Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-07-20

examining carefully the laws and the
working of them in different countries.
were unable to offer any specific solu-
| ton of the great difficulties which sur
| round those engaged in production in
| that great country. Belgium has had
It's commission of labor, created by
Royal Order in 1856. the Social Council
OF Labor. France has an office of the
same character, and the duties of these
three offices, in England. France and
| Belgium, are practically identical with
those of the United States commission.
The ideal on which this commission
was organized was that it might result
| in the formulation of what its father
| called an industrial code" q code of
| laws relating to labor and capital
which should be applicable in all parts
of the United States alike Now here
| is contract which no Congress can
carry out and no commission can meet.
We see in the different states uneven
conditions of law. For many wears
You know that commissions appointed
by different states have been trying to
unity the divorce law of the country.
There is great disparity in the law re-
latng to the collection of debts. As
pointed out by Prof. Rogers. yesterday.
there is still greater disparity, and
almost criminal one, relative to the
incorporation of bodies for the purpose
of conducting business enterprises
And so along various lines there is
found this great disparity resulting
from natural causes, and not until the
industrial conditions of the United
states are fairly equal to the economic
needs of the people. practically uni
form, can there be any general legiSla-
tive code relating to industrial matters
But the industrial commission will
make the attempt along certain lines.
Ii VIII be obliged to abandon the ideal
on which the commission was organ
lied. but in abandoning that ideal ii
can take up few practical issues and
recommend some legislation both to
Congress and to the several states.
The chief weakness of the commits
sion consists in its organization.
CuriOuSly enough it is organized in
this way: 1t consists of 10 members.
five of whom are appointed by the
speaker of the House of Representa-
tives from members of the House:
five from the Senate by the president
of the Senate from the members of the
Senate. making 10 Legislative members:
and nine a minority, are selected by
the president himself. confirmed by the
Senate. these nine representing differ
ent industries and different features of
labor. coming some Of them from the
class Of manufactures and some from
Ia Dor organizations. Now this weak
ness consists in this: That a commits
sion organized for the express purpose
of making recommendations to Con-
gress cannot adopt Il single conclusion
except by the vote Of some of the
members of Congress itself. Hence
these nine independent members are
entirely. in their conclusions and their
suggestions and recommendations, at
the mercy of members of the very body
TO whom they are to make their
recommendations This To my mind i 4
Very great source OF weakness in the
organization Of the industrial commits
sion, and in the end VIII probably de-
featrany explicit or valuable recon-
merdation. Because when you take ~
men representing various parties and
various interests and expect them to
agree upon bill to be recommended
for any specific purpose of industrial
affairs. the expectation itself will fail.
Ii You should find even that the nine
presidential members We're agreed upon
certain measures to he recommended,
they would run up against the obstacle
Of the legislative members who could,
if they pleased, defeat any recon-
mendation.
The commission itself in its personnel
is fairly constructive. In all probable
ity the members could have been bet
ter selected. That is true of every or
ganizaton. But it must be remem-
bered that SO far as the president is
concerned. he was limited in the law
to certain elements of the population
from which to draw his representa-
tives. and further. that there was no
particular inducement for men to ac-
cept his appointments. Nevertheless.
with those objections. he has been
fairly successful in putting into that
commission a body of men whom | be
Ieve to be, on the whole. men Of IN
tegrity. Of foresight, and Of willing
ness, each to waive some Of his own
predictions for the sake Of harmonious
work Of the whole commission.
The commission is organized into
several sub commissions, one on aSri-
culture. one on manufactures and gen
eral business, one on mining industry
1
! and one on transportation. Each OF
| these sub-cOmmssons are Industrious
~ at work in collecting information. or
| rather opinions, and in collating the
| great body Of facts which are at their
hands for the purpose of making
recommendations to the general COM
| mission.
Now what can this commission do,
problematically? This is the great
| question. Is there any good TO come
| out of its work? What features can 1t
| take up practically? 1t will have a
mass Of information which will make
| Il library of itself. Each class must
| be edited for its respective sub
| commission. and then it must be laid be
| fore the general commission, ana each
| sIlb-C commission convince the whole body
| of the correctness Of its own conclusions.
a pretty difficult task, gentlemen 1t is
| now at work trying To formulate som"
| general measure relating 70 convict labor
| and The regulation Of Il, in the different
/ states to overcome the difficulties pre-
| scented hy the constitution itself. matters
| with winch yon are very familiar Ana
| il NAV be able on this point TO find some
| practical measure which will relieve the
/ public mind of whatever prejudice may
| exist-and K is IN places very great