The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-12-07
R |! ) =: VEL IS FAI|R
Makes IMPORTANT RECOMMENDA.
TIONs IN INTEREST or LABoR.

/ u ~Is- ~
TIONs IN INHERENT or LABOR.
HIS Annual Message Touches on
some Important Labor Topics-ls
for the EiEht-Hour.Day-R
enactment Of Chinese Exclusion
Act-Opposes Convict Labor and
Wants Immigration Restricted.
President Roosevelt's message has
been printed in all the daily papers,
and hence it is not expected that it
appear in full in the weekly papers.
We take much pleasure, however, in
presenting our readers with that part
Of the message that touches on the
labor question:: >. ~
with the sole exception Of the
farming interest, no one matter is of
such vital moment to our whole people
as the welfare of the wage-workers. If
the farmer and the wage-worker are
well off, it is absolutely certain that
all others will be we'll off too. It is
therefore matter of hearty congratu-
lation that on the whole wages are
higher today in the United States than
ever before in our history, and far
higher than In any other country. The
standard Of living is also higher than
ever before. Every effort Of legislator
and administrator should be bent to
secure the permanency of this condition
Of things and its improvement wher-
ever possible. Not only must our labor
be protected by the tariff, but it should
a hn 70 - t.
from the presence in this country of any
laborers brought over, by contract, of
Of those, who, coming freely, yet rep
resent a standard of living so depressed
that they can undersell our men in the
labor market and drag them to a lower
level. I regard it as necessary, with
this end in view, to re-enact immedi-
ately the law excluding Chinese labor
ers and to strengthen it wherever nec-
essary In order to make it's enforcement
entirely effective. =
Labor, Wages, Etc.
''The national government should de-
mand the highest quality Of service
from it's employees; and in return it
should be q good employer. If pos
sible legislation should be passed, in
connection with the Interstate Com
merce law, which will render effective.
the efforts of different states to do
away with the competition of convict
contract labor in the open labor mar
ket. So far as. practicable under the
conditions OF government work, provl-
sion should be made to render the en-
forcement of the eight-hour law easy
and certain. In all industries carried
on directly or Indirectly for the United
States government women and children
should be protected from excessive
hours of labor, from night work, and
from work under unsanitary condi-
lions. -, E:
American wage-workers work with
their heads as well as their hands.
Moreover, they take a keen vride in
what they are doing; SO that. inde-
pendent of the reward, they wish tn
turn out q perfect job. This is the
great secret Of our success in compe-
tition with the labor Of foreign coun-
tries. ssg..$ III "a ~
The most vital problem with which
this country, and for that matter the
whole civilized world, has to deal. Is
the problem which has for one side
the betterment of social conditions.
moral and physical, in large lties.
and for another side the effort to deal
with that tangle of far-reachinR dues-
ttons which we group together when
we speak Of labor The chief factor
in the success Of each man-ware-
worker, farmer. and capitalist alike
must ever be the sum total of his own
individual qualities and Abilities Sec
ond only to this comes the power Of
acting In combination or association
with others. Very great good has been
and Will be accomplished by associa-
tons or unions Of wage workers. when
managed with forethought, and when
they combine insistence upon their own
rights with law-abiding respect for the
rights Of others.
Immigration Laws.
"Our present immigration laws are
unsatisfactory. We need every honest
and efficient immigrant fitted to be-
come an American citizen, every i'm
migrant who comes here to stay. who
brings here strong body, a stout
heart, good head, and resolute pur-
pose to do his duty well in every way
and to bring up his children as law
abiding and God-fearing members OF
the community. But there should be q,
comprehensive law enacted with the
object Of working a three fold improve
ment over our present system First.
we should aim to exclude ABSOLUTELY
not only all persons who are known to
be believers in anarchistic societies,
but. also all persons who are of a low
moral tendency or Of unsavory reputa-
ton. This means that we should re-
Quire a more thorough system of in.
spection abroad and more rigid sys-
tenn OF examination at our immigration
ports, the former being especially NEG
essary. vi ~.2 - i
"The second object of a proper i'm
migration law ought to be to secure.
by careful and not merely perfume
tory educational test some intelligent
capacity to appreciate American insti-
tutions and act sanely as American
citizens. This would not keep out all
anarchists, for many Of them belong
to the intelligent criminal class. But
1t would do what is also in point. that
is, tend tor decrease the sum OF II.
norance, 50 potent in producing the
envy. auanici0n rna 1ionant roocao., =. !