Employment Service Twenty-one States and three Provinces compiled data for this activity, such as occupational trend studies, placements made, and job openings. Economic Statistics Seventeen States and three Provinces reported that they compiled a variety of other data as follows: Working women's budget-five States. Family budgets-one State, one Province. Retail prices and cost of living-eight States, two Provinces. Economic indicators-eight States, one Province. Several States prepare regular reports on the economic situation for the Governor. Mr. Ricciuti in Connecticut has an advisory committee consult with him on State economic trends. Mr. Male in New Jersey has recently produced the "Month in Brief," a small card showing the principal economic indicators for the State and major administrative data for his department. Copies of this New Jersey card report are on the exhibit table. Mr. Webb in California has had this type of summary card for some years. II. NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON COMPARATIVE STATISTICS Earlier this year, in addressing the Convention of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Secretary Wirtz stated The truth is that a quiet revolution has taken place in American government. *** Ten years ago there were 7 million public employees. Today there are over 10 million. By 1975, there will be about 15 million. Contrary to the popular impression, little of this growth in government employment has been at the Federal level. Three-quarters of the public employees today are State and local employees. Their number has increased from 4.7 million 10 years ago to 7.7 million now. For every Federal worker added in the past decade, there have been 15 State and local workers added. What these figures reflect is that people in the States and local communities are responding with vigor and courage to their changing needs. * * * It is right, and it is inevitable that the shifting of emphasis in this society from goods to services-including services necessarily provided through public agencies—should continue. It is right, but it will take more determination and constructive effort to assure it, that these services should be performed in increasing degree at the State and local level. That the State and Federal Governments are becoming aware of the increasing needs for statistics at State and local levels were evidenced in the National Conference on Comparative Statistics, held February 23-25, 1966 in Washington, D.C. The conference, subtitled "Information Needs for Decisionmaking by State and Local Governments," was initiated and sponsored by the National Governors' Conference, in cooperation with the Council of State Governments and the Federal Bureau of the Budget. Attendance included Governors, mayors, city managers, administrators, Federal, State, and local officials, and economists. Several of the State labor departments were represented. The conference provided an excellent forum for considering unmet information needs of decisionmakers at all levels of government. It gave national recognition to the increasing requirement for comparative statistics and for statistical coordination and standardization, and emphasized the intergovernmental character of many statistical problems. Accordingly, primary recommendations included the following: 1. Establishment of a statistical coordinating unit in each State. 2. Encouragement to producers of statistics to utilize standard procedures to insure the comparability of data. 3. Coordination and cooperation among governmental agencies at all levels to avoid duplication of efforts. 4. Encouragement of agencies to review carefully available statistical data and plan for full utilization and adaptation of these data to meet particular needs. In this connection, the Census Bureau is holding meetings with State representatives in Washington to review the kinds of data produced in Federal Government agencies. And, as you know, the interstate conferences on labor statistics have provided this type of review in the labor field since 1949. 5. Development of central data banks and well-organized centers for assembling, collating, and retrieving data. Your committee is of the opinion that State labor departments should play an important role in these expansive developments at the State and local level; also, we believe that adequate statistical programs can provide significant assistance to the State labor departments in achieving appropriate status in State governmental affairs. III. THE INTERSTATE CONFERENCE ON LABOR STATISTICS The 24th ICLS was held June 14-17, 1966, at Chicago, Ill. The Illinois Department of Labor joined with the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor as cosponsor. There was an attendance of 250 delegates, representing 40 States, Provinces, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The principal theme of the agenda was Federal, State, and local needs for statistics with primary consideration given to (1) the data needs for inner-city programs; (2) manpower statistics needed in directing training programs; and (3) economic subjects, prices and family budgets, economic indicators, and a dialogue on the economic health of the Nation. The session on government use of wage data considered the determination of pay of government workers at Federal, State, and municipal levels. The use of wage data for services, prevailing wage, minimum wage, and employment security activities also was considered. The coordination between State and Federal agencies in occupational wage surveys-using the Georgia program as an example-was discussed. The session on statistics for government safety programs included the