"FO 
.» ; CHAPTER XXIV. 
sources. Madras has the nearest approach to such a system in the Com- 
missioner of Labour, who is, however, responsible for much more than 
industrial labour. This officer is Commissioner for Workmen’s Com- 
pensation and Registrar of Trade Unions and is also responsible for the 
administration of the Factories Act and for other matters connected 
with labour. He has also acted as conciliator in trade disputes and 
should 'be in a pesition, after gaining some experience, to view labour 
Juestions as a whole and give expert advice to Government. Unfor- 
tunately the value of the department has been greatly diminished 
by frequent changes of its head. We understand that there has 
been more than one. such change in a single year, and in recent years 
no officer seems to have continued in the appointment longer than the 
time necessary to gain moderate familiarity with the subjects for which 
he is responsible. The Bombay Labour Office represents the sound 
nucleus of a labour department. Here some regard has been paid to 
the principle of continuity in the Director’s appointment, and that officer, 
in addition to being responsible for both statistics and intelligence, is 
Commissioner of Workmen's Compensation and Registrar of Trade 
Unions. He is thus in a position to act as expert adviser to Government: 
on labour matters. But he is not concerned with the administration 
of the Factories Act, nor has he (or any other officer) been expected or 
permitted to act generally as a conciliation officer in trade disputes. 
On the other hand, he has duties quite unconnected with labour. Bengal 
has adopted the device of combining in one officer expert knowledge 
of labour and secretarial duties. The Labour Intelligence Officer acts 
also as a Deputy Secretary to Government and as Registrar of Trade 
Unions, and the same officer has held charge of the post more or less 
continuously for about 10 years, with obvious benefit to Government. 
There is a separate specialist Commissioner for Workmen’s Compensa- 
tion ; but this subject, the administration of the Factories Act and other 
labour subjects are all dealt with in the Secretariat by the Labour 
Intelligence Officer and co-ordination is thus secured. On the other 
hand, the Labour Intelligence Officer has no investigating staff, while 
he has duties outside his labour work. 
Labour Administration in other Provinces. 
At the head of the Labour Statistics Bureau, Burma has an officer 
responsible for labour matters in addition to statistics ; but here also con- 
tinuity of tenure has not been secured. . Elsewhere thereis not even the 
nucleus of a labour department. The Chief Inspector of Factories provides 
expert advice within his own sphere and may be called upon for advice on 
matters outside that sphere. A large number of non-specialist officers deal 
with workmen’s compensation and there is no definite responsibility on 
any officer for trade disputes. The Director of Industries is usually Regis- 
trar of Trade Unions and has to act as a general adviser on labour 
matters. He is also normally responsible to Government for the adminis- 
tration of the Factories Act. He has in some provinces more permanence 
of tenure than a secretariat officer, but in others he has been changed 
fairly frequently.