DOCUMENT RESUME ED 289 036 CE C49 203 AUTHOR Goldberg, Joseph P.; Moye, William T. TITLE The First Hundred Years of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Bulletin 2235. INSTITUTION Bureau of Labor Statistics (DOL), Washington, D.C. REPORT NO ISBN-0-935043-01-2 PUB DATE Sep 85 NOTE 342p. AVAILABLE FROMSuperintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. PUB TYPE Historical Materials (060) Books (010) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC14 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Agency Role; Background; Economic Change; Economic Climate; *Employment Statistics; History; *Labor Market; Organizational Development; Organizational Effectiveness; Organizational Objectives; *Program Administration; *Public Ageacies; Public Policy; *Statistical Data IDENTIFIERS *Bureau of Labor Statistics ABSTRACT This book describes various aspects of the historical development of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The first chapter, entitled "Origins," sketches the factors leading up to authorization of the BLS in June 1884. A chapter entitled "Carroll Wright: Setting the Course" discusses the views and contributions of the BLS's first commissioner. The next chapter covers the studies for economic and social reform that were undertaken during the administration of the bureau's second commissioner, Charles Neill. The BLS's history during the pre-World War I recession and war years, when Royal Meeker headed the bureau, are examined next. The fifth chapter is devoted to Ethelbert Stewart's term as commissioner of the BLS, which lasted from 1920 to 1932. The BLS's efforts to meet the emergency demands imposed on it first by the Great Depression and then by the New Deal agencies that were created to deal with the Depression are discussed against the framework of Isador Lubin's term as BLS commissioner. Ewan Claque's term as BLS commissioner (from 1946 to 1965) is discussed in terms of the expanding role that economic indicators began to play in the BLS. The eighth chapter summarizes the limited terms of the next three BLS commissioners, Arthur M. Ross, Geoffrey H. Moore, and Julian Shiskin, as well as the term of Janet L. Norwood, who was well into her second term as commissioner when the book was published. A brief discussion of the BLS's continuing mission, an appendix describing BLS publications, source notes for each chapter, and an index conclude the book. (MN) *********v!c************************************************************* Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** BEST COPY AVAILABLE The First Ncx, Hundred-Years of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Joseph P Goldberg and William T. Moye U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and improvement EOU ATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions stated in HIM dOCir ment do not necessarily represent official OERI position or isolicy. U.S. Department of Labor U.S. Department of Labor William E. Brock, Secretary Bureau of Labor Statistics Janet L. Norwood, Commissioner September 1985 Bulletin 2235 3 The First Hundred Years of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Joseph P. Goldberg and William T. Moye For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 4 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Goldberg, Joseph P., 1918- The first hundred years of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Bulletin / Bureau of Labor Statistics ; 2235) Bibliography: p. Includes index. 1. United States. Bureau of Labor StatisticsHistory. I. Moye, William T. II. Title. III. Series: Bulletin (United States. Bureau of Labor Statistics); 2235. HD8064.2.055 1985 353.0083 85.11655 ISBN 0-93504300-4 ISBN 0-935043-01-2 (pbk.) 5 C Foreword volume reports on the first century of a government agency whose founders hoped that, by publishing facts about economic conditions, the agency would help end strife between capital and labor. The Bureau's early work included studies of depressions, tariffs, immigrants, and akhoholism and many assignments to investigate and mediate disputes between labor and management. Most of these func- tionsespecially those involving formulation of policypassed on to other agencies. The Bureau today remains on:- of the Nation's princi- pal economic factfinders. This account of the Bureau's history is based on 4 years of research by two historians, Joseph P. Goldberg and William T. Moye. Dr. Goldberg holds degrees in history and economics from the City College of New York and Columbia University and has written exten- sively on the maritime industry, collective bargaining, labor law, and labor history. He has served as special assistant to the Commissioner of Labor Statistics since 1955. Dr. Moye holds degrees from Davidson College and the University of North Carolina and has been with the U.S. Department of Labor since 1976, specializing in the history of the Department and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In conducting their research, Drs. Goldberg and Moye had full access to the