The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1939-01-27
MUCH REMAINS TO Be
DONE FOR WORKERS,
LABOR DEPT. HOLDS
Secretary Perkins Gives Remarkable
Survey In 26th Annual Report.

Washington, D. C. (ILNS). - The
twenty-sixth annual report of the De-
partment of Labor is readable and
also remarkable survey of recent i'm
provements in the status of labor, and
also of the reforms still waiting to be
accomplished. At the start of her re-
port, Secretary Frances Perkins says:
"Of particular significance in this
fiscal year was the passage of the
Fair Labor Standards Act, applying
in interstate industries and putting a
floor under wages, ceiling over
hours of work, and ending child labor
in those industries.
"While it is too early to evaluate
fully the effect of this measure, there
is no reason to doubt it's ultimate con-
tribution to the social and economic
betterment of these United States"
Good Effects Cited
Noting that everything which ben
efits labor also helps pretty nearly
everyone else, the report goes on:
ALREADY the beneficial effects Of
these policies have been shown in the
marked economic gains made since
1888 and shared in by workers, own.
ers, and farmers. Weekly factory
pay rolls, for instance, rose from
| $72, ,697, 900 in March, 1888, to $134,
271 900 by June, 1888, a gain of SCI,
| STA, 900 or 85 per cent, and in the sam,
period there was an advance in non
agricultural employment from 25,
946,000 to 31,781 900, rise of 5,835,
900 or % per cent. Building con
struction III cities with a population
of $500 and over went up from $287,
| $4,000 in the first half of 1888 t
$782,697, 900 in the nrst half of 1885
an increase of 1920 per cent"
| Legislation Needs Outlined
| Secretary Perkins notes the i'm
provement in state labor laws, an
gives credit for some, by no means al
this gain to the annual meetings Q
representative of state governors a
Washington. Then she takes up tn
things still to be done:
Cali the progress of recent year:
encouraging as it is, must be balance
against needs still outstanding. o
the debit side we still have % state
without minimum-wage legislation, 3
states without legal limit of eigt
hours, even for women, and 26 state
with legal weekly limit in excess {
4S hours (including eight states wit
none at alb. We have to face the fac
that most hours laws fall short of COY
ering all workers. ;"
Twenty eight states still leave OF
cupational diseases uncompensated III
der workmen's compensation laws
and very few of such laws as we hav
compensate for all diseases arisin
out of employment.
| Compensation Laws Inadequate
Perhaps most disconcerting of a
is the fact that while workmen's con
pensation is our oldest form of majc
social legislation, and 46 states hay
such acts, actually today not nor
than half of our workers enjoy til
protection of these laws"
She tells of the little-understoo
work of the departments Conciliatio
Service; which in the last fiscal yea
handled 4,231 industrial disputes, il
volving 1,618,4 ,4O9 workers. And
conclusion, she gives the detectives {
the departments work for wage
earners:
| /. High wages on a national basis;
| 2. Continuity of income;
3. Stability of employment;
| a. Reasonable profits;
| 5. Opportunity for investment {
savings in expanding industries an
in new industries; and
6. The conservation and dequaat
utilization of natural resources, il
cluding human life and happiness.
Governor Paroles Union
Organizer Who Is Jailed