Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-01-10


that this provision of the Constitution
could be carried out literally. 1t is also
desirable that some provision be made, in
case of persons sentenced for a term of
years, by providing either for the filing of
the testimony complete, or of history of
the case, with any aggravating or miti-
eating circumstances connected there
with in the Executive Office to be used in
cases where after years have elapsed an
application for pardon is made.
Act No. 126, public acts of 1893, enti-
tied IAN act to regulate the employment
of women and children in manufacturing
establishments of this State, to provide
for the inspection and regulation of such
manufacturing establishments, and to pro-
vide for the enforcement of such regua-
ton and inspection" has proven a good
one. Upon this act the Commissioner of
Labor has appointed factory inspectors,
who have inspected more than 400 fac
tories and caused large number of inn
provements to be made in machinery, fire
escapes, ETC., and has also prevented the
violation of the law in regard to the en-
ployment of women and children, has pre-
served labor from unfair competition, AMI
has had tendency to keep children, who
have been in factories and who should
have been in school, in their proper places.
There is no doubt this work could properly
be extended further than it has been.
Salaries of State Officers.
l cannot too strongly urge that you
again submit to the people an amendment
to the constitution increasing the salaries
of State officers. While the people failed
to vote this increase both in 1891 and
~
one, and had the people understood the
real situation they would have voted it
cheerfully. The officers comprising the
Board of State Auditors also hold the
important positions of Secretary of State,
State Treasurer, and Commissioner of
the State Land Office, respectively, two
of whom receive only $500 per annum,
while the other, the State Treasurer, re-
ceives but $1,000. Owing to the meager
salary and the impossibility of compelling
a man of ordinary means to leave his
| business and live at the Capitol, or of
even attending habitually to his duties,
| it has made it necessary to employ depu-
| ties who are competent to do the work
| of the principal, and paying them lib
| eral salary. There is a difference be-
| tween power and responsibility, and
not be doubted that the interests of the
State of Michigan would be greatly bene-
| flied by requiring all the State officers
to attend personally to the duties of their
Offices. 1t is not only in the interest of
economy but in the interest of good gov
ernment. The Superintendent of Public
Instruction is another important State Of
fetal Of whom very much is expected and
| he .c Ap1x hn
| Attorney General is paid only the in
significant salary of $500 per annum,
and he is expected to be the legal adviser
of all the State officers, elective and ap-
pointive, and the legal adviser to the
prosecuting attorneys of the State and
various other officials, and is expected to
| give legal advice in real estate and Grim
| inal matters, also in railroad, insurance,
| and various other departments of law
where corporations employ attorneys edu-
Gated and experienced in these particular
branches. 1t cannot help resulting in a
| loss to the State.
| Labor Strikes.
During the summer of 1894 Michigan,
| as well as her sister States, suffered from
| the great labor strikes which occurred
| during the last days of July. The strikes
| raise the pertinent question, What can
| be done to prevent them in the future? Is
| there not some way in which the differ
| ences between capital and labor can be
| adjusted without the disastrous resort 10
strikes? Capital is sensitive, and it may
| be questioned whether the very means
| used by labor organizations to increase
| wages and get other concessions to better
| their conditions does not in the end have
| the opposite effect, in causing capital TO
| seek investment in some other line which
| does not require the employment of labor.
Labor organizations have done much in
educating and aiding each other in times
| of need By their organization they have
| welded a power which has compelled
| concessions from employers which indi-
| vidually they could not have obtained.
No matter how orderly the managers of
a strike start in, or how strong the res0-
lutions passed to preserve order and re-
| frain from violence or damage to property.
it almost invariably happens that before
| settlement is effected there is more or
less violence used In any event it is
place where the lawless element congre-
| gate ready for the first opportunity for
| violence and plunder. Among all the nu-
merous sufferers from strikes none suffer
so severely and in the end so disastrously
as those engaged in the strike. They also
find it much more difficult to recover from
its effect than any others. Arbitration
compulsory and voluntary, is proposed
as a remedy for the existing evils, but
| this does not seem to meet the require
ments. Voluntary arbitration involves n
mutual agreement to submit matters Of
| difference to arbitrators to be agreed up-
on, and a further agreement to abide
by the decision when rendered. There
is ample legal machinery for this
now. Compulsory arbitration will be
only establishing another court or courts,
in which these difficulties can be settled.
In case one party to the disagreement
should invoke the aid of this new court
he must show a violation of contract and
an infringement of personal or property
rights, or the court would have no juris-
diction. If any of these things have been
| done, then the courts now existing have
| jurisdiction and can furnish the remedy.
1t will be found impossible under our
| form of government to compel any cor
poration or individual to employ men or
to pay them any particular wages. Men
| of means viii suspend or abandon busi-
ness if its management is taken from
| their control. Ii will be found equally
useless to try and compel men to work
| unless it is for their interests to do so.
| In the end there must be mutual agree
ment between employer and employe,
/ onoh will ho rnutnaIly honaGoial nr