records of the Bureau and of the Department of Labor and also used the collections of the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and other public and private institutions. In addition, the authors conducted interviews with recent Commissioners and Secre- taries of Labor and others familiar with the work of the Bureau. At the Archives, Jerry N. Hess and Joseph B. Howerton provided valua- ble assistance, as did Henry P. Guzda of the Department of Labor Historical Office. iii Rosalie K. Epstein, the book's editor, worked closely with the authors in helping them fashion their voluminous research into a book-size manuscript. Several expert readers helped improve the work through thoughtful critiques. They included Richard B. Morris, Gouverneur Morris Professor of History Emeritus, Columbia University; Professor Irving Bernstein, Department of Political Science, University of Cali- fornia, Los Angeles; Dr. Jonathan Grossman, Historian, U.S. Depart- ment of Labor, from 1962 to 1982; Dr. H.M. Douty, author and economic consultant; Dr. Herbert C. Morton, Director, Office of Scholarly Communications and Technology, American Council of Learned Societies; and several members of the staff of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Book design was supervised by Richard Mathews. Scenobia G. Easterly and Elizabeth M. Johnson assisted with manuscript prepara- tion. In writing the book, Drs. Goldberg and Moye had full freedom to interpret events in accordance with their judgments as historians, without conformance to an "official" view of institutional history. Given the perspective made possible by passing years, the authors offer broader evaluations of the Bureau's early history than of contem- porary events. Henry Lowenstern Associate Commissioner, Office of Publications Bureau of Labor Statistics iv Contents I.Origins 1 II.Carroll Wright: Setting the Course 6 III.Charles Neil: Studies for Economic and Social Reform 43 IV.Royal Meeker: Statistics in Recession and Wartime 80 V.Ethelbert Stewart: Holding the Fort 114 VI.Isador Lubin: Meeting Emergency Demands 140 VII.Ewan Clague: An Expanding Role for Economic Indicators 178 VIII.Four Commissioners: An Economy Going by the Numbers 213 IX.History as Prologue: The Continuing Mission 258 Appendix: BLS Publications 262 Source Notes 265 Index 305 v Chapter I. Origins When President Chester A. kithur signed the bill cre- ating the Bureau of Labor in the Department of the Interior on June 27, 1884, it was the culmination of almost two decades of advocacy by labor organiza- tions that wanted government help in publicizing and improving the status of the growing industrial labor force. Those two decades had seen vast changes in. the American econ- omy and society. A truly national economy was developing, epito- mized by the transcontinental railroads. Industry was attracting increasing numbers of unskilled workers, recruited from among iMMi- grants, freedmen, women, and children, into the urban centers. And, with the emerrnce of the industrial worker, unemployment, slum conditions, and labor unrest were on the rise. The altruistic concerns of social reformers, largely directed against slavery in the pre-Civil War period, increasingly focused on ameliorating the conditions of American workersmen, women, and children. Some of these reformers supported the emerging national unions as aids to such amelioration. Further, they challenged the prevailing view that the primary role of government was to preserve 1 9 The First Hundred Years order and protect property and that control of theeconomy was to be left to the captains of industry. They believed that thestate should have an ethical and educational role, one thatwas indispensable to human progress. It was in this era of ferment and demands for reform that the Bureau of Labor was born. The campaign for a national labor agency The campaign for a national labor agency had begun with the call fora Department of Labor at the 1867 convention of the short-lived National Labor Union.1 In 1869, in responseto the growing strength of a labor reform party in the State, Massachusetts established the first State bureau of labor statistics. But, under the leadership of labor activists, the new agency stirred controversy which almost destroyed it. In 1873, the governor appointed as chief Carroll D. Wright,a former State legislator who was not associated with the labor reform- ers, and Wright soon put the bureau on solid ground. Other States followed suit, and, within 10 years, 12more States had established labor bureaus. On the national scene, the Industrial Congress, later renamed the Industrial Brotherhood, carriedon the fight but did not survive the depression years of the mid-1870's. Then, in 1878, the Knights of Labor adopted the preamble of the Brotherhood almost verbatim, calling for "the establishment of Bureaus of Labor Statistics"at the various levels of govemment.2 That same year,a Select Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives held hearingson the causes of the general depression.