Evening star., 1896-01-11
LABOR AND CAPITAL
What Workingmen Think of MIR.
Phillips Proposed Commission.
HELP FOR 4HE u WESTERN FARMER
ltllt
Views of WeII-kaown Labor Lead
ers of the District.
THE MEASURE APPROVED

leading topic of discussion in labor cir
cles lately has been the bill recently in
| troduced in the House by Mr.. Phillips,
chairman of the &C mmittee on labor, which
| is designed to provide a way for the set
| tlement OF questions that may arise involv-
irg labor, agriculture and capital. without
recourse to such extreme measures as
strikes.
The bill is much like similar bill intro
duced by Mr.. Phillips in the last Congress,
| but which failed Of passage on account, 1t
is believed, of lack Of time to discuss it.
Since that time various labor leaders in
different parts Of the country have given
| the proposed bill much of their attention,
and so far as heard from, they are unani-
| 1nously in favor of its enactment.
In this city the sentiment among num-
ber Of the well-informed labor people seems
to be almost entirely in favor of the bill.
you can say" said Mr.. James F. Nc
Hugh, president of the Federation Of La
Dor, that 1 am heartily in favor of Con-
gresham Phillips bill for the appointment
OF non-partisan commission to coilate IN,
formation and to consider and recommend
legislation to meet the problems presented
by labor, agriculture and capital.
"It Is well known that there are no more
important pTODlemS demanding the dtleii-
ton Of the people of the United States at
this time, nor are there likely to be in the
near future, perhaps for many years TO
come, than those arising from the condi-
tiOnS which now environ labor, agriculture
and capital.
"Of these questions agriculture has here
tofore received comparatively little atten-
ton, certainly none at all commensurate
with the Importance of the subject. both to
those engaged in that pursuit, as well as to
the people of the country at large, who, to
great extent, are dependent upon the
prosperity of the farmer for their own sue
cess in business matters.
There are some western states to whose
farmers 1t is matter Of the most supreme
Importance that if they are not to become
depopulated by reason of the agricuiturists
being forced to remove to other states they
must, without unnecessary delay, have a
system of irrigation. Lack of rain year af-
ter year has been the cause of successive
drouths. and human aid must be provided
to remedy these troubles as far as possi-
BILE. This can only be done by irrigation,
and such a system as is needed can only
be provided by the general government.
Should Congress authorize the expenditure
of the necessary. sum to accomplish this, a
large number Of men now out OF work could
be given employment.
And I further believe that the sum need
ed, although 1T. would be very large, could
be fully repaid; to the United States treas
ury inside of ten years by making small
charge to the users of the water.
might ada rel erenCe TO Wndt nav
said about the threatened depopulation of
some of the western states that this Is not
only my opinion as based on personal
knowledge of the state of affairs there.
but is, I am informed by high official or
the national bureau of labor statistics, the
feAr that is entertained in that department
Of the government, where they base their
opinion on Investigations made under the
supervision of competent authority. l 40
not see how the subjects referred to could
be better provided for than is done in MT.
Phillips bill, and l am sure that II II is is
enacted into law the information that Will
result in the greatest benefit to many or
the interests of labor. agriculture and
capital" "'l-
Mr.. s. II. Bells Views. ..'
Mr.. S. H Bell, a leading member OF
Columbia Typographical Union and also
member of the committee of the 1ntsrnation-
al Typographical Union selected to urge up
on Congress the purchase by the govern
ment of all the telegraph lines in the United
States, said: Il approve Mr.. Phillips bill
and hope that it will become law, although
/ do not think the commission provided
for in it will do more than collect the facts
in regard to the matters upon which Con-
gress desires information, and reconint nd
appropriate legislation thereon to Congress,
but this 7 believe will be very beneficial to
labor ard other in terestS involved. 1t seems
to me that the commission, as arranged for
in the bill, will be too large, but l suppose
it will he divided up into subcolnmittees.
The commission. If the bill shall become a
law, will be sort of addition 10 the present
national bureau of labor. l was strongly
in favor of that because l believed mat 1t
could collect a vast amount of facts which
could be made serviceable to the labor
cause generally, and under the proposed
commission the field Of usefulness will be
greatly widened.
For a quarter of a century we have in
sisted that the conditions of the great econ
omic problems, as far as labor is concerned
were all wrong. During the same time
the capitalists, on the other hand, have con-
tended that the conditions of wages and
hours of labor were more favorable to the
working people than ever before. 1t was
in order to arrive at true knowledge of
the facts that we worked for the institution
of the national labor bureau and the bu-
reau of statistics as they now exist in as
many of the states as we could get the nee
essary legislation. ] think the commission
lack Of sufficient force. has only partially
touched. I further think that the work Of
labor organizations has been greatly ac-
centuated already by the aid of the national
and state agencies and I am sure that
anything that can be added to these facil-
tiles will be beneficial.
TT seems to me that while there are a
large number of new members of Congress
one-half being brand-new-yet owing to the
fact that a presidential election Is approa CHI
ing this ought to be a good Congress from
which to secure legislation in the interests
of labor
Rev. DR.. Alexander Kent.
Rev. Dr. Alexander Kent, who is look ed
upon by many laborng men of the District
as champion Of their interests, in speak
ing to Star reporter about the Phillips
bill expressed fear that the proposed COM
mission would simply add to the political
offices to be bestowed by the President, and
the men appointed would not be those
most competent and best fitted to perform
the duties
LAS I look at it the problems presented
by agriculture, labor and capital" he said,
''are today very serious, and DO not be-
lieve they can be hastily solved on the pres
ent lines. t do not believe that the present
Congress IS really prepared to pass any
measure radical. enough to meet the re-
quirements of the case. In my Judgment
the urgent need of the present time is
system of,irrigation, undertaken and car
ried out by the national government. with
a view of making productive all that vast
extent of territory that is now threatened
with depopulatfon by reason of continued
drought. 1t has seemed to me that if the
cnuld undertake. uyor,- ,P tbot