    [Ninth Annual Report of the Secretary of Labor for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1921]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    ﻿NINTH ANNUAL REPORT
    OF THE
    SECRETARY OF LABOR
    FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30
    1921
    WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1921
    H|

    NINTH ANNUAL REPORT
    OF THE
    SECRETARY OF LABOR
    FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30
    1921
    jagg
    WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1921
    3 1336 05750 2545
    CONTENTS.
    Page.
    Office of Secretary___________________________________________________ 5
    Financial report _________________________________________________ 6
    Appropriations — Expenditures — Miscellaneous receipts — Unexpended balances.
    Department quarters_______________________________________________ 9
    Personnel_________________________________________________________ 10
    Publications and supplies______________________________________•__	11
    Printing and binding-—Publications—Supplies.
    Division of conciliation_____________________________________________ 12
    The library__________________________________________________________ 15
    United States Employment Service_____________________________________ 15
    Activities—Special activities—Farm and harvest work—Unemployment survey—Junior Division.
    United States Housing Corporation_________________________________ 18
    Collections from rentals and sales—Liquidation of transportation and public utility loans—Auditing original construction accounts—Norfolk County Ferr es—Operation of Government Hotel—Local taxes and assessments—Anticipated returns to
    Treasury.
    Bureau of Labor Statistics____________________________________________ 21
    Monthly Labor Review—Publications other than the Monthly Labor Review—Reports transmitted but not published.
    Bureau of Immigration___________________________________________________ 24
    Immigration from foreign contiguous	countries_______________________ 25
    Oriental immigration________________________________________________ 26
    Smuggling and surreptitious entry	of	aliens_________________________ 27
    Deportation of aliens_______________________________________________ 27
    Head tax collected and administrative fines imposed_______________ 28
    The percentage act__________________________________________________ 29
    Children’s Bureau_______________________________________________________ 30
    Correlation and cooperation_________________________________________ 30
    Child welfare studies in island possessions_________________________ 30
    The year’s work, by divisions_______________________________________ 30
    Hygiene Division — Industrial Division — Social Service Division—Statistical Division—Editorial Division.
    Bureau of Naturalization________________________________________________ 33
    Naturalization ____________________________________________________  33
    Citizenship training________________________________________________ 34
    Financial statement _______________________________________________  34
    Women’s Bureau__________________________________________________________ 35
    A more comprehensive program needed.
    Conclusion and recommendations__________________________________________ 36
    Appendix—Act creating the Department of Labor___________________________ 41
    3
    NINTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF LABOR.
    Department of Labor.
    Office of the Secretary,
    W ashington, June 30,1921.
    The President,
    The White House,
    W ashington,, D. C.
    My Dear Mr. President : In accordance with the requirements of section 9 of the act of Congress approved March 4, 1913, entitled “An act to create a Department of Labor,” I respectfully submit herewith for transmission to Congress the report of the Department of Labor for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1921. While this report covers the entire year, only four months of the record represents my incumbency as Secretary of Labor.
    During these few months I have acquainted myself as fully as possible with the functions of the various bureaus and divisions in this Department, but in writing this report I must give full credit to the respective bureau chiefs for their assistance in assembling the data on their activities for the full fiscal year.
    In the concluding paragraphs of this report, I have also made some comment and recommendation for enlarging the usefulness of each bureau, and I particularly wish to call your attention to this matter.
    The Department of Labor at the close of business June 30, 1921, conducted its activities through the following divisions and bureaus: Office of the Secretary.
    Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Bureau of Immigration.
    Children’s Bureau.
    Bureau of Naturalization.
    Women’s Bureau.
    OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY.
    The Office of the Secretary includes the Secretary of Labor, the assistant secretary, the solicitor, the chief clerk, the disbursing clerk, the appointment clerk, Division of Publication and Supplies, the Department Library. Division of Conciliation,. United States Employment Service, and the Bureau of Industrial Housing and Transportation.
