Excerpt from Thirteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Statistics and Information of Maryland, 1904

The enactment by the last Legislature of the Bill provid ing means for the settlement of disputes between employers and employees, which bill was presented by the Bureau to the Legislative branch of the State Government, was gratify ing. But it was much more gratifying to realize at the end of the year that there had been so few labor troubles of any magnitude in the State that the Department was not called upon to avail itself of this means of bringing about a peaceful settlement of a single case. We believe the measure will prove an available and satisfactory method of bringing the employer and employee together when trouble arises. We venture to hope that there will be no necessity of utiliza ing the same in the near future.

Through the efforts of the Bureau in calling attention to the evils arising from the payment of wages in checks by the Railroad Corporations, and the passage of a law prohibiting the same, a gradual modification and change in the system is taking place, and before another year has rolled round we hope to report that all these employees are being paid in cash. AS it is, they are now paid in checks, which they can have cashed at once where paid, whereas previously they had to resort to barrooms or groceries for this purpose, the result of which was that many dollars were spent foolishly which ought to have gone to the families.

I beg to recommend to the Legislature an increase in the appropriation for this Bureau, so as to enable it to properly pursue and continue its good work. More effort and expenditure must be given to the development of the Employment Agency throughout the State. The Factory Inspection Law has proved so efficacious that its increasing good work is only limited by the means at the hands of the Bureau.

To properly cover the field and thoroughly inspect and report on the eleven industries mentioned in the act here tofore passed, the Department must have more Inspectors and more opportunity to visit the entire State.

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