BELGIUM.

Recensement général des Industries et des Métiers, 31 Octobre, 1896. Office du Travail, Ministère de l'Industrie et du Travail. 1900-1901. Volume I, 946 pp.; Volume II, 907 pp.; Volume III, 180 pp.; Volume IV, 525 pp.; Volume V, 573 pp.

These five volumes contain the first installment of the returns of the Belgian industrial census of October 31, 1896. The distinguishing characteristic of this census is the combination of the features of an occupation census with those of an industrial census, and on this account it calls for a brief description of the methods used in securing and compiling the census returns.

On the basis of the population register of 1890, which was supposed to have been kept up to date, the schedules of inquiries were sent to all the industrial persons, or "industrial households," as the official reports designate them, in the Kingdom. This enumeration (made on Schedule B) secured from the working population information as to name, sex, place of birth, date of birth, conjugal condition, relation to head of household, occupation, whether working at home for one or more employers, the name and industry of the employer, and the address of the establishment in which the employee worked. On the same day an examination of the industrial establishments (made on Schedule A) was taken and information secured as to the name and address of the proprietor or firm, the industry carried on in the establishment, the length of the business season; in case the establishment was temporarily shut down, the length of time and cause of such shut down; the number of employees of each sex and their positions in the establishment, with the young persons given separately; the hour of beginning and of stopping work, with the length of the intermissions, and the working personnel by day and by night shifts. Wages were to be given in such shape as to show the form of wage payments for each position by sex and age of the workers, the total wages paid in the last wage period, with specification of the number of working days, and the working personnel. Returns were made for the motors used, their kind and average horsepower, and the type of steam boilers, their pressure and heating surface.

When the schedules were returned to the labor office they were assembled by establishments and a comparison of the statements on the "A" schedules was made with those on the "B" schedules. This verification eliminated a large portion of the errors, and among other things suggested additional investigations not originally included in the census.

One of the important features of the census is the extended classification of industries. The classification was made after the schedules had been returned to the central office, and on the basis of the infor

mation contained in them. No prearranged classification was given to the enumerators to follow in filling out the schedules. There are no less than 858 classes of industries specified, so that for practical purposes the returns are more available than has formerly been the case with industrial censuses.

The final volume of the census reports is intended to be a general summary, and until this volume has been issued it will not be possible. to give a full summary by industries of the returns for the Kingdom. Volumes I and II contain the table showing the distribution, by industries, of the factory and domestic working establishments by provinces, arrondissements, and communes. The table shows the total number of establishments, the number in operation on the census day, and the employees classified as wage workers and as other personnel. The horsepower used is also stated. Giving returns for such small geographical divisions as communes, with such an elaborate classification of industries, has made the information exceedingly detailed; in fact, in a very large number of cases the table simply reproduces the schedules of individual establishments. The information is given in two tables: In the first table, those industrial concerns which comprise more than one undertaking have these undertakings counted as separate establishments; in a second and supplementary table, these combined establishments are treated as single establishments.

Volume III contains a full index of the matter tabulated in Volumes I and II, and gives the subjects by industries and by geographical divisions. In Volume IV the establishments are given according to the form of organization.

In Volume V the establishments in operation on the census day are classified according to the number of wage workers.

Following is a summary statement of the returns thus far published, each undertaking being regarded as a separate establishment: Total establishments...

Establishments in operation October 31, 1896:

Carried on by individuals.....

Full partners under a collective name.

337, 395

305, 045

18,678

Total carried on by stock companies and cooperative societies.

2,029

Total in operation October 31, 1896

a 326, 089

Persons engaged in establishments in operation October 31, 1896:

Owners and salaried employees.

Wage workers.

Total....

Total horsepower (steam, gas, and petroleum motors) of establishments in operation October 31, 1896..

a Including 6 establishments for which details regarding form of organization and character of employment were not reported.

379,992 722, 252

1, 102, 244

628, 253

The following table shows the number of persons engaged in establishments conducted by individuals or partnerships and by stock companies and cooperative societies, grouped according to sex and character of employment:

PERSONS ENGAGED IN ESTABLISHMENTS IN OPERATION OCTOBER 31, 1896, ACCORDING TO CHARACTER OF EMPLOYMENT.