    6	ANNUAL REPORT SECRETARY OF LABOR.
    The assistant secretary, the solicitor, and the chief clerk perform the duties usually performed by similar officers in all the executive departments, therefore, no special comment is necessary as to their activities.
    FINANCIAL REPORT.
    Appropriations.—For the fiscal year ending June 30, .1921, the appropriations by Congress to the Department and its services were as follows:
    Salaries, Office of the Secretary of Labor______________________ $140, 380. 00
    Salaries and expenses, commissioners of conciliation____________ 155, 000.00
    Contingent expenses, Department of Labor________________________ 50, 000. Oi)
    Rent, Department of Labor_______________________________________ 24, 000. 00
    Salaries, Bureau of Labor Statistics____________________________ 172, 060. 00
    Miscellaneous expenses, Bureau of Labor Stat stics______________ 75, 000. 00
    Library, Bureau of Labor Statistics_____________________________ 300. 00
    Salaries, Bureau of Immigration_________________________________ 93, 540. 00
    Expenses of regulating immigration______________________________ 2,936,000.00
    Enforcement of laws against alien anarchists____________________ 685, 000. 00
    Expenses of deporting aliens____________________________________ 127, 000. 00
    Refund of fine, J. D. Spreckels & Bros. Co______________________ 200. 00
    Immigration Station, Ellis Island, N. Y_________________________ 112, 500. 00
    Salaries, Bureau of Naturalization______________________________ 97, 010. 00
    Miscellaneous expenses, Bureau of Naturalization________________ 534, 500. 00
    Salaries, Children’s Bureau_____________________________________ 106, 040. 00
    General expenses, Children’s Bureau_____________________________ 85, 000. OO
    Investigation of child welfare, Children’s Bureau_______________ 80, 000. On
    Naturalization fees, publication of citizenship textbooks:
    1920------------------------------------------------------- 728.14
    1921------------------------------------------------------- 5, 912. 28
    Women* in Industry (Women’s Bureau)_______-_____________________ 75,000.00
    United States Employment Service________________________________ 225, 000. 00
    Increase of compensation, Department of Labor___________________ 554, 609. 64
    Printing and binding____________________________________________ 200, 000. 00
    Advanced transportation, United States Employment Service, 1918-19--------------------------------------------------------- 125,207.97
    Total-------------------------------------------------- 6,660,888.03
    It should be noted that the major work of the Department is in connection with immigration, and of the total of $6,660,888.03 nearly $4,000,000 represents expenditures arising from the Immigration Service alone.
    Expenditures.—Expenditures, arranged according to items of appropriation, are as follows :
    Office of the Secretary :
    Salaries, Office of the Secretary of Labor—
    1920_______________________________________________________ $5,	722.	66
    1921______________________________________________________ 129,	871.	38
    Contingent expenses, Department of Labor—
    1919________________________________________________________ 1,	741.	96
    1920 ______________________________________________________ 26,	022.	26
    1921_______________________________________________________ 39,	667.	21
    ANNUAL REPORT SECRETARY OF LABOR.
    7
    Office of the Secretary—Continued.
