Leases examined (approved, disapproved, etc.; involving expenditures amounting to $71,073.28).

64

Bonds, contract, examined (approved, disapproved, etc.; amounting to $563,287.50).

Bonds, official, examined (approved, disapproved; amounting to $308,000) – Bonds, alien immigrants, examined (approved, disapproved; amounting to $848,300) ––

Miscellaneous matters, embracing everything submitted for the advice or suggestion of the Solicitor, or for the formulation of departmental action, not included in the foregoing items___.

154

76

1,294

833

Total number of matters disposed of...

5, 423

COMPENSATION TO INJURED GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.

The subject of compensation to workmen for injuries received by them in the course of employment has attracted much and favorable attention in late years. The administration of the act of Congress of May 30, 1908, applying the principle of compensation to certain employees of the United States, has constituted one of the Department's more important functions. This act was a pioneer among compensation acts in the United States. Since its enactment, 16 States have passed laws of a similar character, and this number is likely to be increased. Although the scope of the act is limited, the benefits conferred within such limits have been many and real. The legislation in question is of a type involving a decided departure from long established rules of legal liability, thus giving rise to new questions of right and obligation. In passing upon several thousand claims for compensation under the act, the questions arising for determination on legal grounds have naturally been numerous and varied, and the opinions of the Solicitor, dealing with these questions as the legal adviser of the Department, might fairly be assumed to be of some positive interest and value to those concerned with the interpretation and application of this and similar laws. These considerations, in addition to the general interest in the subject, led me to authorize the publication of the Solicitor's opinions in book form, so that the principles governing the Department in the administration of the act might be available to persons outside the Department. This collection of opinions, moreover, by marking the scope of the present law and thus indicating the cases which are not covered thereby, as well as those which are covered, is calculated to serve a useful purpose in connection with framing further legislation with a view to extending the benefits of the act. The act now applies only to artisans or laborers, and to such persons only when employed in specified branches of the public service. The fact that over 17,000 accidents were reported under the act during the first three years of its operation, whereas but about 8.000 claims were filed. suggests the need of supplementary laws.

BUREAU OF THE CENSUS.

Much the greater part of the work of the Bureau of the Census during the fiscal year has been on the tabulation and publication of the results of the Thirteenth Decennial Census. The usual annual investigations regarding statistics of cities, production and consumption of cotton, vital statistics, and forest products have been carried on, but there has been no special investigation under the authority of the permanent census act, such special investigations being intended primarily to occupy intercensus periods. The only field work which has been performed by the Bureau during the fiscal year is that with relation to statistics of cities and production and consumption of cotton.

GENERAL PROGRESS OF DECENNIAL CENSUS.

In August, 1911, the Director submitted a request for a further appropriation by Congress of $1,000,000 for the fiscal year 1912, to enable the Census Bureau to complete the Thirteenth Census work, with certain specified exceptions, by the end of that fiscal year, as required by law. In December, 1911, Congress appropriated $500,000 in response to this request. As was pointed out at the time the matter was considered by Congress, this sum was not sufficient to enable the Bureau to complete and publish the results of the decennial census by the close of the fiscal year. It was found necessary therefore to defer substantially all work with relation to the subjects of occupations, statistics of the foreign born according to country of birth, and defective, delinquent, and dependent classes until the fiscal year 1913. These branches of the work being less advanced than any others, it was considered wisest to concentrate the use of the available funds upon other lines of work.

It was not found possible to complete entirely even the other lines of work within the fiscal year 1912, but such progress was made that it is expected that the Abstract of the Census, including the reports on all subjects except the three specified above, will be published about December 1. In the meantime, through press announcements and preliminary bulletins, practically all of the results of the Thirteenth Census have been made public except for the subjects mentioned above.

The Bureau had, prior to the close of the fiscal year 1912, issued a complete series of State bulletins giving the full results of the census

of manufactures for each State. It had also issued a complete series of State bulletins regarding the number of inhabitants of each State and of its cities, villages, counties, and minor civil subdivisions, and a complete series of State bulletins giving the principal facts with regard to agriculture, by counties. A second series of State bulletins giving the details regarding the composition and characteristics of the population of each State and its principal subdivisions has been begun, and it is expected that the entire series will be published before the end of the calendar year. A second series of State agricultural bulletins is also being issued. This reproduces the information contained in the first series and supplements it with the remaining available data. All of these bulletins also will probably be published before the end of the calendar year, as will likewise be a series of bulletins regarding the mining industries of each State.

As explained in my annual report for 1911, it is the intention at the present census to bind up all of the State bulletins relating to a given State as a supplement to the edition of the Abstract of the Census intended for distribution to the citizens of that State. The Abstract of the Census will, as explained in that report, be a somewhat more elaborate document than that issued at the Twelfth Census. It will contain more comparative figures for previous censuses and a greater number of percentages, averages, and other derivative figures. It will also contain a text bringing out the more important features of the statistics. Several bulletins containing sections of the Abstract have already been issued, and, as just stated, the Abstract itself will be completed about December 1.

