LABOR LAWS IN THE UNITED STATES.

The United States statutes at large provide for a Bureau of Labor in the Department of Commerce and Labor, said bureau to be in charge of an officer desigLabor

nated the Commissioner of Labor. The general design and duties of the Bureau of Labor are to acquire and diffuse among the Commissioner. people of the United States useful information on subjects connected with labor, in the most general and comprehensive sense of that word, and especially upon its relation to capital, hours of labor, the earnings of laboring men and women, and the means of promoting their material, social, intellectual and moral prosperity.

The United States statutes at large provide that the service and employment of all laborers and mechanics employed by the Government of the United States, by the District of Columbia, or by any contractor or sub-contractor Hours of Labor. upon any of the public works of the United States, or of the District of Columbia, shall be limited and restricted to eight hours in any one calendar day. Also, that it shall be unlawful for any officer of the United States, or of the District of Columbia, or for any contractor or sub-contractor as above described, to require or permit any such laborer or mechanic to work more than eight hours in any calendar day, except in cases of extraordinary emergency. (Chap. 352, acts of Congress, 1891-'92.) In 1887 Congress provided by act that eight hours should constitute a day's work for letter carriers in cities or postal districts connected therewith, and if any letter carrier should be employed a greater number of hours per day he should be paid extra for the same. (Chap. 808, acts of Congress, 1887-'88.) Chap. 47, acts of Congress, 1887-88, directs the Public Printer to enforce the eight-hour law in the department under his charge. All persons in the Government service as per diem employes are allowed the following holidays, for which they shall receive pay the same as on other days: January 1, February 22, May 30 (Memorial Day), July 4, first Monday Holiday Pay. in September, Labor Day (to employes of the Government Printing Office only), December 25, and such days as the President may Chap. 370, acts of Congress, 1897-'98, provides that when a controversy arises between a common carrier, engaged in interstate or foreign commerce, and its employes, which interrupts or threatens to interrupt its business, Arbitration of the chairman of the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Labor Disputes.

appoint as days for national thanksgiving.

Commissioner of Labor shall, upon the request of either party, communicate with the parties and try by mediation and conciliation to settle the controversy, and if their efforts are unsuccessful they shall then try to bring about an arbitration of said controversy; that if the effort at mediation as above does not succeed the controversy may, by the consent of the parties, be submitted to the arbitration of a board of three persons, one to be named by the employing carrier, one to be named by the employes, and the third to be chosen by the two first named, or, if they cannot agree on any one, then by the chairman of the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Commissioner of Labor: that a majority of said arbitrators may make a valid and binding award, which must be found and filed in the clerk's office of the Circuit Court of the United States for the district wherein the controversy arose or the arbitration was entered into, within thirty days from the date of the appointment of the third arbitrator; that the submission of the controversy shall be in writing and signed by both parties, and must be filed with the award and with a transcript of all the testimony; that these papers so filed in court with the award shall have the force and effect of a bill of exceptions; that the award shall be final and conclusive upon both parties unless set aside by the court for error of law apparent on the record; that the award shall go into practical operation and judgment shall be entered thereon at the expiration of ten days from the filing unless, within said ten days, either party shall file exceptions thereto for matter of law apparent upon the record; that at the expiration of ten days from the judgment of the Circuit Court upon exceptions taken as above, judgment shall be entered in accordance with the decision of the court unless, within said ten days, either party shall appeal to the Circuit Court of Appeals; the decision of the Circuit Court of Appeals shall be final; that employes dissatisfied with the award must not quit the employer before the expiration of three months from and after the making of the award without giving thirty days' notice in writing of their intention, and that an employer so dissatisfied must not, on account of such dissatisfaction, dismiss an employe before the expiration of said three months without giving the same notice; that during the pendency of such arbitration it shall not be lawful for the employer party to such arbitration to discharge employes parties thereto, except for inefficiency, violation of law or neglect of duty, nor for the employes to unite in, aid or abet strikes against said employer, and that for a period of three months after an award under such an arbitration it shall not be lawful for an employer to discharge employes, except for the causes aforesaid, without giving thirty days' notice in writing of his intention to do so, nor for any employe, during a like perlad, to quit the service of the employer without just cause without giving a like notice; that each member of such board of arbitration shall receive a compensation of $10 per day for the time he is actually employed, and also his traveling and other necessary expenses.

For federal employers' liability legislation passed at the second session of the Sixty-first Congress, see page 132 of this volume. For the law of May 30, 1908, providing compensation for injuries to federal employes, see page 100 of The Tribune Almanac for 1909. For the liability of cominon carriers law of April 22, 1908, see page 88 of The Tribune Almanac for 1909.