    Salaries and expenses, commissioners of conciliation—
    1919__________________________________________________ $1,144.34
    1920__________________________________________________r 23, 884. 38
    1921__________________________________________________ 130, 933. 99
    Rent, Department of Labor-
    1920 _____________________________________________________ 2,	000. 00
    1921_____________________________________________________ 22,	000.00
    National security	and	defense,	1919__________________________ 67,	059. 47
    War Labor	administration,	1919________________________________ 1,	649. 53
    Salaries and expenses, international conference of labor, 1920______________________________________________________ 603. 29
    Increase of compensation, Department of Labor— 1919______________________________________________________ 155. 01
    1920__________________________________________________ 25, 242. 23
    1921__________________________________________________ 554, 609. 64
    Advanced transportation, Department of Labor, 1918-19_____ 61, 641. 53
    Housing for war needs, 1918-19____________________________ 2. 74
    Total___________________________________________________ 1,093,951.62
    Credit by refund to housing for war needs, 1918-19________ 29. 39
    Net total_______________________________________________ 1,093,922.23
    Bureau of Labor Statistics:
    Salaries, Bureau of Labor Statistics—
    1920_____________________________________________________ 8, 959. 49
    1921_____________________________________________________ 156,351. 65
    Miscellaneous expenses, Bureau of Labor Statistics—
    1919________________________________________________________  1,	937.	11
    1920________________________________________________________  10,	400.	56
    1921________________________________________________________  57,	354.	27
    Library, Bureau of Labor Statistics—
    1920----------------------------------------------------- 9. 00
    1921_____________________________________________________ 248. 00
    Total__________________________________________________ 235, 260. 08
    Bureau of Immigration:
    Salaries, Bureau of Immigration—
    1920__________________________________________________ 3, 473. 48
    1921__________________________________________________ 77, 726. 30
    Expenses of regulating immigration—
    1919__________________________________________________ 2,128. 79
    1920__________________________________________________ 304, 793. 45
    1921__________________________________________________ 2, 678, 356. 73
    Enforcement of laws against alien anarchists—
    1920__________________________________________________ 51, 029.08
    1921__________________________________________________ 590, 043. 93
    Expenses of deporting aliens—
    1920__________________________________________________ 13,802. 08
    1921__________________________________________________ 78,163.38
    Immigration stations—
    Ellis Island, N. Y____________________________________ 244, 517. 09
    Philadelphia, Pa______________________________________ 50, 458. 60
    Refund to J. D. Spreckels & Bros. Co______________________ 200. 00
    Total_______________________________________________ 4,094,692.91
    8
    ANNUAL REPORT SECRETARY OF LABOR.
    Children’s Bureau:
    Salaries, Children’s Bureau—
    1920_____________________________________________________ $4, 267. 40
    1921__________________________________.•_________________ 94, 219. 76
    General expenses, Children’s Bureau—
    1919_____________________________________________________ 162.10
    1920_____________________________________________________ 20, 260. 68
    1921________________________________________•____________ 46, 648. 57
    Investigation of child welfare—
    1919_____________________________________________________ 913.95
    1920_____________________________________________________ 4, 252. 38
    1921—,___________________________________________________	67, 658. 32
    Total_________________________________________________ 238, 383. 16
    Bureau of Naturalization:
    Salaries, Bureau of Naturalization—
    1920_________________________________________________ 4, 036. 60
    1921—________________________________________________ 90. 215. 46
    Miscellaneous expenses, Bureau of Naturalization—
    1918-19____________1_________________________________ 1, 652. 06
    1919_________________________________________________ 212. 20
    1920_________________________________________________ 66,348. 42
    1921_________________________________________________ 457,017.43
    Total__________________________________'____________ 619,482.17
    Women in industry:
    1920________________—________________________________________ 10, 384. 53
    1921_______________________1_________________________________ 67, 887. 21
    Total__________________________________________________ 78, 271. 74
    United States Employment Service, Department of Labor—-
    1920________________________________________________ 7, 002. 32
    1921________________________________________________ 204, 698. 58
    War Emergency Employment Service, 1919__________________ 398. 36
    Total_____________________________________________________ 212, 099. 26
    Grand total______________________________________ 6, 572. 111. 55
    In addition to disbursements by the disbursing clerk, the following expenditures on behalf of the Department were specifically made:
    By special disbursing agents for—
    Children’s Bureau___________________________________________ $271. 08
    Bureau of Immigration_______________________________________ 48. 046. 69
    Claims settled by the Auditor for the State and Other Departments______________;____________________________________________ 830,998. 21
    Total_____________________________________________________ 879, 315. 98
    Miscellaneous receipts —The following receipts from miscellaneous sources have been recorded during the year:
    Bureau of Immigration:
    Head tax_________________________________________—— $5, 712, 763. 00
    Fines________________________________________________ 352, 411. 00
    Court costs_______.__________________________________	49. 50
    ANNUAL REPORT SECRETARY OF LABOR.

