Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-12-12

have the right to inspect and examine the
workings of the great corporations engaged
In Interstate business. Publicity Is the only
sure remedy which we can now invoke.
What further remedies are needed in the
way or governmental regulation or taxa
tion, can only be determined after publ city
has been obtained by process of law, and
il the course of administration The first
requisite Is knowledge. full and complete
knowledge which may be made public to the
world.
Artificial bodies such as corporations and
Joint stock or other associations, depending
upon any statutory law for their existence
or privileges, should be subject to proper
governmental supervision. and full and ac-
curate information as to their operations
should be made public regularly at reason
able intervals.
The large corporations, commonly called
trusts, though organized In one state al
Ing very little business In the state where
they are Incorporated. There Is utter lack
OF uniformity in the state laws about them
and as no state has any exclusive interest
In or power over their acts, 1t has In prac-
tlce proved impossible to get adequate reg
ulation through state action. Therefore, In
the interest of the whole people, the nation
should, without interfering with the power
of the states in the matter Itself also as
sume power OF supervision and regulation
over all corporations doing an interstate
business. This is especially true where the
corporation derives a portion of Its wealth
from the existence of some monopolistic ele-
ment or tendency in its business. There
would be no hardship In such supervision /;
banks are subject to 1t, and in their case 1t
Is now accepted as simple matter OF
vision of corporations by the national gov
ernment need not go so far as Is now the
case with the supervision exercised over
them by so conservative a state as Massa-
chusetts, in order to produce excellent re-
suits.
When the constitution was adopted, at
the end of the eighteenth century. no human
wisdom could foretel the sweeping changes,
alike in industrial and political conditions,
which were to take place by the beginning
of the twentieth century. AT that time 1t
was accepted as a matter of course that the
several states were the proper authorities
to regulate so far as was then necessary,
the comparatively RsignlGqnt corporate
wholly different and wholly different action
Is called for. l believe that law can be
framed which will enable the national gov
ernment to exercise control along the lines
above indicated profiting by the experience
gained through the passage and administra-
tion of the Interstate commerce act; If.
however, the judgment of congress is that it
lacks the constitutional power to pass such
an act, then constitutional amendment
should be submitted to confer the power.
There should be created cabinet officer,
to be known as secretary of commerce and
Industries. provided in the bill introduced
at the last session of congress. 1t should
BE- his province to deal with commerce in its
broadest sense; including among many 9TH
er things whatever concerns labor and all
matters affecting the great business corpora
THE CHINESE EXCLUSION LAW.
With the sole exception OF the farming
interest, no one matter is of such vital mo
ment to our whole people as the welfare of
wage worker are well of it is absolutely
certain that all others will be well OFF too.
IL is therefore matter for hearty congrat-
ulation that on the whole wages are higher
to-day 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 con
d'tion of things and its Improvement wher-
ever possible Not only must our labor be
protected by the tariff, but 1t should also
be protected SO far as it Is possible from
the presence in this country of any laborers
brought over by contract or of those who,
coming freely, yet. represent standard of
living SO depressed that they can undersell
our men in the labor market and drag them
to a lower level. / regard it as necessary,
with this end in view, to re.enact imme-
diately the law excluding Chinese laborers
and to strengthen 1t wherever necessary in
order to make its enforcement entirely Ell
LABOR LEGISLATION.
The national government should demand
the highest quality of service from its em-
employer If possible legislation should be
passed, in connection with the interstate
the efforts of different states to do away
with the competition of convict contract
labor in the open labor market. SO far as
practicable under the conditions of govern
der the enforcement of the eignt-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 un-
der unsantary conditions. The government
should provide in its contracts that all work
should be done under fair conditions and
in addition to setting high standard
should uphold 1t by proper inspection, ex-
tending il necessary to the subcontractOrs
The government should forbid all night
work for women and children, as well as
excessive overtime. For the District of Co.
lumbia good factory law should be passed :
and, as powerful indirect aid to such laws,
provision should be made to turn the in
habited alleys, the existence of which Is a
reproach TO our Capital City, into minor
streets, where the Inhabitants can live un-
der conditions favorable to health and NOR
ais.
American wage-workers work with their
heads as well as their hands. Moreover,
they take a keen pride in what they are do
ing SO that, Independent of the reward
they wish to turn out perfect job. This
Is the great secret of our success in compe-
titlon with the labor of foreign countries
The most vital problem with which this
country, and for that matter the whole civ
ilized world, has to deal. is the problem
which has for one side the betterment of
social conditions, moral and physical. in
to deal with that tangle of far-reachng
questions which we group together when we
speak Of labor" The chief factor in the
success of each man-wage ge-worker, farmer
and capitalist allke-must ever be the sum
total of his own individual qualities and
abilities. Second only to this comes the
power OF acting in combination or associa-
tion with others. Very great good has been
and will be accomplished by associations or
unions of wage-workers, when managed with
fcrethought. and when they combine Insist
ence upon their own rights with law abiding
respect. for the rights Of others; The dis
play of these qualities in such bodies is a
duty to the nation no less than 10 the asso-
Citations themselves. Finally, there must
also in many cases be action by the govern
ment in order to safeguard the rights and
interests of all Under our constitution
there Is much more scope for such action
by the state and the municipality than by
the natlcn. But on points such as those
touched on above the national government
can act.
When all is said and done, the rule of
brotherhood remains as the Indispensable
prerequisite to success in the kind of ma
tional life for which we strive. Each man
must work for himself and unless he So
works no outside help can avail him but
each man must remember also that he Is
indeed his brothers keeper, and that while
IL I