STATEMENT OF THE PUBLIC DEBT AND OF THE CASH IN THE TREASURY OF THE UNITED STATES, NOVEMBER 1, 1910.

Interest Bearing Debt.

issued.
$646,250, 150

198,792,660
162,315,400

Outstanding
October
31, 1910.
$646,250, 150
63,945,460
118,489,900

Aggregate of interest bearing debt.

Debt on Which Interest Has Ceased Since Maturity.
Funded loan of 1891, continued at 2 per cent, called for redemption May
18, 1900; interest ceased August 18, 1900..
Funded loan of 1891, matured September 2, 1891.
Funded loan of 1904, matured February 2, 1904.
Funded loan of 1907, matured July 2, 1907...
Refunding certificates, matured July 1, 1907.

Old debt matured at various dates prior to January 1, 1861, and other
items of debt matured at various dates subsequent to January 1, 1861

Aggregate of debt on which interest has ceased since maturity.......
Debt Bearing No Interest.

54,631,980

30,000,000 $913,317,490

$7,000 00 23,650 00

13,450 00

1,089,800 00 17,040 00

906,045 26

$2,056,985 26

53,282.50 33,529,205 50

United States notes (February 25, 1862; July 11, 1862; March 3, 1863)...$346,681,016.00
Old demand notes (July 17, 1861; February 12, 1862).
National bank notes, redemption account (July 14, 1890).
Fractional currency (July 17, 1862; March 3, 1863; June 30, 1864; less
$8,375,934 estimated as lost or destroyed, Act of June 21, 1879)..

Aggregate of debt bearing no interest..

Certificates and Notes Issued on Deposits of Coin and Silver

Aggregate of interest and non

Silver dollars....

interest bearing debt......$1,302,496,415 19 $1,301,602,681 45

Certificates and Treasury notes offset by an equal amount of cash in the Treasury..

Reserve fund-Gold coin and bullion.
Trust funds-Gold coin.

Silver dollars of 1890.

Cash in the Treasury (Credit).

3,518,000 00

1,392,445, 669 00

Treasury notes of 1890.

National bank notes.

Subsidiary silver coin..

16,995,517 15

Fractional currency.

62.83

Minor coin..

652,188 12

Bonds and interest paid, awaiting reimbursement..

$1,759,673,952 14

Balance in the Treasury September 30, 1910, exclusive of reserve and trust funds....

Balance in Treasury October 31, 1910, exclusive of reserve and trust funds

$90,984,015 77

85,688,932 10

Decrease during the month..

$5,295,083 67

Memorandum showing the amounts due the United States from Pacific railroads on account of bonds issued in aid of their construction:

Totals.......

314.339.398

$3,488,738,804 $308,654,305 | $3,180,084,499 |$3,124,679,057|$816,266,721

Population of the United States November 1, 1910, estimated at 90,844,000; circulation per capita, $35.01.

A revised estimate by the Director of the Mint of the stock of gold coin was adopted in the statement for August 1, 1907. There was a reduction of $135,000,000. A revised estimate by the Director of the Mint of the stock of subsidiary coin was adopted in the statement of Septen.ber 1, 1910. There was a reduction of $9,700,000. †For redemption of outstanding certificates an exact equivalent in amount of the appropriate kinds of money is held in the Treasury, and is not included in the account of money held as assets of the government. This statement of money held in the Treasury as assets of the government does not include deposits of public money in national bank depositaries to the credit of the Treasurer of the United States, amounting to $35,659,998 50. For a full statement of assets see Public Debt Statement. §Includes $83,190,000 currency certificates, act of June 8, 1872.

MONEY IN CIRCULATION-BOND DEPOSITS IN TREASURY.

215

COIN AND PAPER CIRCULATION OF THE UNITED STATES FROM 1886 TO 1910, INCLUSIVE, WITH AMOUNT OF CIRCULATION PER CAPITA.

Year.

1886

1887

1888

1889

1890

1891

1892

1893

1894

1885

1896

Coin, incl.

bullion

U.S. notes,

in Treasury. bank notes.