    Bureau of Immigration—Continued.
    Interest_________________________________________________ $1. 51
    Rentals and sale of exclusive privileges_________________ 1, 593. 65
    Telephone service________________________________________ 1, 628. 60
    Forfeiture of bonds______________________________________ 41, 000. 00
    Sale of Government property______________________________ 1, 575. 07
    6, 111, 022. 33
    Bureau of Naturalization : Naturalization fees__________________ 912, 303. 00
    Miscellaneous and proceeds of sales of Government property______	30, 249. 86
    Total___________________________________________________ 7, 053, 575.19
    Unexpended balances.—In accordance with the act of Congress of June 20, 1874 (18 Stat. L., 110, 111), the following unexpended balances of appropriations and repayments thereto were covered into the surplus fund of the Treasury Department June 30, 1921:
    National security and defense, Department of Labor__________________ $16. 28
    Contingent expenses, Department of Labor, 1919______________________ 226. 47
    Salaries and expenses, commissioners of conciliation, 1919__________ 470. 73
    War Emergency Employment Service, 1919_________________'____________ 303. 42
    National security and defense, Department of Labor, 1919____-_______ 468. 99
    Housing for war needs, 1918-19______________________________________ 899. 66
    War labor administration. 1919______________________________________ 8,900.40
    Expenses of regulating immigration, 1917-18_________________________ 1.97
    Expenses of regulating immigration, 1919____________________________ 118. 33
    Expenses of interned aliens, 1917-18________________________________ 1. 50
    Salaries, Bureau of Immigration, 1919_______________________________ 1, 268. 20
    Salaries. Bureau of Naturalization, 1919____________________________ 2, 443. 40
    Miscellaneous expenses, Bureau of Naturalization, 1918-19___________ 4. 509. 02
    Miscellaneous expenses, Bureau of Naturalization, 1919______________ 188. 65
    Salaries, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1919__________________________ 1, 098. 02
    Miscellaneous expenses, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1919____________ 310. 84
    Library, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1919___________________________ 3. 79
    Salaries, Children’s Bureau, 1919___________________________________ 1.187. 07
    General expenses, Children’s Bureau, 1919___________________________ 67.10
    Investigation of child welfare, Children’s Bureau, 1919_____________ 190. 65
    Miscellaneous expenses, Bureau of Naturalization, 1914______________ 9. 90
    Investigation of child welfare, Children’s Bureau, 1918_____________ 6.67
    Salaries, Office of the Secretary of Labor, 1919____________________ 263. 56
    Increase of compensation, Department of Labor, 1918_________________ . 67
    Increase of compensation, Department of Labor, 1919_________________ 1,372.62
    Miscellaneous expenses, Bureau of Naturalization. 1918______'_______ . 20
    Total_________________________________________ 24,328.11
    DEPARTMENT QUARTERS.
    The Department proper occupies a modern 9-story fireproof building containing 63.994 square feet net of floor space, at 1712 G Street NW. The lease on this building expires on July 1,1922, but is renewable for five years additional, at the same rental of $24,000 a year. The Children’s Bureau, the Women’s Bureau, and the United States Employment Service occupy 26,313 square feet of floor space in temporary building No. 4 at Twentieth and D Streets NW. The Bureau of Industrial Housing and Transportation occupies approximately 75931—21--------2
    10
    ANNUAL REPORT SECRETARY OF LABOR.
    4,500 square feet of space at 1330 G Street. This building is fireproof and the bureau is adequately provided for. Good administration would suggest, however, that this bureau occupy space in the departmental headquarters.
    While the Department building is well adapted to the uses of the Department, full efficiency can not be attained while several bureaus of the Department are located in buildings other than headquarters. Also, temporary building No. 4 is not a fireproof building and valuable records of the Department there are in constant danger. It is hoped that in the near future the Public Buildings Commission will find available space in one of the public buildings to house the Department as a whole.
    PERSONNEL.
