Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-07
REMEDIES FOR Discomfort
Proposed Non-Partisan Commission to Colla,e
Information.
Dfscontcnt OF Farmers - Prote., an,
I"""r-'seRfsiation to Meet Problems
Presented by Existinx Conditions.

Inc report which was submitted 10 inc
Rouse Saturday afternoon on the bIil ..su-
thorizing the appointment of n non-nar,,-
san COMMISSION 20 collate informa ton and
~ ''Hsiuer ana recommend legislation 10
"iee' the problems presented by labor. az
.Su.ure ana capitaf was prepared BY
lows:
mere exists a general belief among all
classes of citizens that the laws have no,
kept pace with Industrial and business
changes; that The laws which govern bust
ness and the Industries. and The rela.fan-
of those engaged II them. have not been
brought up and adapted 10 the pr.seni
status. But there is no general agreement
as 10 just wnerr the existing evils lie non
what would remedy them. The d!scnntent
OF the farmers is manifested by urganlrpd
protest against unequal burdens OF taxa
ton. discriminating charges in fransnnrr.
non and exon bitant charges at the mark,,
place.
What Has Caused Alarm
Inc recent settling in value Of farm.
ana larm products in a great part of tie
country has created not Only discomfort.
but alarm. 1t destroys the hope that the
child shall live on the land and follow TN.
occupation of the parent. Our population
increased 40 per cert. while the total value
OF farm lands increased but 10 per cent
The value of the millions OF acres Of fer
tile land opened up in ten years was almost
balanced by the decrease in values OF no
farm lands IN the previously settled paris
OF the country. During the same period.
the increase of property values was more
than ~ per cent.
Protest Of Labor.
The protest of labor against existing
IInditippS iS nil
expression Of discomfort. and strikes which
have led to loss, misery and violence IL not
social menace. 1t was estimated in the
official report OF the United States COM
missioner of labor. after an extended In
quiry into strikes. lockouts. etc that in
six Observation-Disclosures cost S.,S so,
Ab9 to employers. employees and their or
CARNATIONS directly. The enormous Incl
dental losses are not estimat ted. They were
or great magnitude. The loss caused bV
strikes i'm the year 1894 has been estimated
by one writer at SSo.oo0, 600 and by another
at Sl1.Wo.oo. The dissatisfaction preva-
lent I'm business circles of the country is
manifested by the tone of the press Che
petitions and circumstances which flood
Congress and the many propositions for
the remedy of existing evils
Strikes and Lockoutx.
The harmony incident to a sense OF
mutual dependence between labor and
capital and various branches OF business
has given place to something approaching
feeling of hostility, and legislation is
sought, and, il not in conformity 10 this
feeling, spirit of antagonism is often re-
Nealed BY far the more inconsiderable
part OF the loss resulting from the an
tagonisms between lines and branches of
business and capital and labor can lac
traced and charged to strikes or lockouts
or be otherwise tabulated by the stats
tician.
The contention of those who Insist that
eNistlhg antagonisI1s stimulate tho ten
dency TO combinations and trusts among
owners or producing plants in order thar
.ne results OF conflicts may NOT fall en-
ureiy upon one, and that they increase the
Willingness OF American people to DISPOSE
OF their plants to foreign syndicatcs is not
without eason, and if they be right in this
contention. then existing conditions must
discourage capital from embarking IN new
enterprises, and the ultimate effect must
De permanent partial idleness Of our pro-
ductive agencies. Ii the deductions OF sta
tlsUclans are to be relied upon the Idle
Eess of one-tenth of the American people
employed in Industrial pursuits for single
year results in a loss greater than the cost
of the civil war.
tons excite greater hostility in a very con-
siderable portion of society. Labor feels
that one aim of capital is to depress st;
mat the tendency of present social and in
times of prosperity Ii gets too meaeer a
part of Its productions, and I'm times of
business stagnations bears too nearly all
the loss resulting from depressed condi-
items.
Need Of an Inquiry.
Your committee is of opinion that it is
the business CT the government to make AN
attempt at least to discover the real ,iffi-
culties and differe ices that exist between
these engaged in different branches OF EN-
ployn,ent incident TO present civilizs ton.
The public In any civilized country accept
the conclusions Of fairly constituted pub
lie commission of much greater weight
than the theories of any writer or any
school on questions such as this commits
is intended to deal with. There has
been no attempt made in this country that
has taught us to what extent we can agree
on which We cannot agree.
Your committee is of opinion tina; there
exists an almost universal desire that the
commission proposed by this bill, or some
other similar public authoritative commits
sion, should be created for the purpose Of
harmonizing differences that exist and as
pertaining on what, II any. fundamental
questions the different elements cannot
harmorize. We know that disa agreements
exist, and out of them arise evils We
scarcely know the problems to he net i'm
dealing with them, nor the facts that give
rise to them"