The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-30
Will Probe Both Industrial and
Economic Conditions.
! CARTER IN OPPOSITION
He Does Not Hesitate to Express His
Confirmed Objections to the Mica
ragua Canal Bill-How to
Improve Ranges.
Washington Bureau of the Standard,
No. l145 q Street N. w.

Mantle has decided to continue as a MEM
Der of the United States industrial COM
mission after the expiration of his term
as United States senator. He is not yet
certain as to whether he will serve out
the full two years of his term as COM
missioner, but has taken hold of the work
for the present with keen interest. 1t
should be understood that Senator Man
ties appointment upon the commission
was not due to President Mckinley and
was in no sense a political selection. He
was named as one of the senatorial mem
bers Of the commission by Vice President
Hobart. He was selected because he was
an active member of the senate commit
tees on mines and mining and on educa-
ton and labor. His colleagues on the
commission from the senate were also Sc
lected from the senate committees hav-
ing to do with subjects within the range
of the commissions investigations.
In addition to the members of the sem
ate and house who were named on this
commission by the vice president and
speaker, Mr.. Commissioner Mantle has
nine associates, who We're selected by
President Mckinley. Andrew l.. Harris
of Ohio, one of them, was lieutenant gov
ernor when President Mckinley was gov
ernor of Ohio, and he brings an extensive
fund Of Information on agricultural top
les to the work of the commission. S. N.
d. North of Massachusetts, is known in
statistical circles all over the country,
and is secretary of the Wool Manufac-
turers' ASSOCIATE ton. 1t is said he can
l1ave the control Of the national census
bureau for the asking. Mr.. North and
Senator Mantle have composed their old
time differences and apparently will work
well together. Ellison A. Smyth of South
Carolina and Charles J. Harris of North
Carolina are managers and proprietors of
large manufacturing concerns in their
states which keep them in closest touch
with the business interests of the coun-
try.
Labor Investigation.
Ex-Representative John M. Farquhar
of New York has spent so much time in
the study of labor and other public queS-
lions, in the editorial chair and in con-
gress. that he has all needful information
In the topics of inquiry suggested at his
fingers end. Eugene D. Conger of Mich
igan is the publisher of a daily newspa-
per. Thomas W. Phillips of Pennsylva-
mia was the father of the bill creating the
commission. NJ. D. Ratchford of Indi-
ana has risen from the mines to.sa COM
mandng position in the mining and labor
organizations of the country, and is look
ed upon as the expert of the commission
in the treatment of that topic John L.
Kennedy. the last of the appointments
made by the president, has for years been
connected with the Typographical union
and through his labor association is un-
usually well qualified to deal with the
work of the commission from the labor
standpoint.
Three of its four projected syllabi, or
topical plans of inquiry, already formu-
ed rrt1y III f1,,1 -l,n
the Wilderness of the range as well as the
far-reaching Importance of the investiga-
tions on which the United States indus
trial commission is now prepared to en-
ter The topical plan Of inquiry, it may
be explained is the printed form mapping
out the endless ramifications of the COM
missions inquiries. 1t suggests countless
points at which the commission is to
thrust it's probe into industrial economic
conditions and philosophy. Those pre-
pared by the commission indicate pur
pose to sweep with a scrutinous thorough
ness into every little corner of the labor
world-to learn where there are condi-
tons to be confronted, facts to be re-
vealed, discontents to be eased, or evils
to be abated. Invested by the act of con-
gress creating it with ample authority to
force the attendance of witnesses and
the revelation of facts and to devise
methods for the improvement of indus
trial conditions that are not as good as
they should be, the commission is ex-
pected by Its work to arouse interest in
all parts of the country.
Senator Tom Carter has not taken pains
to disguise his position as an opponent of
the Nicaragua canal bill. He made it
plain in his remarks on the bill this week.
Carter in Opposition.
In his speech on that measure Senator
Carter said:
About 1884 the United States under
took the negotiation of a treaty whereby
the government would proceed to con-
struct the proposed Nicaragua canal.
Upon the failure of that treaty, through
its withdrawal from the senate by Pres
ident Cleveland, the Maritime Canal COM
pany came into existence, procuring a
concession about the year 1887. That COM
pany contemplated the construction of the
canal with private capital. The conces-
sion obtained by the company clearly
contemplated that no governmental con-
troll should be exercised by this govern
1nenta or any government other than that
of Nicaragua. BY the express terms of
the concession all governments outside of
Nicaragua and Costa Rica were prohib-
ited from exercising any control or be-
coming possessed of any influence by or
through the concession.
AFTER the lapse of many years this
company appeared for the purpose of pro-
curing congressional aid from the govern
ment of the United States to assist in
carrying on the work it had undertaken.
In 1895 the government directed an ex-
animation to be made, and the net result
of that examination appears in what is
known as the report of the Ludlow COM
mission. That report took issue with the
previous reports and indicated that no
thorough examination had been made OF
ell al obi tor he md mi
culated to justify an investment OF
money
1.-The examination by the Ludlow COM
mission criticised previous examinations
and reports on the canal project with as
much severity as professional etiquette
would permit. The previous eXamina-
tons that had been made were exposed
as to limits and defects in such manner
as to clearly indicate that a most thor
ough examination should be made before
this government undertook the work OF
construction. This warning, given forth