PLANS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1913.

Owing to the inadequacy of the appropriations for the fiscal year 1912, it was found necessary, as already stated, to defer a considerable quantity of Thirteenth Census work until the fiscal year 1913. It is believed that it will be possible to complete, or very nearly to complete, all of the deferred work during that year, particularly by reason of the fact that Congress authorized the employment of not to exceed 175 temporary clerks during the year in addition to the permanent force of the Bureau. Aside from this Thirteenth Census work, most of the force of the Bureau will be employed in conducting the regular annual investigations required by law. In the spring of 1913 a beginning will be made upon a census of the electrical industries-street railways, electric light and power, telegraphs, and telephones. This inquiry will relate to the calendar year 1912, and the field work will be completed and the results compiled during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1914.

NEW LEGISLATION ENACTED BY CONGRESS.

During the last session of Congress two acts were passed which increased the duties of the Census Bureau. The first provided for the collection, as of October 1 and April 1 of each year, of statistics regarding the stocks of leaf tobacco held by manufacturers and dealers. The law exempted the smaller manufacturers and dealers, but required all others, under penalty, to make the required reports. The first statistics under this act are being collected as of October 1, 1912. The Director of the Census estimated that it would probably cost $25,000 to carry out the provisions of this act, at least during the first year, when the work is in process of organization. Congress made a special appropriation of $15,000 to enable the Bureau to carry out the act relating to statistics of stocks of tobacco, and every effort will be made to collect the statistics in conformity with the law within the limits of this appropriation.

The second act referred to provided that statistics of the consumption, stocks, exports, and imports of cotton and the number of cottonconsuming spindles shall be collected by the Bureau of the Census monthly, instead of quarterly as at present, and also made certain minor changes as to the method of publishing the statistics of production of cotton. The object of this legislation was to furnish producers of cotton with information concerning stocks, consumption, and other matters affecting demand as frequently as consumers of cotton are furnished with statistics of its production or of the condition of the crop.

The Director of the Census estimated that the additional expense necessitated by these changes in legislation with reference to cotton statistics would amount to $57,250. Congress appropriated $30,000 for that purpose. This sum can be made adequate only by paying a very small additional compensation to the special agents in Southern States for the extra work imposed upon them. The special agents whose principal duty is the collection of statistics of cotton ginning during the ginning season have hitherto been able to collect most of the required statistics regarding stocks of cotton at the same time that they collected the statistics of cotton ginning; but the additional reports required by the new legislation will have to be made at different times and will necessitate special trips from place to place. Owing to the limited appropriation, however, the special agents can not be paid any higher compensation per establishment visited for these canvasses requiring special trips than has been paid for those not requiring additional travel.

OFFICE FORCE.

The fact that Congress appropriated only half of the additional sum of $1,000,000 requested for the Census Bureau during the fiscal year 1912 rendered it necessary to dismiss all of the temporary clerks who had been employed under the authority of the Thirteenth Census act within a very short time after this action of Congress was taken. The force had already been reduced from a maximum of about 3,800 in September, 1910, to about 2,300 in December, 1911, of whom 1,700 were temporary employees. Most of these temporary employees were dismissed either on December 31, 1911, or on January 10, 1912, and all of the remainder were dropped from the rolls on February 29, 1912.

The permanent force of the Census Bureau during the fiscal year 1909 numbered 626, but during the decennial census period vacancies in the permanent force were for the most part not filled, the large number of temporary employees rendering such action unnecessary. Consequently, after the dismissal of the temporary employees the force of the Bureau stood at a lower figure than in 1909 or for some years previous thereto. On June 30, 1912, the total number of permanent employees of the Census Bureau in Washington was 567, of whom 472 were clerks and the remainder higher officials, laborers, watchmen, messengers, charwomen, etc.

The appropriation act for the fiscal year 1913 provides for the employment of 610 permanent employees, or substantially the same number as were authorized in 1909. At the urgent request of the Director of the Census, however, there was some redistribution of the clerical employees among the several salary classes. The Bureau had had an entirely inadequate number of clerks at the higher salaries, and also a very small number of clerks at $900. During the Thirteenth Census period a larger number of clerkships at salaries above $1,200 had been authorized, and many of the permanent employees had been promoted. Had the clerks under the appropriation for 1913 been classified in the same way as for 1909, it would have been necessary to demote practically every clerk receiving more than $1,200, and, on the other hand, it would have been necessary to make many new appointments at an entrance salary of $1,000. At the suggestion of the Director of the Census the appropriation bills were amended so as to increase somewhat the number of higher-paid places, thereby reducing materially the number of demotions necessary in these grades. This was accomplished without an increase of the appropriation for salaries by reducing the number of positions at $1,200 and increasing the number at $900, thus permitting the new employees to enter at the minimum salary.

Notwithstanding these modifications in the appropriation bill, it was necessary, when the act was passed in August, 1912, to demote 66247°-12- 4