Per tion. сар. Dollars. Dollars. Dollars. Dols. 903,027,804 658,380,4701,861,407,774 808,707,249 1,252,700,525 57,404,000 21.89 1,007,513.901 625,898,804 | 1,633,412,705 315,878.562|1,317,539,143 58,680,000 22 45 1,092,391,690 699,049,337 1,691,441,027 319,270,157 1,372,170,870 59,974,000 22 88 1,100,612,434 558,059,979|1,658,672,418 278,310,764 1,380,361,649 61,289,000 1,152,471,638] 532,651,791 | 1,685,123,429 | 255,872,159 1,429,251,270 62,622,250 1,112,656,637 564,837,40711,677,794,644) 180,353,337|1,497,440, 707|63,947,000 1,131,142,260 621,076,937 1,752,219,197 150,872,010 1,801,347,187 65,191,000 1,066,223,357 672,585,1151,738,808,472 142,107,227 1,596,701,245 66,456,000 1,098,958,741 706,120,220 1,805,078,961 144,270,253 1,660,808, 708 67,740,000 1,114,899,106] 704,460,4511,819,359.557 217,391,084 1,601,988,473 69,043,000 23 20 [1,097,610,190 702,364,843 1,799,975,033 293,540,067 | 1,506,434,966|70,365,000 21 41 1,213,780,289 692,216,330|1,905,996,619 265,787,100 1,640,209,519 71,704,000 22 87 (1,397,785,969 | 675,788,478|2,073,574.442|235,714,547|1,837,859,896 73,060,000 25 15 |1,508,543,738 681,550,167 | 2.190,093,905 | 286,022,024 1,904,071,881 74,433,000 25 58 1,607,352,213 732,348,460 | 2,339,700, 673|284,549,675 | 2,055, 150,998 76,295,220 26 94 ..1,734.861,774 748.285,518 2,483,147,292|307,760,015 2,175,387,277 77,754,000 27 08 1,829,913,551 733,353,107|2,563,266,658 | 313,876, 107|2,249,390,551 79,117,000 28 43 .[1.958,083,786 784.215,995 (2,742,299.781|293,131,363 2,449,168,418 81,061,000 30 21 .2,032,717,414 815,575,51612,848,292,930 264,816,269 2,583,476,661 82,329,000 31 38 2.079,848.586 879,710,260 2,959.558,851 306,427,273 2,653,131,578 83,726,000 81 69 2,241,743,960 936,765,001|3,178,508,961 321,626,175 2,866,882,786 85,131,000 38 68 .[2.260,619,846 1,008,445,212 3.269.065,058 260,823,475 3,008,241,583 86,666,000 34 71 1908 12,363,453,526 1,017,230,20813,381,079,734 282,581,713 3,098,498.021 87.971.000 85 22 #1909 2,873.233.341 1,054,655,772|3,427,889,113 303,210,056 3,124,679.057189,404.000 34 95 1910.2.413,665,480 1,075,073.324|3,488,738,804 | 308,654,305 | 3,180,084,499) 90,844,000 35 01 1On December 1. On November 1.

Totals. $347,681,016 $3,518,000 $729,374,483 $899,859,669 $489,068,000 $2,469,501,168 Unknown,

destroyed 1,000,000

*4,503,175

5,500,175

Net....$346,681,016 $3,518,000 $724,874,308 $899.859,669|$489,068,000 $2,464,000,993 Redeemed but not assorted by denomination.

BONDS ON DEPOSIT IN TREASURY AND DENOMINATIONS OF NATIONAL BANK NOTES OUTSTANDING NOVEMBER 1, 1910.

NATIONAL BANK NOTES OUTSTANDING, NOVEMBER 1, 1909, AND OCTOBER 1 AND NOVEMBER 1, 1910.

National bank notes outstanding secured by
United States bonds.
National bank notes outstanding secured by
lawful money

Nov. 1, '09. Oct. 1, '10. | Nov. 1, '10.

$678,332,462 $688,157,577) $691,335,845 25,608,294 32,638,029 33,538,463

Total national bank notes outstanding..[$703,940,756|$720,795,606|$724,874,308 BONDS HELD IN TRUST FOR NATIONAL BANKS, OCTOBER 31, 1910.

At par. At 90 per cent of par. At 90 per cent of market value not exceeding 90 per cent par.

When banks have occasion to withdraw bonds held by the Treasurer to secure deposits of public moneys, the following shall be the order of withdrawal: Group IV, Group III, Group II and Group I.

Bonds within a group may be interchanged by banks if desired, but bonds in a lower group may not be substituted for those in a higher group.

Bonds of the Manila Railroad Company are also receivable to secure deposits of public moneys, and when accepted will be treated as belonging to Group III. ABSTRACT OF REPORTS MADE TO THE CONTROLLER OF THE CURRENCY, SHOWING THE CONDITION OF THE NATIONAL BANKS.