The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-11

Three Propositions Pointed ont as
Umwise.
Wa shington Post.

Among a number of excellent recon-
mendations in the message of Governor
Mount TO the Indiana Legislature we notice
three that are decidedly not worthy or COM
mendatiOn. The first of these is propo-
culture in the public schools He is right
i'm the helief that i'm the future farming will
depend more and more upon science: FOR
many years the soil in Indiana and other
Western States has been drawn upon
continuously, with little or no effort TO re-
place the extracted elements. As bank
DEPOSIT, however large; is decreased by con-
tinually drawing checks against 1t, so the
soil, however fertile, must be impoverished
by the prevalent method of farming. To
correct this will require scientific knowl-
edge. But the public schools, loaded as they
are with Indispensable studies, should not
be required to meet this demand. In the
first place. the teachers are not prepared FOR
that work, and, in the second place. the
pupils have no time for 1t. The advances
~ pIdCtICdi sSIelLCe e4e oleaulty 9uuIls ~
the area which the common school eurrlcu-
lum is expected to cover. The children of
this generation. in order to escape gross
ignorance, are compelled to learn many
things which their grandparents never
dreamed of. The load is already too heavy.
There is an agricultural college and there
are farmers Institutes in Indiana. They and
other similar agencies ~hould be depended
upon to teach agricult
Another unwise sug on is the taxa
ton of life insurance pc 5: This has been
proposed in one or two. lthern States but
the press hammered the life out of the
movement before it got much of a start.
Indiana taxes the insurance companies and
gets a large revenue from that source. To
tax the policies they issue would be a re-
Versal of sound policy. A State cannot af
ford to discourage thrift in any of its va
ricus forms so long as It keeps within the
law. The phase of thrift that is represent
ed by a life insurance policy is one which
should be encouraged The more life in
surance policies in one generation, the fewer
paupers and criminals In the next.
The third of the Governors objection
able suggestions relates to labor and cap
1taL In regard to the arbitration of diff
ferences between employer and enploye the
Governor thinks the time has come when
arbitration should be all that the word inn
plies by having courts of arbitration, whose
decisions shall be mandatory" OF course
there can be no such thing as compulsory
arbitration" When compusion comes in
and criminal are courts whose decisions
are mandatory" If any employer or en-
ploye violates a law, there is always a court
into which he can be hailed To attempt 10
force either party into court merely to set
tie dispute as to rates of wages or hours
of labor would be an abuse of power which
would scarcely be sustained by the higher
judicial tribunals. An employer has UNI
doubted right to determine what he will pay
for work. "A wage-worker has just as clear
right to fix his own price. To undertake
by legislation TO settle such a difference
against the protest of either party
would seem to be an invasion of a funda-
mental right.
1t is we'll for a State to have board of
arbitration and to encourage amicable set
Element of labor disputes; but the State
which attempts the absurdity of "compu-
sorry arbitration will make a bad blunder.
Nature made some laws for and conferred
stitutions nor statutes can appeal or sus-
pend