The Portland daily press., 1897-01-08
All are interested in

land agent or forestry commissioners,
which shall more effectually proteG,. mem
from destruction by nre' SCI , itiD9 i1s,l
portance to all the people OF the s5ate as
well as to the land owners themselves.
LABOR.
Tho renort of the commissioner OF the
h,Iraeu II industrial and labor statistics
oontains much valuable information.
Fverything that pertains to the interests
and welfare OF what is Termed the iapor
When the wage earners and Industrial
classes of any country are constantly and
remuneratively employed, that nation IS
prosperous and its people contented and
bannv | have always believed in and
advocated tho rights and dignity of labor
7 have ever favored all labor organiza-
lions designed to promote-by legitimate
neans-the welfare of its members. To
aid men in securing proper compensation
for their services, and a more just divi-
sion of the product or capital created ny
| them, is pralseWollhy eho oosei Sos Gil
| enlargement.
have been no very serisus conflicts be-
tween employer and employed. We are
| not cursed with extremes of poverty and
| wealth; with classes having an almost i'm
| passable gulf between them, that look
| i1non each other with mutterings and bit
7 fer distrust. All our citizens are, sub
| stantially, on the same plane In life Cap
! itaI and labor have generally compile
| mented and assisted each other, and we
NAV reasonably hope that this state of
| things is to continue in the future. Yet
there are some labor problems to be
| solved even in our State.
| MANY wage earnerS are engaged IN very
| hazardous Vocations on railroads. steam
| ships, and in some factories and mills.
| Often they cannot, and do not, know
| what dangers and perils surround them.
| Every humane consideration demands
| that the best possible safeguards should
| be thrown about them; and that employ
ers should exercise the highest degree of
| care in the selection of everything to be
1sed in and about their work.
| Questions Of this kind involving the LA
bility of employers, and also questions IS re-.
| under certain conditions and ages, are
| still being agitated.
You should not grant Legislation IN any
| case because it is demanded by the wage
earners ON the one side, or refuse 1t b.
| cause it is opposed by the employers on
| the other but rather in the exercise OF
sound discretion, and your unbiased 1udg,
| for the best interests of all concerned
| PROHIBITION.
| large majority of the people OF our
| State are thoroughly and consc1ent1ously
temperance, integrity, morality and yir-
| tue as a fundamental policy essential 10
our best Development and grown. Ihey
believe that the Tsstrainins 1 nm hed "a a
marked effect in Graduating the evils re-
sulting from the liauor traffic.
| Doubtless there has not been run real
| ization of what the most ardent and en-
| thusiastic advocates of prohibition prom,
esied and hoped, but certainly great good
has been accomplished.
| In most of our rural country towns the
| GROCERY is thing of the past; and we
are moving in the right direction through
| out the State.
| It is my conviction that what we need
today is a more active public sentiment
| in our larger towns and cities, which VIII
| enforce the laws we now have, rather
| than additional penalties that Will maze
| the enforcement more uncertain ana GILL
| cult.
We should never forget that it is the
| certainty and not the severity OF pun
to increase this healthy public sentiment
until it shall utterly root out and banlsh
| this blighting curse from our land snould
receive the cheerful support o. an b s scpl
ward. Maine, which boasts the prouo
honor of having been the, pioneer IN pro
hibitory legislation, should, and WILL con-
| tinue to be prohibition state.
| SHIPPING.
| Not many years ago the building ana
! sailing of ships was one OF the most IN,
portant industries of our State we SUN
have the timber and the ship yards, buI
/ they are largely silent. Then we could
| boast splendid merchant marine-the
| finest in the world-owned by American
| stripes, Differed and manned very largely
| by American seamen and sailors, the salls
| of which Whitened every sea and con-
tested successfully for the carrying trace
Today the United States are paying
| more than $100,0o0,o00 per annum TO Ior-
| eign vessels and steamships for carrying
| their merchandise.
| I have not time to present the various
| causes, which, in my judgment, have pro-
duced this lamentable condition. But II
| does seem to me that patriotism, ana tne
best interests of our country, urgently
| demand that by proper discrimination
| and encoura cement, this important enter
| prise should be revived, ana VOTE oHce
| more resumed in our Shipyards along the
| coast. -
nursery from which to draw American
! seamen with which to man our con-
/ Stantly increasing navy.
The Republican national platform and
most of the Republican platforms IN the
| this behalf. 1t is important that some
/ thing be done, and that quickly Inc
| Legislature of 1895 relieved this Grass OF
| property Of very much OF the burdens . OF
/ taxation that it was at that time SUBJ
| jected to.
| that, through our able delegation IN Con
gress, which will gladly do all In It's
| power, effective measures Will soon De
| taken to secure this much-needed en-
| couragement and legislation.
FISHERIES AND GAME.
During the past two years the commits
sioners of inland fisheries an, game have
used every reasonable effort, snd adopted
| the best known methods of fish culture,
| to more fully stock our lakes, streams
| and rivers with fish suitable for food
/ They have good reason to hope, ana pc
| Iieve that success will ultimately crown
| these endeavors.
Already there has been a marked IN
| crease in many rivers and lakes OF the
several varieties which they. are propa,
| eating. This work, SO plainly benehc1al
| to our State, is deserving reasonable pc,
| cuniary aid and support, which you Will
doubtless be pleased to grant:
| Under the most prudent and economical
management it must necessarily cost con
| siderable sums of money to overcome the
many obstacles and replenish our inland
waters with fish which shall be attrac-
| tive to the sportsman, and also produce
| excellent food for ALL
| These commissioners have also for the
past two years taken extraordinary care
to protect and preserve especially during
close time, the game with which our for
ests abound, and they have, to great eX-
| tent. prevented the indiscriminate ana IL
| legal killing of moose, deer and carlpou,
| which was so common not very long
| time ago. ~,
| woods has nearly ceased, and at present
| most of the guides, Woodsmen and set
tiers upon the outskirts of the forests
recognize the wisdom OF our game laws