MESSRS. WILLIAM B. OLIVER (CHAIRMAN) IN CHARGE OF DEPARTMENTS OF STATE, JUSTICE, COMMERCE, AND 153442 SEVENTY-SECOND CONGRESS SECOND SESSION UNITED STATES WASHINGTON: 1933 COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS JOSEPH W. BYRNS, Tennessee, Chairman JAMES P. BUCHANAN, Texas. CHARLES L. ABERNETHY, North Carolina. LEWIS W. DOUGLAS, Arizona. LOUIS LUDLOW, Indiana. WILLIAM J. GRANFIELD, Massachusetts. THOMAS L. BLANTON, Texas. MICHAEL J. HART, Michigan. II WILLIAM R. WOOD, Indiana. MILTON W. SHREVE, Pennsylvania. MAURICE H. THATCHER, Kentucky. WILLIAM P. HOLADAY, Illinois. 561 A6 Thd 610 DEPARTMENT OF LABOR APPROPRIATION BILL FOR 1934 HEARINGS CONDUCTED BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE, MÉSSRS. WILLIAM B. OLIVER (CHAIRMAN), ANTHONY J. GRIFFIN, ÇLARENCE CANNON, THOMAS L. BLANTON MILTON W SHREVE, AND GEORGE HOLDEN TINKHAM, OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, IN CHARGE OF THE DEPARTMENTS OF STATE, JUSTICE, COMMERCE AND LABOR APPROPRIATION BILL FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1934, ON THE DAYS FOLLOWING, NAMELY: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1932. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY STATEMENTS OF SAMUEL J. GOMPERS, CHIEF CLERK; AND CHARLES E. BALDWIN, ACTING COMMISSIONER, BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS. HISTORY AND GROWTH OF THE DEPARTMENT Mr. OLIVER. We will take up this morning the appropriations for the Department of Labor. We have with us Mr. Gompers, who is chief clerk of the department. I will ask, Mr. Gompers, that you prepare a brief historical sketch of the department and also a comparative statement of your appropriations by bureaus beginning with the year 1929; where, in any year, nonrecurring items were appropriated for, let that appear as a footnote to the table. This information you can prepare and submit to us for insertion at this point in the hearing. Mr. GOMPERS. I will do so. (The statement above referred to is as follows:) Appropriations, Department of Labor, 1929 to 1933, inclusive 3 Nonrecurring items for particular expenditures. 'Carried in independent establishments appropriation bill. 2 $500,000 of the amount appropriated for 1932 was available for expenditure in 1931. Nonrecurring item-appropriation for Welfare and Hygiene of Maternity and Infancy discontinued. 5 Nonrecurring item--discontinuance of Government hotels. The Department of Labor was created by act of March 4, 1913, approved by President Taft. The law creating the department stated as its purpose, "to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners of the United States, to improve their working conditions, and to advance their opportunities for profitable employment. The new department consisted of the Office of the Secretary, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Immigration, the Children's Bureau, and the Bureau of Naturalization. The law also gave the Secretary of Labor authority to act as a mediator and to appoint Commissioners of Conciliation in industrial disputes whenever in his judgment the interests of industrial peace might require it to be done, and under this authority was created the Conciliation Service. During the World War, the activities of the department were widely expanded and many war time bureaus were added to the organization. At the close of the war, all of these war activities were discontinued with the exception of the United States Housing Corporation, which is taking care of the Government interests in its property. The Women's Bureau was created as a standing bureau by act of June 5, 1920. The United States Employment Service is an expansion of the division of information of the Bureau of Immigration which existed prior to the establishment of the department, and this service was created under the authority of the enabling act which states: "The purpose of the department shall be * * to advance their opportunities for profitable employment.' Statement follows of the additional duties placed on the bureaus of the department by legislation. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS * Senate resolution of March 6, 1928, directed the Secretary of Labor "to investigate the method whereby frequent periodic report of the number of unemployed and part-time employed in the United States and permanent statistics thereon may hereafter be had and made available, and make report thereon to the Senate." The Secretary of Labor made such report and in accordance therewith an appropriation of $100,000 was granted the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the fiscal year 1929, but as this appropriation was not continued for the following year, the work was necessarily curtailed. The act of July 7, 1930 (Public No. 537, 71st Cong.) directed the Bureau of Labor Statistics to collect, collate, and publish detailed employment statistics by industries and locality and an appropriation of $140,000 was allowed for the fiscal year 1932. The funds available for 1933 have been reduced $130,480 so that the expansion as required by the act of July 7, 1930, had to be stopped and the work greatly curtailed. CONCILIATION SERVICE The act of March 3, 1931, the prevailing wage law, added very materially to the duties of this service, which additional work is being performed without any increase in personnel, although at times the service is unable to act as promptly as heretofore on certain trade disputes presented. BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION The principal immigration act of February 5, 1917 (39 Stat. 874).