Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-07-15
Loca! matters.
MILWAUKEE NEXT.
Continued from page 50

upon which they draw for their knowl-
edge.
These commissions are permanent
and they are empowered to collect fig
ures. Even If our commissions were
not for the benefit Of the legisla ton,
the educational good they do the peo-
pie would be an argument for their
continuance. The United States en-
ploys thousands of people and expends
millions in its commissions and others
are established for the good of the peo-
pie. The Legislatures cannot do their
work properly, it has found, without
statistics.
Congress cannot weigh all the facts
surrounding them in regard to the in
dustrial conditions, but it can try. as
we all must. to solve them. They
must have data to work upon. The
United States Industrial Commission
was established to advise the people in
the Industrial matters. The letter of
the law in regard to the establishment
was to study the various labor laws
and their effects in the different states
of the Union. and to study the laws of
other countries and their results. From
the findings of the commission recon-
mendations were called for to advise
the future action Of the states and Of
the United States.
There are similar commissions in
other countries and after years Of
study they have not come to any logi-
cal conclusion as to the solving Of the
industrial problems.
The ideal of this commission was
that it might result in the formation
of an industrial code, that laws might
be enacted alike in all parts of the
United States. There is a great dis
parity in the different laws, however.
We must abandon the ideal bur we
can recommend a few practical ideas.
The weakness of the commission is in
its organization which is indeed I'M
fortunate. 1t is made up Of 10 mem
bers Five are appointed by the
Speaker Of the House from that body;
five by the PRECEDENT Of the Senate,
from that body, and the other nine are
appointed by the President of the
United states from other walks in life.
The nine business men cannot adopt
a single conclusion without the vote Of
some member of Congress. This will
in the end defeat the mission of the
commission. The personnel Of the com
mission is as good as one could expect
as there is no special inducement for
man to accept position on the COM
mission. The members though are bust
ness men Of the Strictest integrity. We
are organized into sub-commissions.
Just what good work We can do it is
not certain. Each class recommended
ton has to be edited by the whole, be
fore it can go out as a recommendation.
lone of the ideas that we are formu-
lating is the convict labor and we shall
try to right this in some manner. We
shall try To formulate a bill against the
sweating system. We also have some
thing on the employment bureau idea
in our minds. which we shall get into
shape later
"One of our most stuponduous diff
culties relates to trusts. We have set
sail on voyage Of discovery. We are
after facts in relation to them. We
have Prof. J. W. jerks of Cornell. as
our agent and director in conducting
the investigation of this massive sub
ject. The state bureaus can assist US
in this We would like the figures il
the state realitivr to the stability OF
labor prior ana subsequent to the for
nation of the trusts. Also data in re-
gard to wages, people employed ard all
such items of Importance. The people
are Interested in this if we can bring
them to see just where it affects each
one personally.
we wish to learn Of the social,
economic ana educational side Of the
laborcrs. We wish to clear the air of
the suspicion between the employer
and the laborer, and by doing this we
have taken Il long stride in the right di-
rcc.ion By considering the motive side
of each's actions and making this a
study, we think that in time we may be
able to help along III the good work.
The advice given in David Harum to
treat others as you suspect they are to
treat you, only do il first. has in the
past been the cause of many lockouts
and strikes. We must have a better
understanding between the laborer and
his employer
Commissioner Cox asked if the Unit
ed States board could not do some good
in crticsing other boards and pointing
out 70 them their weak points AS the
leader OF all it would seem. thought Mr.
Cox, that the great bureau might wei
do this. Mr.. Cox referred to a circular
sent about by enc state board Sayins