Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-06
Discussed in Various Phases Impair
TALLY and Clearly.
HOW TO DEAL WITH GREAT CORPORATIONS -IN-
VESTIGATIONs NOW GOING ON-REVIEW OF THE
WORK OF ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.

good citizens and more especially all hon.
| orabe public servants must oppose tina
wrongdoing as resolutely as they would Oh.
pose the wrongdoing OF any great corpora.
| ton. OF course any violence. brutality. or
| corruption. should not for one moment be
| tolerated. Wage-workers have an entire
right to organize and by all peaceful and
honorable means to endeavor to persuade
| 1heir Fellows to Join with them In organiza.
| ions. They have legal right, which, ac.
cording to circumstances, may or may not
| be moral right, to refuse to work in com.
| pany with men who decline to Join their or.
CARNATIONS. They have under no circum-
stances the right to commit violence upon
those. whether capitalists or wage-workers,
who refuse to support their organizations
| or who side with those with whom they are
| at odds; for mob rule is intolerable in any
form.
Employers Liability.
The wage-workers are peculiarly entitled
to the protection and the announcement
OF the law. From the very nature of their
occupation railroad men, for instance. are
liable to be manned in doing the legitimate
work of their profession. unless the rail-
road companies are required by law to
make ample provision for their safety. The
en1OTC.
! ing the existing law for this purpose That
| law should be amended and strengthened.
Wherever the National Government has
| power there should be a stringent employ
| ers liability law. which should apply to
| the Government itself where the Govern.
| ment is an employer of labor
In my Message to the Fifty-seventh Con-
gress. at its second session, 1 urged the
passage Of an employers liability law for
the District OF Columbia now renew that
recommendation, and further recommend
that the Congress appoint a commission to
make comprehensive study OF employers
liability with the view OF extending the pro-
visions Of a great and constitutional law
to all employments within the scope of
Federal power.
The government has recognized heroisn
upon the water, and bestow medals Of hon.
or upon those persons who by extreme and
heroic daring have endangered their lives
In saving. or endeavoring to save,
lives from the perils OF the sea
in the waters over which the United
States has Jurisdiction. or upon an Amer
lean vessel This recognition should be ex-
tended to cover cases of conspicuous brav-
cry and self-sacrifice In the saving of life
IN private employments under the jurisdic-
ton of the United States, and particularly
In the land commerce of the Nation.
Prevention of Railroad Accidents.
The ever-increasing casualty list upon
our railroads is a matter OF grave public
concern, and urgently calls for action by
the Congress. In the matter of speed and
comfort of railway travel our railroads
give at least good service as those of
any other nation. and there is no reason
rx-I,xr t.
as human ingenuity can make it. Many of
our leading roads have been foremost in
the adoption of the most approved safe
guards for the protection of travellers and
employees, yet the list of clearly avo;dable
accidents continues unduly large The pas
sage of law requiring the adoption of q
bloek-signal system has been proposed to
the Congress. / earnestly concur In that
recommendation, and would also point out
to the Congress the urgent need of legis-
lation in the interest of the public safety
limiting the hours of labor for railroad EN-.
ployees in train service upon railroads en-.
gagged In interstate commerce. and proyid-
ing that only trained and experienced per-
sons be employed in positions of RESPONSE
bility connected with the operation Of
trains OF course nothing can ever pre-
vent accidents caused by human weakness
punishment for any railroad employee,
whether officer or man, who by issuance OF
wrong orders by disobedience of orders
causes disaster.
The law of 1901, requiring Interstate rail-
roads to make monthly reports OF all acci-
dents to passengers and employees on duty.
should also be amended as to empower
the Government to make personal investi-
cation, through proper officers, of all acct
dents involving loss of life which seem to
require investigation. with a requirement
that the results OF such investigation b.
made public.
The safely-appiiance law, as amended by
the act of March 2. 1903. has proved bene-
fetal to railway employees, and in order that
its provisions may be properly carried out
the force of inspectors provided for by APP
preparation should be largely increased
This service Is analogous to the Steamboat