The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1938-05-19
LABOR'S DEPARTMENT

- has always looked upon the advancement OF
wage-earners interests and welfare as inteneated
with national progress and welfare, from our first
convention we looked to government to provide
bureaus of labor statistics in the state and the
federal government. We needed the facts on
working and living conditions as the basis for
raising standards. Only as the standards of living
for wage earners are raised can the whole level of
living and culture of the nation rise. Our next
fundamental proposal for government service was
Federal Department headed by Secretary, a
member of the Presidents Cabinet. The great
masses of the people represented in Labor were
entitled to international service on their welfare
and to representation in the highest division of
the administrative branch of the government
representation an integrated functional group,
not separate class. In 1896 we adopted this
second major objective for labor in the field of
administration, federal department of labor
"A0n our own representative in the Presidents
cabinet
Our campaign to secure this objective was ma
terially advanced by the success of Labor's nom
partisan political policy in electing union-card
members of Congress. The struggle for the en-
actment of bill paralleed the terrific fight
which the National Manufacturers Association
was making on us, trying to paralyze our unions
through injunctons and suits to raid our treas
ures under the Sherman Antitrust law. To afford
unions some measure of protection, the union
card group added rider to the Sundry Civil APP
preparation bill:
"'That no part of this money shall be spent in
the prosecution of any organization individual
for entering into any combination agreement
having in view the increasing of wages, shorten
ing of hours betterng the condition of labor,
for any act done in furtherance thereof not
in itself unlawful"
The Appropriation bill went to the President
with this proviso included together with the bill
creating the federal Department of Labor. Presi-
dent Taft vetoed the former and signed the latter
March 4, 1913 his last official act. In the in
augural ceremonies of President Wilson, William
b. Wilson, trade unionist, participated as the
first Secretary Of Labor. Labor chose William
b. Wilson for this position because he knew La
bor's problems and interests and because Of his
distinguished service in behalf Of Labor.
AS first organized, the services of the Depart
ment Of Labor covered the following fields: child
welfare and child labor, labor statistics, immigra-
tion and naturalization, welfare Of women workers,
conciIiaton, etc. TO these original services have
since been added the employment service, the
division of labor standards and the division of pub
lie contracts In addition to its research and fact
finding functions the Department Of Labor has
the administration of labor laws which establish
rights of labor.
The Department of Labor has Il fundamental
responsibility for service to I.abor-for knowing
their needs and desires and for supplying the in
~ formation and technical assistance needed to carry
out purposes determined by the groups concerned.
Not only should this be the attitude Of those per-
sons administrativey responsible for the Depart
ment and its component bureaus and services, but
of the whole personnel from top to bottom In
other words civil service should operate to provide
for this specific administrative department per-
sonnel with training and experience qualifying
them to have understanding and sympathy with
Labor's efforts to raise working conditions and
standards Of living.
On the fourth of last March the Department