Evening star., 1947-04-07
Senator's Hear Plea
To Salvage Division
OF Labor Standards
BY Joseph Young

Fighting for its life, the Labor
Departments Division of Labor
Standards appealed to the Senate
today to authorize its continuance
as IAN agency which works to pre-
vent costly industrial strife, job ac-
cidents and the spread OF child
labor"
William L. Connolly. director OF
the division, appealed to a Senate
Appropriations Subcommittee to re-
verse the Houses action In elimi-
mating the bureau, as the commit
tee opened hearings on the Labor
Departments 1948 appropriations
bill.
The division, which acts as q
clearing house with the various
States In the field of labor legisla-
ton and education, prevention OF
child employment and the promo
ton Of Industrial safety, was pro-
vided no money by the House for
the 1948 fiscal year. Instead, the
House approved $217,000 for alloca-
ton to other bureaus within the
Labor Department to carry out some
of the divisions functions.
The other $625 900 requested by
the division for its other activities
was not granted by the House.
Economy in the Long Rum"
Asserting that the division was an
essential part of the department,
Mr.. Connolly declared:
II hope you will give serious con-
sideration AS to whether 1t Is not
economy in the long run, to continue
an agency which works TO prevent
costly job accidents. prevent costly
industrial strife, prevent the spread
OF child labor and prevent the de-
velopment of irritation and head
aches that can be resolved by Fed
eral State cooperation"
Mr.. Connolly said If the division
is eliminated the Labor Depart
ment's intimate contact with the
States will be lost. - 1t would
seem the part of both wisdom and
sound economy to have small divi-
sion in a department to which States
can bring their gripes and their
problems. You know everybody will
agree to cooperate in broad general
principles. But cooperation is only
achieved by resolving specific prob
lens from day to day"
Tyson TeStifies.
The witness told the committee
you won't get the States coming
to discuss and resolve their prob
lens frankly unless they can come
to an agency which has won their
confidence"
william S. Tyson, the depart
ment's solicitor, asked that the
$500, 900 House slash in the solicitor s
funds be restored.
Mr.. Tyson told the committee that
his division, which does the legal
and enforcement work of the de-
partment, would have to "curtal or
eliminate altogether" many OF the
functions 1t is now performing.
Regarding the wage and hour and
the child labor laws, Mr.. Tyson said:
ut is clear that instead of being
able to achieve proper enforcement
we would, even with our best efforts,
be able to do only an ineffective
job"
Estimate Cut S755,000.
The solicitors original request for
$1,251 900 was cut by the House to
$755 900. The Office asked the Sem
ate to restore this amount plus
$1,000 for travelling expenses.
Mr.. Tyson said his division already
has backlog Of cases which is
gradually growing larger because
we do not have sufficient attorneys
to keep up with the work If the
House cuts are allowed to stand, he
said, his division would be forced
to reduce its staff from 223 en-
ployes to 154. This would mean a
cut Of IS in the field (l9 attorneys
and 16 stenographers) and "a in the
Washington office GA attorneys and
1c stenographers).
In addition, the division would be
forced to close seven of its 13 re-
gional Offices, Mr.. Tyson declared.
The Labor Departments total budget
estimate of $103, ,578, ZOO was cut by
the House by s13,714,500, or around
13 per cent below budget estimates.