—1. Added the literacy test. 2. Placed restrictions upon alien seamen, to prevent landing of those ineligible to admission to the United States, and the employment of diseased alien seamen by vessels carrying passengers between foreign ports and the United States. 3. Imposed payment of head tax upon the nationals of foreign contiguous countries coming to the United States as immigrants. 4. Enlarged the deportation provisions, particularly as to the immoral and criminal elements. 5. Provided for the removal of aliens becoming destitute within three years after entry, upon their personal application. The war-time passport act of May 22, 1918 (40 Stat. 559).—Immigration officers were made permit agents, to control the entry and departure of persons, both citizens and aliens, during the continuance of the World War, and thereafter until the law was repealed. For the handling of the immense amount of additional work resulting from the enforcement of this law, the immigration personnel was considerably increased. The additional force was temporarily employed and was discontinued when the need therefor ceased to exist. The so-called anarchist act of October 16, 1918 (40 Stat. 1012), as amended by the act approved June 5, 1920 (41 Stat. 1008).-This law broadened the so-called anarchist class to include communists, and thereby added very considerably to the work of the immigration officers, particularly in the matter of deportations. The immigration (visa and quota law) act of 1924 (43 Stat. 153).-1. Resulted in the examination of aliens abroad, for which purpose additional officers, designated as technical advisers, were assigned to duty at American consulates. 2. Required immigration officers to pass upon the validity and legality of immigration visas, and to more rigidly examine aliens, especially at land border ports, to prevent fraud upon the Government by immigrants, not in possession of visas, claiming to be nonimmigrants. 3. Required action upon applications for nonquota and preference visas and for the admission of students. 4. Provided for the handling of re-entry permits. 5. Provided additional classes of deportable aliens; i. e., those entering or remaining in violation of the quota and visa provisions. Appropriation act of May 28, 1924 (43 Stat. 240).-This act appropriated $1,000,000 for an immigration border patrol. The air commerce act of May 20, 1926 (44 Stat. 568).—The law has required some increase in the number of immigrant inspectors, to inspect arriving aliens at the various airports, generally located considerable distance from the regular ports of entry for aliens. The registration act of March 2, 1929 (45 Stat. 1512). The procedure under this law, for the registration of certain aliens as to whom there is no record of admission for permanent residence, contemplates thorough investigation by field officers, the preparation of complete records by them, their review in the bureau, and the careful preparation of records of registry and certificates of registry. The act prescribing punishment for unlawful entry, approved March 4, 1929, (45 Stat. 1551). This law created additional criminal classes and placed upon the immigration field force a large amount of extra work in the preparation of cases for prosecution, besides putting the officers to the necessity of spending a considerable part of their time as witnesses, before United States Commissioners, Federal grand juries, and Federal trial juries. Allowance was made for this situation in apportioning the additional force appointed primarily to attend to the registry work arising under the act of March 2, 1929. BUREAU OF NATURALIZATION Act of May 9, 1918 (40 Stat. 542–546).—Naturalization of alien veterans of the World War. Naturalization of alien seamen and other aliens in certain services of the United States. Furnishing citizenship textbook to those applicants for citizenship attending public-school classes. Act September 22, 1922 (42 Stat. 1021-2).—Providing for a separate citizenship status for married women. Act of June 8, 1926 (44 Stat. 709).-Designation by judges of United States district courts of examiners and officers of the Naturalization Service to hold preliminary hearings on petitions for citizenship. Act of March 2, 1929 (45 Stat. 1516).-Verification of arrival in the United States of applicants for declarations of intention and issuance of certificates of arrival in such cases. Collection and accounting for naturalization fees prescribed by the act, averaging approximately $3,000,000 per annum. Issuance, after appropriate investigation, of new declarations and certificates in lieu of those lost, destroyed, or mutilated. Issuance of special certificates of citizenship. Issuance, after appropriate investigation, of certificates of derivative citizenship. Preparation of statistical data, analytical comments thereon and reports from the records of naturalization in the custody of the bureau. Taking depositions of witnesses in naturalization cases to prove residence, good moral character, and so forth, outside of county where petitions for citizenship are filed. Act of June 21, 1930 (46 Stat. 791).—Issuance, after appropriate investigation, of certificates of repatriation to certain veterans of the World War. |