    The following table gives a comparative statement of officials and employees on the rolls of the Department of Labor July 1, 1920 and 1921. *
    While the statement shows an increase of 340 employees over the fiscal year 1920, there were actually on July 1, 1921, fewer employees drawing salary from the Department of Labor than during the previous year. This is due to the large number of persons in the United States Employment Service, Immigration Service, and the Division of Conciliation on furlough owing to reduction of appropriations. For the same reason a large number of persons who had been salaried employees are now carried as $1 per annum employees, so that the Department may still avail itself of their services. The largest increases shown in the table are in the three services above mentioned. There was a decrease of 38 employees in the Children’s Bureau, while a very small increase is noted in the Bureau of Naturalization and in the Women’s Bureau. The United States Flousing Corporation shows a reduction of 93 employees during the fiscal year. Since the employees of this corporation are not under the civil service no record is kept in the Department files relative thereto.
    Total number of officials and employees in the Department of Labor, July 1, 1921.
    Bureau or office.	Statutory.	Non-statu-tory.	In District of Columbia.	Outside District of Columbia.	Total July 1, 1921.	Total July 1, 1920.	Increases (+) or decreases (-) during year.
    Office of the Secretary	 Commissioners of conciliation .. Bureau of Labor Statistics	 Children’s Bureau								 Immigration				 Naturalization	 United States Employment Service	 Women’s Bureau					119 111 75 53 70	49 36 62 1,930 201 491 30	119 5 134 120 61 103 34 30	44 13 17 1,922 168 457	119 49 147 137 1,983 271 491 30	119 23 131 175 1,775 267 375 22	+ 26 + 16 - 38 +208 + 4 + 116 + 8
    Total	 Housing Corporation1		4?8	2,799	606 566	2,621 17	3,227 583	2,887 676	+340 - 93
    Total				428	2, 799	1,172	2,638	3,810	3,563	-1-247
    mousing Corporation records are not kept in the Department files.
    ANNUAL REPORT SECRETARY OF LABOR.
    11
    PUBLICATIONS AND SUPPLIES.
    The Division of Publications and Supplies prepares for the press, publishes, and distributes all the statistical bulletins, statements, and other official utterances of the Department of Labor.
    Printing and binding.—From the appropriation made by the sundry civil act for 1921, $200,000 was allotted to the Department of Labor for printing and binding; by act approved March 1, 1921, a deficiency appropriation of $50,000 was made, making a total of $250,000 for the year. This allotment was apportioned by the Secretary as follows:
    Office of the Secretary______________________________________________$13,	500
    Bureau of Labor Statistics___________________________________________ 99,	500
    Bureau of Immigration_________________________________________________ 7,	500
    Immigration Service____________________________________________  34,	000
    Children’s Bureau____________________________________________________ 56,	000
    Bureau of Naturalization_____________________________________________  6,	000
    Naturalization Service and Naturalization examiners_____________ 24,	500
    Women’s Bureau ______________:__________________;___:--------------- 9, 000
    Total__________________________________________________ 250,000
    Publications.—During the fiscal year 1921. 167 separate books or pamphlets containing 15,738 pages were issued. The total number of copies was 2,992,050. Seven of these books were reprinted with changes and 36 without changes. During 1921, 2,978,000 publications on franks and mail lists were distributed, as compared with 1,989,994 in 1920.
    Comparative statement of publications issued in 1920 and 1921.
    Description.
    Total publications issued...................................
    On mail lists............................................
    On franks................................................
    Franks handled..............................................
    1920	1921	Per cent of increase (+) or decrease (—).
    1,989,994	2,978,000	+50
    510,100	255,918	-50
    1,479,894	2,722,082	+ 84
    131,212	143,256	+ 9
    Sixty-five mail lists, comprising 123,824 addresses, are now maintained by the Department.
