of state branches, and local committees might be appointed in each legislative area. The members of these committees should have direct membership in the Association. The local secretary would, by correspondence, keep in close touch with the general organizing secretary, and would furnish all necessary information, copies of laws, bills, local enactments, etc. This plan had worked well with the National Conference of Charities and Corrections, and might be a better method of strengthening the American Association for Labor Legislation.

BUSINESS MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION.

The report of the Secretary for the year 1908 was read and will be found in the second part of this annual report. An auditing committee was named by the President, consisting of Professor S. W. Gilman and Professor W. A. Scott, of Madison, Wisconsin. Their statement is incorporated with the report of the Secretary.

Upon the recommendation of the General Administrative Council it was voted to amend Article IV of the Constitution, substituting the word seventy-five for fifty, thereby increasing the maximum number of the members of the General Administrative Council.

The Association voted that the United States Government through the Bureau of Labor be requested to increase its contribution to the International Association from the present amount of $200 to $1,000.

The following officers were elected for the year 1909: President-HENRY W. Farnam, Yale University. Secretary-JOHN R. COMMONS, University of Wiscon

sin.

Treasurer-LUCIEN S. HANKS, State Bank, Madison,

Wis.

Vice-Presidents:

Jane Addams, Hull House, Chicago.
Robert W. de Forest, New York City.

Samuel Gompers, Washington, D. C.

J. W. Jenks, Ithaca, N. Y.

Samuel McCune Lindsay, New York City.

Warren S. Stone, Cleveland.

Towner K. Webster, Chicago.

MEETINGS OF THE GENERAL ADMINISTRA

TIVE COUNCIL.

The General Administrative Council held two sessions, in which the following business was transacted.

The Executive Committee was elected as follows:

Richard T. Ely, Chairman, Univenty of Whoomain
James D. Beck, Commissioner of Labor

Charles McCarty, Legislative Reference List
Max O. Lorenz, Degrey Commissioner of Laura
T. S. Adama. Kamenity of Wors

Members of the Committee of the lumbe Cason we decret is follows

a salaried secretary at such time as funds may be provided, the title and compensation to be determined by the Executive Committee.

That the Executive Committee be authorized to complete the list of members of the General Administrative Council to the number of seventy-five.

That the place and date of meeting, December, 1909, be referred to the Executive Committee, with power to decide after conference with the officers of the American Economic Association, American Sociological Society, and the American Statistical Association.

II.

SECRETARY'S REPORT FOR 1908.

The active work of the Association for this year began with March first. At that time, the equipment and records of the Association had been received from New York City, and the Assistant Secretary entered upon her official duties.

In accordance with the amendment to the constitution made at the First Annual Meeting, the General Administrative Council was enlarged from twenty-five to fifty members.

An outline of work and plan of organization for the Association was discussed by the Local Executive Council and the Secretary. A program was finally drawn up and published in leaflet form. It was decided to bring the work of the Association under three heads: (1) the collection, classification, and cataloging of data and material; (2) the direction of investigations bearing on labor legislation and on judicial decisions relating to labor and industrial conditions; (3) mediums of publicity.

(1) Collection and Classification of Material.

The libraries of the University of Wisconsin, the State

Historical Society, the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library, and the labor material collected by the American Bureau of Industrial Research, have made it unnecessary for the Association to spend much time in collecting material. The Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library has carried on a systematic collection and classification of the laws of all states and foreign countries bearing on labor and industrial conditions; of the briefs of attorneys and decisions of the courts, with critical opinions on the same; and a bibliographical index of books, periodicals and records of investigations. Besides this the Association has collected special material on subjects relating to labor. We have begun the collection of the blank forms and statistical cards used by bureaus of labor in the United States and by labor offices of foreign countries. By a comparative study of these forms, we shall be able to suggest improved methods of gathering information, and to establish greater uniformity in reports. A good deal of material on the operation of factory inspection laws has been collected. The records of injunction cases and opinions thereon have been sent to us by trade unions and other associations. With the coöperation of the Wisconsin Bureau of Labor, certain cuts, models, and descriptions of protective machinery devices have been secured. These are being arranged and classified under the direction of the engineering school of the University of Wisconsin, with the expectation of publishing a guide or handbook on protective devices.

(2) Research Work.

The research work of the Association has been carried on through volunteer work and the coöperation of the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library and the Wisconsin Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics.