Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-12-05

combinations is knowledge of the
facts-publicity. In the interest of
the public, the government should
have the right to inspect and examine
the workings of the great corporations
engaged in interstate business. Pub
llclty is the only sure remedy which
we can now invoke. What further
remedies are needed in the way of
governmental regulations or taxation,
can only be determined after public
lty has been obtained, by process of
law, and IN the course of administra-
ton. The first requisite is knowledge,
tull and complete-knowledge which
may be made public to the world
Inc large corporations, commonly
called trusts, though organized in one
state, always do business in many
states, often doing very little business
in the state where they are ircorpor-
ated. There is utter lack of uniform
lty in the state laws about them: and
as no state has any exclusive inter-
est IN or power over their acts, it has
in practice proved impossible to get
adequate regulation through state ac-
ton. Therefore, in the interest of the
whole people, the nation should, with
SeS AVA III NAlll JllS DUWtT OIL TIE
states in the matter itself also assume
power of supervision and regulation
over all corporations doing an inter
state business. This is especially
true where the corporation derives a
portion of its wealth from the exist
ence of some monopolistic element or
tendency in its business.
New Cabinet Officer Needed.
There should be created a cabinet
officer, to be known as secretary of
commerce and industries, as provided
in the bill introduced at the last ses.
sion of the congress. 1t should be his
province to deal with commerce in its
Droadest sense: including among 9th.
er things whatever concerns labor and
all matters affecting the great bust.
ness corporations and our merchant
marine.
Convict Labor.
| The national government should de
mand the highest quality of service
| from its employees, and in return il
should be a good employer If posi-
Bile legislation should be passed in con
nection with the Interstate Commerce
Law, which will render effective the
efforts of different states to do away
with the competition OF convict labor
in the open labor market. So far as
practicable under conditions of gov
eminent work, provisions should be
made to render the enforcement Of the
elght-hour law easy and certain. Ii
all industries carried on directly o.
indirectly for the United States gov
eminent. women and children should
| be protected from excessive hours O.
labor. from night work. and from worl
under unsanitary conditions The gov
eminent should provide in its contract.
that all work should be done under
fair" conditions and in addition tt
setting high standard should uphold
it by proper inspection, extending i
necessary to the sub-contractors.
The Labor Problem.
The most vital problem with which
the country, and for that matter thu
whole civilized world, has to deal, il
the problem which has for one sid'
the betterment of social conditions
moral and physical, in large cities, ant
for another side the effort to deal will
that tangle of far-reaching questions
which we group together whel
we speak of labor" The chic
factor in the success of each man
wace-worker, farmer, and capitals
alike-must ever be the sum total o
his own Individual qualities and abili
ties. Second only to this comes tn
power of acting in combnat, on or assC
cation with others. Very great goo
has been and will be accomplished b.
associations or unions of wage work
ers, when managed with forethough
and when they combine insistence III
on their own rights with the law-abid
ing respect for the rights of others.
immigration Laws Unsatisfactory.
Our present immigration laws ar
! unsatisfactory. We should aim to eH
clude absolutely not only all person
who are known to be believers in an
archistic principles or members of ar
archistic societies, but also all person
who are of a low moral tendency o
! of unsavory reputation. This mean
,, that we should require more thol
ough system of inspection abroad an
a more rigid system OF examination a
our immigration ports, the former be
ing especially necessary. Their
:, should be proper proof of personal CO
pacity to earn an American living an
enough money to insure a decent star
under American conditions.
The Tariff and Reciprocity.
There is general acquiescence i
our present tariff system as nations
policy. The first requisite to on
! prosperity is the continuity and sta
| lbility Of this economic policy. NotI