    Supplies.—The legislative, executive, and judicial appropriation act approved May 29, 1920, appropriated $50,000 for the contingent expenses of the Department for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1920, and transferred $13,500 additional from the appropriation “ Expenses of regulating immigration, 1921,” to the contingent fund of the Department. A total of $63,500 was thus available for contingent expenses.
    Against the contingent appropriation proper, 974 requisitions were made, necessitating the placing of 1,421 orders involving 1,924 items
    12	ANNUAL REPORT SECRETARY OF LABOR.
    at an aggregate expenditure of $45,442.77. The balance remaining of the $50,000 appropriation on July 1, 1921 ($4,557.23), will be sufficient to offset any outstanding liabilities properly chargeable to this appropriation. Of the $13,500 allotted from the immigration appropriation $13,417.45 was spent.
    DIVISION OF CONCILIATION.
    During the past fiscal year the conciliation service of the Department has had many difficult cases presented for mediation. Perhaps the most important, because of the large number of employees involved, were the threatened strike in the packing-house industry of Chicago in March and the marine strike in May and June. In the first case after many separate and joint conferences in Washington with the Secretary of Labor, the Department secured a peaceable settlement based upon a continuation of the Alschuler administration until September 15, 1921.
    In the marine strike threatening conditions from day to day were finally brought to adjustment.
    In scores of smaller cases presented speedy adjustments were secured, although unemployment conditions and business depression resulted in many long-drawn-out disputes. This service was rendered with a reduced appropriation for conciliation work—in all $155,000 or $45,000 less than the preceding year.
    In the cases handled during the fiscal year 593,006 workers were directly or indirectly involved.
    A summary by months during the past fiscal year of the number of workers affected in all cases presented is given in the following table:
    Month.	Workmen affected.		Month.	Workmen affected.
    	Directly.	Indirectly-		Directly.	Indirectly-
    July	107,364	16,715	February					2,943	1,190
    A iigiist	30' 194	7,285	March		60,141	17,550
    	16', 433	22,535	April		62,462	12,314
    OctftLftr	6'915	i 128	May	-	-	-	59,847	69,550
    N- ft vpTTi Tip.r	4'667	8,743	June		40,673	7,477
    December		19,936	4,714
    Tf^nilftry	9,170	60	Total	—	420,745	172,261

    The number of cases handled year by year is shown in the following table, although some allowance must be made for extraordinary increases during the war years. The growth of the division is indicated in the table appended.
    ANNUAL REPORT SECRETARY OF LABOR.
    13
    Number and disposition of cases.	Mar. 4, 1913, to June 30—
    	1914	1915	1916	1917	1918	1919	1920	1921
    Number			33	42	227	378	1,217	1,780	802	457
    Adjusted		28	26	178	248	865	1,223	596	338
    Unable to adj ust		5	10	22	47	71	’ll!	96	48
    Pending					5	21	42	7	13	9	24
    Unclassified					1	6	41	66	214	101	47
    RECAPITULATION.
    	Number
    Month.	of cases
    	handled.
    1920.
    July		38
    August		40
    September				24
    October	       .....................	32
    November											23
    December									28
    1921.
    January...						17
    February			•.	17

    March
    April		48
    May				25
    June				24
    Total						372
    California oil cases		85
    Total						457

    Cases reported from each State for each month.
    States.	July.		Aug.	Sept.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Jan.	Feb. Mar.		Apr.	May.	June.	Total.
    Alabama	 Arizona		2					1 ’ 2							3 4 4 55 85 2 3 2 7 5 1 67 17 7 1 2 4 1 10 5 1 7 3 12 22 1 19 4. 1 51 5 1 5
    			1 1 5					1
    Arkansas						2 6					1 5
    California		4	5		5		2	5	4	6		4	4
    California oil....
    Colorado			2 1
    Connecticut					1	1
    Delaware									1 1			1 1
    District of Columbia Florida		1 1			1		1			1			1
    			1		1		1			1
    Georgia					1 3
    Illinois		5 1 1	5 4 2	2 1		4 1	3 7 1	1	3		35 2 1	2 1	3	1
    Indiana
    Iowa					1			1
    Kansas				1 1
    Kentucky			1 1
    Louisiana		2			1 1 1 1
    Maryland									. ..
