
Of this Nation. The bureaus activities
are purely those concerned with the
establishment of facts and of giving
these facts to the public This func-
ton OF the bureau is of high Importance
to the department and to the public, for
the department is charged with the duty
Of fostering. promoting and develop
ing the welfare of the wage earners.
and it is obvious that before the de-
partment intelligently can formulate
| labor policies, it must have facts upon
which to base them.
The work Of this bureau also Is of
great value to the American business
man. Once on a time. business and
social statistics were tolerated by prac-
| tical men only as of possible academic
or historic interest. Now the situation
is different. Employers are demanding
information which will aid them in
estimating and forecasting their cost of
operation, such as. for instance, the
| trend of prices wages and employment
Likewise. individual workers and labor