The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-01-06
PERKINS CITES
LABOR GAINS IN
ANNUAL REPORT
Significant Announcements
Listed in Message to
Congress.


WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.-Madame
Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins
produced a jubilant annual report
to Congress today, finding the fiscal
year ended last July perhaps the
most fruitful for the working man
in all American history.
With social security, old age pen
sion and other beneficial legislation
becoming the law of the land.
Madame Secretary even found a
certain satisfaction in 1855 I'M
usual number of labor disturbances,
which she said we're due in part
to the natural expectation of labor
to share in the early fruits of busi-
ness improvement"
For the future Miss Perkins en-
visioned an industrial Utopia for the
man who works with his hands,
listing minimum wage law. a short
work week of perhaps 40 hours.
compensation insurance, and strict
regulation of machinery to prevent
industrial accidents, as things to
come.
Five Announcements Cited
"All of these seem to be minimum
standards which every wage Garner
in the United States, without re-
gard to the state in which he works
and lives, has right to expect"
she said.
The year past, she said, produced
these five advancementS for labor:
l. Unemployment compensation,
accomplished through the Social
Security Act.
2. Old-age security, brought about
also by the Social Security Act.
3. Establishment of boards for
settling industrial disputes locally.
4. Greater cooperation between
the states and the Labor Depart
ment. through regional conferences.
5. Development of the United
States Employment Service.
Miss Perkins called the Social Sc
curity Act "one of the most signifi-
cant pieces of legislation of this
generation, having inestimable and
beneficial effects upon the lives of
wage earners IN the future"
Wages Chief Cause of Dispute
Miss Perkins said that more leg
islation, state and Federal, calcu-
lated to benefit labor was enacted
during the last fiscal year than in
any like period of our history"
She said the most conspicuous
cause of labor disputes was wages.
Union recognition, the closed shop
and discrimination or discharge also
were factors.
The heaviest loss of man hours
came in September, 1884, which wit
messed the general textile strike. and
in May, 1885, month disturbed by
a prolonged lumber strike in the
Pacific Northwest and the Chevrolet
and Fisher Body strikes in Ohio"
she said.
Concerning the still unsettled
labor problems on the Pacific Coast,
she said:
Strlke Wears Itself Out
"The Pacific Coast and longshore-,
men and Seamens strike presented
peculiarly complex and difficult
situation. The National Long
shoremen'S Board brought about an
END to the strike on July 81, but
the arbitration work which the set
tlement imposed on the board kept
it busy until October. The
ending of the strike on July 81. 1884,
did not bring peace to the Pacific
Coast shipping industry
Numerous sporadic Interruptions
OF work continued. In March, 1885,
a strike of considerable proportions
was begun by seamen employed on
oil tankers. The International Sea-
mems Union had been declared the
bargaining agency for oil tanker
seamen as result of an election in
January, but collective bargaining
failed and the employers refused
union preference in employment as
a condition precedent to arbitra-
ton of other matters.
Despite the efforts of a special
mediation board, appointed by the
Secretary of Labor, the parties
failed to reach an agreement. But
after four months the strike had
more or less worn itself out and on
June II it was called off"
The latest strike among the West
ern longshoremen developed too lata
last year to be touched upon in Miss
DorEiy,c'