    Massachusetts		2				1	3 1				1	1		1
    Michigan									1 1 1			2
    Minnesota
    Missouri		3 2 1 2		1		1	1
    New Hampshire.... New Jersey								1
    		2	1	1 1		2				2 4		3 2
    New York						1		2	1	4		3
    N orth Carolina. 			1 3
    Ohio		2		4	1 1	1	1 1	?		1	3 1 1 9		1
    Oklahoma
    Oregon
    Penn sylvani a		4 1 1	8	4	4 1	2 1		1	1	3 1		8	6
    Rhode Island
    South Dakota.
    Tennessee			1			....:.			1		3
    14
    ANNUAL REPORT SECRETARY OF LABOR.
    Cases reported from each State for each month—Continued.
    States.	July.	Aug.	Sept.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Jan.	Feb.	Mar.	Apr.	May.	June.
    Texas	 Vermont			2			4					1
    Virginia	 Washington	 West Virginia	 Wisconsin		 Interstate		1 1 1	1 1	1	2	1							1	1 4 1 8	2 1	1 2 1 1
    Total		38	40	24	32	23	28	17	17	56	48	25	24
    														—	—
    Total.
    6
    1
    5
    6
    5
    4
    13
    i Includes 85 California oil cases.
    The effectiveness of the Division of Conciliation could be vastly increased by the addition to the force of commissioners of a “ special man” in each of the 12 major, or basic, industries of the country. The present conciliators have made an enviable record in settling strikes and lockouts, but these men are called upon to handle differences in every variety of industry, and, whatever their native ability and the quality of their service, they can not be expected to possess that technical knowledge which is necessary to a thorough and lasting settlement of disputes in the more complicated industries. Hence we have come face to face with the need of a type of conciliator who shall have the same powers of moral persuasion as our present commissioners but who shall have also this special technical equipment which becomes more and more necessary in the prevention of disturbances in industry.
    There is need for a number of these special men, and in every case he should be a man of the broadest gauge. The man assigned to each of these basic industries must know his special industry from top to bottom. He must know every technical process involved in that industry. He must know what is to be expected of every worker in each step of the process. He must also know something of the operation of management, so as to have the necessary understanding of the problems and hazards that go with the handling of business. Above all, he must be a man to command the respect and trust of both management and employees and to be able to make friends with both sides. It is obvious that such special men, having this equipment of knowledge and character, will be able to present, in the case of any controversy in any industry, a complete and unbiased report to the public to aid in shaping the public judgment which, after all, decides the issue in any industrial controversy.
    To inaugurate this plan for the employment of these special conciliators will require a minimum appropriation of $250,000 for the next fiscal year.
    Prevention is better than cure, and these special men would save to the country vastly more than the amount of their salaries by their
    ANNUAL REPORT SECRETARY OF LABOR.
    15
    work in harmonizing industrial differences, to the effect that production may go on without the interruption of strikes or lockouts.
    THE LIBRARY.
    The Department maintains a library which has a fine collection of material on labor and child welfare. This is of inestimable value not only in the research work of the bureaus but also to the general public.
    Cooperation through exchange with governmental departments, with trade-unions and employers’ associations, other collective labor groups, and with private philanthropic and research organizations, both in the United States and in foreign countries, have made it possible to build up a valuable collection of books of information necessary to the Department of Labor at very little cost to the Government.
    UNITED STATES EMPLOYMENT SERVICE.
    Activities.—In the activities of the United States Employment Service during the year under review, the policy of coordinating the work of the State and municipal public employment offices was continued and developed so far as the appropriation would permit. Twenty-five States and 15 municipalities operate public employment offices.
    Ordinarily this service should have put into effect an efficient system of cooperation in public employment functions with the State and municipal employment offices and in handling correspondence in relation to such work, but, as the appropriation for such activities was insufficient, it seemed better that the Employment Service should devote itself to conducting special activities as detailed below.
