The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-04

utilities the community shall itself own
and what ones IL shall leave TO private or
corporate ownership. securing TO itself
merely the right to regulate; sometimes
one course is expedient. sometimes the 9TH
or.
I'm my own State during the last half
dozen years have made number OF
notable strides in labor legislation, and.
with very few exceptions. the laws have
worked well. This is. of course. partly be-
cause we have not tried TO do too much and
have proceeued cautiously, feeling our
way; and. while always advancing, yet
taking each step in advance only when we
were satisfied that the step already taken
in the right direction. To invite re-
action by unregulated zeal is never wise,
and is sometimes fatal.
NEW YoRK'S PLAN.
'In New York our action has been along
two lines. In the first place we determined
that as an employer OF labor the State
should set a good example to other en-
plOyers. We do not intend To permit the
peoples money TO be squandered or to toll
crate any work that is not Of the best. But
we think that while rigidly insisting upon
good woork, we should see that there is
fair play in return. Accordingly, we have
adopted an elght-hour law requiring that
the fair market rate of wages shall be
given i am glad TO say that both measures
have so far, on the whole, worked well. OF
course, there have been individual difficult
ties, mostly where the work is intermit-
tent, as, for instance, among locktenders
on the canals, where Ii Is very difficult TO
define what eight hours WORK means. But,
on the whole, the result has been good.
The practical experiment of working men
for eight hours has been advantageous 10
the State. Poor work is always dear.
whether poorly paid or not. and good work
is always well worth having; and. a
mere question of expediency, aside even
from the question CT humanity, we find
that We can obtain the best work by pay
ing fair wages and permitting the work
TO go on only for reasonable time
1.-The other side of our legislation has
been that affecting the wage-workers who
do not work for the State. Here we have
acted in three different ways: Through the
bureau of labor statistics, through the
board of mediation and arbitration and
through the department of factory inspec-
ton. During the last two years the board
of mediation and arbitration has been es-
pecially successful. Not only have they
succeeded in settling many strikes after
they were started, but they nave succeeded
in preventing a much larger number OF
strikes before they fairly got under way
Where possible, it is always better to me-
date before the strike begins than to at
tempt to arbitrate after the fight is on and
both sides have become stubborn and bit
ter. The bureau of labor statistics has
tics. for by keeping in close touch with al
the leading labor interests 1T has kept them
Informed on countless matters that were
really OF vital concern to them. Inciden
tally, one pleasing feature of the work OF
this bureau has been the steady upward
tendency shown during the last four years
both In the amount of wages received AND
in the quantity and steadiness of employ.
ment. No other man has benefited SO
much as the wage-worker by the growth
and prosperity during these years. The
factory inspection department deals chiefly
of course with conditions in great cities
One very important phase of its work dur
Ing the last two years has been the en-
forcement of the anti-sweat shop law
which is primarily designed to do away
with the tenement house factory. The con
ditions of life in some of the congested ten
ement house districts. notably in New Yorl
city, has become such as to demand actor
by the State. AS with other reforms. II
order to make IL stable and permanent, i
had to be gradual 1t proceeded by evolu
ton, not revolution. But progress has beer
steady. and wherever needed ii has beer
radical. Much remains to be done. but th'
condition of the jewellers in the congesteC
districts has been markedly improved. e
the great benefit not only of themselves
but of the whole community.
DUTY OF THE RICH
"A word on the general question. Ir
the first place. in addressing an audience
| like this L do not have to say that the
law of life is work and that work in IL.
self, so far from being any hardship. i:
great blessing, provided always, ii 1:
carried on under conditions which pre-
serve a mans self respect and which al
| low him to develop his own character anC
rear has children so that he and they, as
| well as the whole community of which hi
| and they are part, may steadily move on.
| ward and upward. The idler. rich or poor
| Is at best useless, and is generally q
noxious member of the community. To
whom much has been given, from him
much is rightfully expected; and a heavy
| burden of responsibility rests on the mar
| of means TO justify by his actions the So
| cial conditions which have rendered ii pos
| sible for him or his forefathers to accu
mulate and to keep the property he enjoys
lie is not to be excused II he does not rem
| der full measure of service to the State
and to the community at large. There
| are many ways in which this service car
be rendered. in art, in literature, in phil
anthropy; as a statesman or as a soldier
| but in some way he is in honor bound tC
| render 1t, so that benefit may accrue &c
his brethren who have been less favored
by fortune than he has been. If he does
not work he fails not only in his duty tC
the rest of the community, but he fail.
sfgnally In his duty to himself. There 4:
| no need OF envying the idle. Ordinarily
| we can afford TO treat them with impa
| tient contempt; for when they fail to dc
| their duty they fail TO get from life tn,
| highest and keenest pleasure that life car
give.
ITO do our duty, that Is the summing vi
of the whole matter. We must do oul
duty by ourselves and must do oul
| duty by our neighbors. Every good citi
| zen. whatever his condition, owes his frs
service to those who are nearest to him
who are dependent upon him-to his wife
and his children; next he owes his duty
| TO his fellow-citizens, and this duty ht
must perform both TO his individual
neighbor and to the State, which is simply
| a form of expression for all his neigh
| bors combined. He must keep his self
| respect and exact the respect of others
| 1t IL eminently wise and proper TO strive
| for such leisure In our lines as will give
| a chance for self-improvement, but woe
| to the man who seeks or trains up his
children to seek idleness instead of the
L chance n do good work No worse wrone