President's Mission Safety-70 program, State and municipal safety activities, and area injury rates and safety inspection. In addition to the formal program sessions, a number of consultative, advisory, and technical meetings were held. Twenty-five State and Province labor commissioners and/or their statisticians met for 2 hours at a luncheon session to discuss recent developments in State statistical programs. The Canadians are particularly active in statistical work in manpower and training. In addition, there was a special breakfast with Director Roumell of the Michigan Department of Labor and representatives of several other States to give him advice on the organization of a consolidated statistical unit for six labor agencies now included in his new department. Thirty-five Federal and State manpower statisticians met in a dinner meeting to discuss the operations of the employment and labor turnover statistics programs. Also, there was a special luncheon of IAGLO statisticians representing this committee to consider recent developments in standards for injury classifications. The committee notes the retirement from the Federal Government of Mr. Ewan Clague, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 19 years, and Mr. Frank L. McElroy, Chief of the Division of Industrial Hazards, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Both of these men over many years made important contributions to the development of good labor statistics, and both gave much encouragement and assistance to members of this association in initiating and improving their statistical programs. We are deeply grateful to Mr. Clague and Mr. McElroy. We also congratulate Mr. Arthur M. Ross on his appointment as the new Commissioner of Labor Statistics and we look forward to working with him in the development of adequate programs of labor statistics and research. IV. COMMITTEE PLANS The statistics committee is planning to establish subcommittees for study, review, and exploration in the following subject areas: 1. Manpower, labor force, employment and unemployment-to 3. Work injuries and workmen's compensation-Can we further 4. Industrial relations-wage and work stoppage data, analysis of contracts, etc. How can we improve effectiveness of data currently available? 5. Administrative statistics generally-What new uses have been developed? Revision of Pearce report. V. COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS 1. That all States and Provinces initiate and develop statistical programs according to the needs of the State. 2. That one session of 1967 IAGLO convention be devoted to discussion of use of statistics as a tool in the administration of State and Province departments of labor in such fields as (a) labor law enforcement, (b) effective use of inspection staffs, (c) budget presentations, (d) effectiveness of safety promotion program, etc. 3. That more use be made of statistics in administration, particularly in the budgeting process. 4. That State labor departments provide statistical assistance to local groups in solving socioeconomic problems, engage in making projections and preparing other manpower and training information as needed, and generally to give as much public service as possible. 5. That each State department of labor foster and participate in the movement for statistical standardization and coordination in the State. 6. That the executive secretary of this committee (Walter Keim) and Esther Espenshade, Chief of Research and Statistics, Illinois Department of Labor, and others be designated to represent IAGLO in further developments and activities of the National Conference on Comparative Statistics. 7. That States and Provinces do more interpretative analysis and research and publish more of their statistical findings and generally work to improve the substance and appearance of their publications. 8. That each State and Province prepare a handbook of statistics to fill an important need for a compendium of data. Just a little over 100 years ago, Abraham Lincoln made a statement which might well be taken as a basic justification for all public statistical activities. He said, "If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could better judge what to do, and how to do it." Facts alone, of course, are no substitute for judgment. But an effort to make important decisions without a background of factual information is at best frustrating, and at worst may be dangerous or disastrous. Therefore, those of us who are engaged in the assembly and dissemination of statistics feel a strong sense of concern that our efforts should serve, to the maximum degree possible, the informational needs of responsible decisionmakers in business and government-Federal, State, and local. (A. Ross Eckler, Director of the Census Bureau.) All of us will work to achieve these goals. STATISTICS COMMITTEE JOHN E. CULLERTON, Illinois, Chairman JOHN F. OTERO, New Mexico JOSEPH C. FAGAN, Wisconsin Walter Keim, U.S. Department of Labor [Adopted.] President CATHERWOOD. Thank you, Mr. Cullerton. We are certainly indebted to you for a report chock full of substance that bears importantly on the developments in connection with statistics in State labor departments, and in raising a series of important implications and possibilities for the future. Is there discussion either from members or from others? DISCUSSION Commissioner ROWLAND. I would like to add to the report. In the second paragraph, mention is made of several States that use statistics to help them in budget purposes. As of August 7th, this year, Wisconsin will double its field inspectors from 30 to 60 people, with eight new supervisors. This is due to lost-time accidents and |