The next table relates only to wage workers who are not members of owners' families. The establishments and employees are grouped according to the number of wage workers in each establishment.

ESTABLISHMENTS AND WAGE WORKERS CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF WAGE WORKERS IN EACH ESTABLISHMENT.

a Not including members of proprietors' families. b Including 16 establishments employing wage workers the number of whom could not be determined.

CANADA.

Report of the Department of Labor for the year ended June 30, 1901. 1902. 67 pp. (Printed by order of Parliament.)

This is the first report issued by this department as it came into existence under section 10 of the conciliation act of July 18, 1900. (See Bulletin No. 33, p. 272, U. S. Department of Labor.)

The subjects presented in this report are: The Labor Gazette, 23 pages; conciliation and arbitration, 9 pages; fair wages on public contract work, 19 pages; enforcement of alien labor acts, 4 pages; details as to departmental work and expenses, 5 pages.

THE LABOR GAZETTE. Here is given a statement of the general scope and purpose of the monthly publication of the department, with a brief review of the principal articles appearing in the first 10 numbers.

CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION.-The act under which the department of labor was organized provides for its active friendly intervention, under certain circumstances, in the adjustment of industrial disputes. It is provided that

(a) The minister of labor may take certain action in the way of inquiry or may arrange a conference without application from any of the parties to a dispute.

(b) He may appoint a conciliator on the application of either party. (c) He may appoint an arbitrator on the application of both parties. The present report indicates that in no case has the department seen fit to intervene unless invited by one of the parties, or by some interested person in their behalf. The following table summarizes the principal points in connection with this branch of the department's work for about eight months:

INTERVENTIONS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES, 1900, 1901.

a The dispute commenced early in the year, but before declaring a strike the employees requested the intervention of the department of labor. The company agreeing, a meeting was arranged for between the conciliator and representatives from both sides. Settlement was arrived at within two days.

FAIR WAGES ON PUBLIC CONTRACT WORK.-A resolution of Parliament of March 17, 1900, declares: "That all Government contracts should contain such conditions as will prevent abuses which may arise from the subletting of such contracts, and that every effort should be made to secure the payment of such wages as are generally accepted as current in each trade for competent workmen in the district where the work is carried out."

This applies not only to work done by the Government, but to undertakings aided by Government subsidies as well.

The report covers the fiscal year 1900-1901, under the two heads of public and subsidized undertakings. A list is given of the contracts made under the provisions of the resolution quoted from above, and of the investigations made by the "fair-wages officers" of the department. The method of procedure is for the department of the Government which is about to invite bids on a contract to furnish the department of labor such specifications as to locality and the nature of the labor required as will enable it to draw up a "fair-wages schedule," based on its own investigations. This schedule is then inserted in the proposed contract and becomes the basis for a minimum wage payment for the several classes of employees. Complaints of violations are investigated by the department of labor and determined by the department entering into the contract, after the results of such investigation have been submitted. The report indicates that such complaints as were made during the ten months covered by it were generally well grounded, and that the action of the department was efficient and acceptable.

ENFORCEMENT OF ALIEN-LABOR ACTS.-The investigation of alleged violations of these acts was assigned to the newly-formed department of labor upon its organization. The statute requires that no proceeding at law shall be begun until the consent of the attorney-general of Canada, or of some person authorized by him, be obtained. The effect of this law has been that no legal action has been necessary beyond the investigation made by the department and the communication of its conclusions to the party charged. If the finding was in favor of the bringing of an action, the offending parties at once deported the persons thought to be illegally employed, and the cases were then dropped, with the consent of the complainants.

Seventy-one complaints were received, 7 of which were not acted upon owing to a change in the law. Of the 64 cases investigated, 48 were found not to be violations. Nineteen aliens went away during the investigations, and 52 were voluntarily deported as a result of findings of well-grounded complaints.

GREAT BRITAIN.

Workmen's Trains. 1900. (Published by the British Board of Trade.) This report is a return to an order of the House of Commons, and is made up of individual reports from all railways in Great Britain, showing the number of trains, distances run, fares charged, and number of tickets issued in connection with special provisions for workingmen.

In some instances there is a statutory obligation resulting from special acts of Parliament relating to particular companies, but in