Relativn of the Federal Govei'iiment to Research 



133 



able to list the titles of the several studies that are 

 included. 



Economic and Social Conditions and Problems 



Undoubtedly the most important investigations made 

 by Congress are those where a standing committee has 

 been empowered, or a special joint committee or com- 

 mission has been set up, to make a comprehensive in- 

 vestigation and report on some broad aspect or problem 

 of the economic or social life of the people. The out- 

 standing instances where researches of this character 

 have been made are those made by the Industrial Com- 

 mission of 1898; the Immigration Commission of 1907; 

 the National Monetary Commission of 1908; the In- 

 dustrial Relations Commission of 1917; and the Joint 

 Commission on Agricultural Inquiry of 1921. To this 

 category also belongs the National Economic Commit- 

 tee to which allusion has been made above. 



The Industrial Commission was created by Act of 

 June 18, 1898, which provided that it should consist of 

 20 members: 4 Senators appointed by the presiding 

 officer of the Senate, 5 Eepresentatives appointed by 

 the Speaker of the House, and 11 other persons to be 

 appointed by the President of the United States by 

 and with the advice and consent of the Senate, the 11 

 civilian members to receive each a compensation of 

 $3,600 per annum. Power was given to the Commis- 

 sion to hold hearings, to administer oaths, and to 

 compel the giving of testimony and the production of 

 papers; and it was authorized to employ a technical 

 staff of research workers and other assistants. The 

 Commission was directed "to investigate questions per- 

 taining to immigration, to labor, to agriculture, to 

 manufacturing, and to business and to report to Con- 

 gress and to suggest such legislation as it may deem 

 best upon these subjects." It was further directed to 

 "suggest such laws as may be made a basis for uniform 

 legislation by the various States of the Union in order 

 to harmonize conflicting interests and to be equitable 

 to the laborer, the employer, the producer, and the 

 consumer." 



The commission proceeded by holding hearings and 

 by employing a large staff of experts to analyze the 

 hearings and to prepare reports upon special topics. 

 These reports were transmitted to Congress during the 

 years 1900-1902 in 19 volumes (H. Doc. 476, 56th 

 Cong., 1st sess.; H. Docs. 494 and 495, 56th Cong., 2d 

 sess.; H. Docs. 177-187 and 380, 57th Cong., 1st sess.). 

 Together they represent one of the most exhaustive 

 and painstaking investigations of labor and industrial 

 conditions and j^roblems ever undertaken by any gov- 

 ernment. The comprehensive scope of this enquiry 

 may be seen from the list of the abbreviated titles of its 

 reports that follows: 



Industrial Commission: Reports: 



1 Trusts and Iiidiistriul Combinations, 1900. 



2. Trust and Corporation Laws, 1000. 



3. Prison Labor, 1900. 



4. Transportation, 1900. 



5. Labor Legislation, 1900. 



6. Distribution of Farm Products, 1900. 



7. Capital and Labor Employed in Manufactures and Gen- 

 eral Business, 1901. 



8. Cliicago Labor Dispute, 1901. 



9. TransiJortatiou (second volume), 1901. 



10. Agriculture and Agricultural Labor, 1901. 



11. Agriculture and Taxation, 1901. 



12. Capital and Labor in Mining Industry, 1901. 



13. Trusts and Industrial Combinations (second volume), 

 1901. 



14. Capital and Labor Employed in Manufactures and Gen- 

 eral Business (second volume), 1901. 



15. Immigration and Education, 1901. 



16. Foreign Labor, 1901. 



17. Labor Organizations, Labor Disputes and Arbitration, 

 Railway Labor, 1901. 



18. Industrial Combinations in Europe, 1902. 



19. Final Report, 1902. 



The Immigration Commission was created by act of 

 February 20, 1907, which provided that it should be 

 composed of three Senators, appointed by the Presi- 

 dent of the Senate, three Representatives, appointed 

 by the Speaker of the House, and three other persons, 

 appointed by the President of the United States. To 

 this Commission was entrusted the work of making 

 an investigation into every phase of the immigration 

 IJroblem. The comprehensiveness with which it ful- 

 filled its mission may be seen from the fact that its 

 reports embraced 42 volumes, which appeared during 

 the years 1910 and 1911. Together they furnish an 

 unequalled body of data regarding almost every aspect 

 of the immigration problem as it confronted the United 

 States at that time. The abbreviated titles of these 

 reports are as follows : 



Immigration Commission: Reports: 

 1-2. Abstracts of Reports of Commission. 



3. Statistical Review of Immigration, 1820-1910, by Frederick 

 C. Croxton. 



4. Emigration Conditions in Europe. 



5. Dictionary of Races or Peoples (witli bibliography), by 

 Daniel Folkmar, assisted by Elnora C. Folkmar. 



t>-7. Immigrants in Industries: Bituminous Coal Mining, by 

 W. Jett Lauck. 



8-9. Immigrants in Industries : Iron and Steel Manufacturing, 

 by W. Jett Lauck. 



10. Immigr.Tnts in Industries: Cotton Goods Manufacturing 

 in North Atlantic States; Woolen and Worsted Goods Manu- 

 facturing, by W. Jett Lauck. 



11. Immigrants in Industries: Silk Goods Manufacturing 

 and Dyeing; Clothing Manufacturing; Collar, Cuff, and Shirt 

 Manufacturing, by W. Jett Lauck. 



12. Immigrants in Industries : Leather Manufacturing ; Boot 

 and Shoe Manufacturing; Glove Manufacturing, by W. Jett 

 Lauck. 