    Special activities.—The general work of the servce in cooperation with the States was supplemented by a variety of special activities, instituted to deal with particular emergencies or with special phases of the work of the service.
    Farm and, harvest 'work.—The cutting of the wheat harvest in the grain belt—which begins in the northern part of Texas about June 10 and extends through Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Kansas, winding-up with cutting and thrashing in the Dakotas about September 15— usually requires between sixty and eighty thousand workers that must be recruited from outside the grain belt, the number varying with the number of acres to be harvested and the growth of the wheat straw. The recruiting of this large army of workers outside of the grain belt is necessarily a Federal function. Offices are established at strategic points with headquarters at Kansas City, Mo., and Sioux City, Iowa, which are gateways to the wheat fields. These workers
    16	ANNUAL REPORT SECRETARY OF LABOR.
    are recruited from communities where the least local disturbances will ensue by their transfer, having in mind, of course, the importance of securing adequate help to harvest the crop. Recruiting laborers for this work is no less important than their intelligent distribution to the various sections of the grain belt, which can only be controlled by a single central agency. Climatic and other conditions which govern the ripening of the grain require constant information as to local labor needs and direction in order that one section will not be oversupplied with workers while there would be” a wastage due to scarcity of labor in another section.
    This activity of the Federal Government presents a special problem under any economic conditions. While the wages paid in the summer of 1920, or the beginning of the year under review, were sufficient to attract workers, it was necessary to recruit as many as possible from the overcrowded cities and avoid drawing too large a number from farming sections. At the beginning of the harvest season for 1921, or the close of the year under review, there was a surplus of workers everywhere, but wages had been materially reduced, transportation rates increased, and the problem was to recruit the harvesters within a distance that would at least justify their expense of travel to the points where work could be obtained. This could be accomplished only by establishing a zone near the grain belt for recruiting purposes and discouraging workers from migrating to the harvest field from points outside the zone. There should be some working agreement between the United States Employment Service and the railroads whereby reduced fares would be granted to unemployed securing jobs in sections distant from their homes.
    Unemployment survey.—In January, 1921, unemployment appeared to be reaching an acute state, and the Government for the first time undertook an official survey of the unemployed. An actual census of the unemployed being impracticable, the only method by which the information desired could be ascertained was through employment figures, as employment is centralized and unemployment is scattered. The survey was based on a comparison of workers engaged in industry in January, 1920, the peak of industrial activity, with the number engaged in January, 1921, which showed a reduction in wage earners in industry. The result of this unemployment survey was published in a bulletin in January, 1921.
    The unemployment survey was preliminary to a monthly industrial employment survey which the service started in February and has continued. This survey is strictly a neutral service inaugurated for the purpose of regularly collecting and distributing current information regarding general and specific industrial employment conditions; the distribution of labor; and the fluctuations in employment throughout the country. It is published monthly in the 'form of
    ANNUAL REPORT SECRETARY OF LABOR.	17
    I
    statistics of employment, analyzed and tabulated according to industrial groups and geographical divisions.
    The figures of actual change in employment conditions cover payroll figures of concerns usually employing 500 or more in 65 of the principal industrial centers of the country, which embrace 1,428 firms employing more than 1,600,000 workers. Reports are received from identical firms each month.
    Junior Division.—The junior division of the United States Employment Service deals with the youth of the country, both sexes, between legal working age and 21. The purpose of the junior division is to aid the schools of the country in assisting boys and girls to select and prepare for some definite occupation in which they may be efficient, productive, and constructive workers, and to offer employers the best possible facilities for the selection of their junior employees. It was brought into being by the realization of the facts (1) that the schools have a vital part to play in selecting and training young people for their proper place in the economic world; and (2) that industry has serious need of a plan by which proper guidance industrially and particularly intelligent placement and followup of all young people may be effected. Moreover, the schools must have a channel through which a tide of information is constantly flowing back to them regarding the organization requirements and changes