Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1904-12-08

| Of railway travel. our railroads give at leas
good service a.
Preveut;or ~ Pail those of any other ma
ton. and there Is nt
'""~ AccAuehts reason why this serv
ice should not also b'
| as safe human ingenuity can make 1t
Many OF our leading roads have been fore
most in the adoption of the most approved
safeguards for the protection of traveller:
and employees. yet the list of clearly avoid
able accidents continues unduly large Iht
passage of law requiring the adoption OF
a block signal system has been proposed &c
the Congress. l earnestly concur In that
recommendation. and would also point out tc
the Congress the urgent need or Legislation
In the interest of the public safety limiting
the hours of labor for railroad employees In
train service upon the railroads engaged In
Interstate commerce. and providing that only
trained and experienced persons be employed
in positions of responsibility connected with
the operation Of trains. or course, nothing
can ever prevent accidents caused by human
weakness or misconduct: and there should
be drastic punishment for any railroad en-
ploye. whether officer or man. who by lssu-
ance of wrong orders by disobedience OF
orders causes disaster. The law of 1901,
requiring interstate railroads to make
monthly reports Of all accidents to passen-
gers and employees on duty, should also be
amended so as to empower the Government
to make a personal investigation. through
proper officers. OF all accidents involving loss
VI ne WHICH seem 10 require lHVeStlBdtioH'
with a requirement that the results of such
investigation be made public
The safety appliance law. as amended by
the act Of March 2. 1908. has proved bene-
fcial to railway employees, and in order that
It's provisions may be properly carried out.
the force Of inspectors provided for by ap-
preparation should be largely increased This
service Is analogous to the Steamboat 1nspec-
ton Service. and deals with even more i'm
portant interests. 1t has passed the expert
mental stage and demonstrated its utility,
and should receive generous recognition by
the Congress-
Government forming belonging to unions;
but the Government can neither discrm-
mate for nor discriminate against nonunion
men who in it's employment. or who
seek to be employed under 1t. Moreover 1T
Is very grave improperly for Government
employees to band themselves together for
the purpose of extorting improperly high sal
aries from the Government. Especially is
this true Of those within the classified serv-
ice. The letter-carriers, both municipal and
rural. are a whole an excellent body OF
public servants. They should be amply paid.
But their payment must be obtained by ar
guing their claims
upiors ~ fairly and honorably
before the Congress,
Employees. together for the de-
feat of those Con-
gressmen who refuse to give promises which
they cannot in conscience give. The Admin
mas already taken steps TO prevent
and punish abuses of this nature; but 1t Will
be wise for the Congress to supplement this
action by legislation.
Much can be done by the Government in
labor matters merely by giving publicity to
certain conditions The Bureau of Labor has
done excellent work of this kind in many
different directions. | shall shortly lay
before you in spe-
Bureau of Labor. cial message the full
report of the inVesti-
cation of the Bureau of Labor into the Colo
rado mining strike. as this is a strike in
which certain very evil forces. which are
conditions of modern industrialism became
prominent. 1t is greatly to be
wished that the Department of Commerce
and Labor. through the Labor Bureau, should
compile and arrange for the Congress a list
of the labor laws of the various states. and
should be given the means to investigate and
report to the Congress upon the labor condi-
tions in the manufacturing and mining re-
gions throughout the country. both to
wages. to hours of labor. to the labor
Of women and children, and as to the effect
In the various labor centers of immigration
from abroad. In this investigation especial
attention should be paid to the conditions OF
child labor and child d-labor legislation in the
several states Such an investigation must
necessarily take into account many Of the
problems with which this question OF child
labor is connected. These problems can be
actually met. in most cases. only by the
states themselves; but the lack of proper
legislation IN one state IN Such a matter as
child labor often renders 1t excessively diff |
cult to establish protective restriction upon |
he work in another state having the same
Industries, so that the worst tends to drag |
DOWN the better. For this reason. it would |
be well for the Nation at least to endeavor !
% secure comprehensive information to
he conditions OF labor Of children in the
lifferent states. Such investigation and pub
iCation by the National Government would |
end toward the securing of approximately !
inform legislation of the proper character
among the several states.
When come to deal with great corpo-
ations, the need for the Government to act
lirectly Is far greater than in the of
abor, because great corporations can become
such only by engaging in interstate com
merce. and Interstate
Corporations. commerce Is peculiar
ly the field of the
General Government 1t is absurdity to
xpect to eliminate the abuses in great cor
,orations by state action, 1t Is difficult to
e patient with an argument that such mat
ers should be left to the states. because
more than one state pursues the policy of
reating on easy terms corporations which
re never operated within that state at all,
'ut in other states whose laws they ignore.
he National Government alone can deal ad
quately with these great corporations. To
ry to deal with them in Incorporate.
destructive. demagogic spirit would, in all
mean that nothing whatever
would be accomplished and, with absolute
that If anything were accomplished
can people need to continue to show the
cry qualities that they have shown-that
:. moderation, good sense the earnest de
ire to avoid doing any damage, and yet the
uct determination to proceed, step by step,
fithout halt and without hurry in elimnat-
ng at least in minimizing whatever of
1schief or Of evil there Is to interstate COM
1ercc in the conduct of great corpora tions
hey acting in no spirit of hostility to
,ealth either individual or corporate. They
re not against the rich man any more than
CainSt the poor man. On the contrary,
hey are friendly alike toward rich man and
oward poor man, provided only that each
cts in spirit Of justice and decency toward
is fellows Great corpora tionS are neces-
ary and only men of great and singular
rental power can manage such corporal tiOns
uccessfully. and such men must have great
ewards But these corporations should be
managed with due regard to the interest of
he public a whole. Where this can be
one under the present laws it must be done
Where these laws come short, others should
e enacted to supplement them.
Yet must never forget the determining
ac.n In of of