The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1903-12-11
Say, the Department Of Commerce and
Labor Will Go Far Towards Solv.
ing the Trust Problem.
Calls Attention to Undesirable immigration.
Asks for More Stringent Naturaliza.
ton Laws and Enforcement
Wants Commission to Investigate
Needs of Merchant Marine-Post
Office and Public Land Frauds
Our Foreign Relations.

To the Senate and House of Representa-
The country is to be congratulated
the amount of substantial achieve
ment which has marked the past year both
as regards our foreign and as regards our
domestic policy.
With a nation as with a man the most
important things are those of the house
hold, and therefore the country is espe-
cially to be congratulated on what has
been accomplished in the direction of pro-
viding for the exercise of supervision over
the great corporations and combinations
of corporations engaged in interstate COM
merce. The congress has created the de-
partment of commerce and labor. includ-
ing the bureau of corporations, with for the
first time authority to secure proper pub
iicity of such proceedings of these great
corporations as the public has the right
to know 1t has provided for the expedit-
ing of suits for the enforcement of the fed
eral antitrust law: and by another law
1t has secured equal treatment to all pro-
ducers in the transportation of their goods.
thus taking a long stride forward in max
ing effective the work of the interstate
commerce commission.
Bureau of Corporations.
The preliminary work of the bureau
of corporations in the department has
shown the wisdom of it's creation. Pub
licity in corporate affairs will tend to do
away with ignorance, and will afford
facts upon which intelligent action may
be taken. Systematic, intelligent inves-
tigation is already developing facts the
knowledge of which is essential to right
understanding of the needs and duties
of the business world The corporation
which is honestly and fairly organized,
whose managers in the conduct of its
business recognize their obligation to
deal squarely with their stockholders,
their competitors, and the public, has
nothing to fear from such supervision.
The purpose of this bureau is not to en-
barrass or assail legitimate business, but
to aid in bringing about better indus
trial conditional condition under which
there shall be obedience to law and rec
ognition of public obligation by all cor
porations, great or small. The depart
ment of commerce and labor will be not
only the clearing house for information
regarding the business transactions of the
nation, but the executive arm of the
government to aid in Strengthening our
domestic and foreign markets. in perfect
ing our transportation facilities, in build
ing up our merchant marine, in prevent
ing the entrance of undesirable immi-
grants, in improving commercial and in
dustrial conditions. and in bringing together
on common ground those necessary part
ners in industrial progress-capital and
labor. Commerce between the nations
is steadily growing in volume, and the
tendency of the times is toward closer
trade relations. Constant watchfulness
is needed to secure to Americans the
chance to participate to the best advan-
tage in foreign trade; and we may conf
IDENTIFY expect that the new department
will justify the expectation of it's Gre
U L.
ness, as well as by the businesslike adj
ministration of such laws relating to our
internal affairs as are intrusted to it's
care.
Capital and Labor.
The consistent policy of the national gov
eminent, so lar as it has the power, is to
hold in check the INSCRIPTIONS man,
whether employer or empioye; but to re-
fuse to weaken individual initiative or to
hamper or cramp the industrial develop
ment of the country We recognize that
this is an era of federation and combina-
tion in which great capitalistic corpora
tons and labor unions have become factors
of tremendous Importance in all Industrial
centers. Hearty recognition is given the
been accomplished through both corpora
tons and unions. and the line as between
different corporations, as between different
unions, is drawn as it is between different
Individuals; that is, it is drawn on con-
duct, the effort being to treat both organ
ized capital and organized labor alike; ask
ing nothing save that the interests of each
shall be brought into harmony with the
interests of the general public, and that
the conduct of each shall conform to the
fundamental rules of obedience to law of
individual freedom and of justice and
fair dealing towards all. Whenever either
corporation, labor union or individual dis
regards the law or acts in a spirit of ar
bltrary and tyrannous interference with
the rights of others, whether corporations
or individuals, then where the federal gov
eminent has jurisdiction, it will see to it
that the misconduct is stopped, paying not
the slightest heed to the position or power
OF the corporation. the union or the indi-
vlduaI, but only to one vital fact-that is,
the question whether or not the conduct
of the individual or aggregate of indvid-
uals is IN accordance with the law of the
land. Every man must be guaranteed
his liberty and his right to do as he likes
with his property or his labor, so long as
ne does not infringe the rights of others.
No man is above the law and no man is be-
low it; nor do we ask any mans permits
SION when we require him to obey it. Obe-
dlence 20 the law is demanded as right
not asked as a favor
Receipts and Expenditures.
From all sources, exclusive of the post
al service the receipts of the government
for the last fiscal year aggregated $3.50, 1886 GA
The expenditures for the same period
were SoO6O9S,oVl, the surplus for the fiscal
year being s54.297.667 The indications
are that the surplus for the present fiscal
year will be very small if. indeed there
be any surplus. From July to Novem-
Der the receipts from customs were, APP
proximately, $9000,000 less than the re-
ceiptS from the same source for a CORE
sponding portion of last year Should
TINS decrease continue at the same ratio
throughout the fiscal year, the surplus
would be reduced by approximately
$50, 100000. Should the revenue from Gus
toms suffer much further decrease dur
ing the hscal year, the surplus would
vanish.
Financial Legislation Not Needed.
The integrity of our currency is be-
yond question:, and under present condi-
lions it would be unwise and unnecessary
to attempt reconstruction of our en-
tire monetary system. The lame lib
erty should be granted the secretary of
the treasury to deposit customs re-
ceipts as is granted aim in the deposit of
receipts from other sources. In my mes