The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-07

sitions of responsibility connected with. th
 operation of trains. Of course nothing cal
 ever prevent accidents caused by huma
 weakness or misconduct: and there shcui
 be drastic punishment for any railroad em
 ploye. whether officer or man. who by is suance of wrong orders or disobedicnce Q
 orders causes disaster. The law of 1901 requiring interstate railroads to rpak
 monthly reports of all accidents to- hssen
 gers and empioyes on duty shoul3 also b amended so as to empower the 06vernmen to make personal investigatt6n, throug
 proper officers. of all accidfnts inyoivin
 loss of life which seem to Acquire investi gation. with a requiremenx that the result of such investigation, be dnade public
 The ety-appliance/ flaw. as amended b
 the act of March 2. 1908. has proved bene ficial to railway employes, and in orde that its provisions may be properly carrie out the force yof inspectors provided fo by appropriatisn should be largely increas ed. This sersice is analogous to the Steam boat-Inspection Service. and deals witt even mors important interests. It has pass strate< its utility, and should receive gen erou recognition by the Congress.
 Y Upions of Government Employes.
 z Sfhere is no objection to employees of th Government forming or belonging to unions but the Government can neither discrimin ate for nor discriminate against nonunioI men who are in its employment. or wht seek to be employed under it. Moreover. | is very grave impropriety for Governmen D employees to band themselves together fol the purpose of extorting improperly higf salaries from the Government. Especiali, Is this true of those within the classified service. The letter carriers. both municipal and rural. are as a whole an excellent body of public servants They should be amply paid. But their payment must be obtained by arguing their claims fairly and honor ably before the Congress. and not by band ing together for the defeat of those Congressman who refuse to give promises which they can not in conscience give. The Administration has 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
 Bureau of Labor.
 Much can be done by the Government ir labor matters merely by giving publicity to certain conditions. The Bureau of Labor has done excellent work of this kind ir many different directions. I shall shortly lay before you in a special message the full report of the investigation of the Bureau of Labor into the Colorado mining strike, as this is a strike in which certain very evil forces. which are more or less at worN everywhere under the conditions of modern became startiinsiy prom inent It is greatly to be wished that the Depart. ment of Commerce and Labor, through the Labor Bureau, should compile and arrange for the Congress list of the labor. law, of the various States. and should be given the means to investigate and report to the Congress upon the labor conditions in the and mining regions through out the country, both as to wages. as te hours of labor. as to the labor of women and children. and as to the effect in the va. rious labor centsrs of immigration from abroad. In this investigation especial at tention should bs paid to the conditions oi child labor and child-labor legislation ir the several States. Such an investigation must necessarily take into account many of the problems with which this question oi child labor is connected. These problems -xs Y sIspusI us,yo ioqsI puuo SD Is,,vu . uons uI sls,s suo uI uoy,vIE3sI IsdoIt 70 HosI su ma :ssAtssrusq, selv,s sql 4, kTuo 'ssspo lsoW uI asw xIIvn,os co uS; cessively difficult to extablish protective re- striction in another State having the same 90 that the worst tends to dras down the better. For this reason, 1t would be well for the Nation ct least to endeavoI to secure comprehensive information as tc the conditions of labor of children in the different statesL Such investigation and publication by the National Government would tend toward the securing of approx imstsly uniform iegislation of the proper character among the several States.
 Corporations.
 When we come to deal with great corpora tions the need for the Government to ac. directly is far greater than In the case oi labor. because great corporations can be- come such only by engaging in interstate commerce. and interstate commerce is pe- culiariy the field of the General Govern msnt It is an sbsurdity to expect to eiim- insts the abuses in great corporations by State action It is difficult to be patien, with sa argument that such matters should De lsft to the States, because more than ons State pursues the policy of creating on sasy terms corporations which are never op- sratsd within that State at all. but in oth- v ss=.= =.=== -=- s.e! :sE-T= Tho Na- ticnAi oovsrument alone can deal adsass:-.e with these great corporations To try to Zeal with them in an intemperate, dsstrue- tive or denasosio spirit would. in all prob ability. mean that nothing whatever would ss accomplished. and. with absolute certain, ". thst fl anything were accomplished q you'd be of . harmful nature. The Ameri- ,an people need to continue to show the rery qualities that they have shown-tha. s. moderation. good sense. the earnest de- 'irs to avoid doing any damage. and yet he quiet determination to proceed. step ,y step. without halt and without hurry, n eliminating or at least minimizing what ,vsr Of mischief of evil there Is to inter- tate commerce in the conduct of great cor ,orations. They are acting in no spirit of hostility to wealth, either individual or cor. 'orats. They are not against the rich man my more than against the poor man. On he contrary. they are friendly alike toward feh man and toward poor man. provided ,nfy that each acts in a spirit of justice md decency toward his fellows. Great cor ,orations are necessary, and only men of Treet and singular mental power can man. Igs such corporations successfully. and uch men muOt have great rewards. But hsss corporations should be managed with iue regard to the interest of the public as whole. Where this can be done under he present laws 1t must be done. Where hese laws come short other laws should 's enacted to supplement them.
 Yet we must never forget the determining actor in every kind of work, of head or iand. must be the mans own good sense. outrage. and kindliness. More important han any legislation Is the gradual growth 'f feeling of responsibility and forbear- Ince among capitalists and wage-workers alike; feeling of respect on the part of sach msn for the rights Of others: a feel ng of broad community of interest, not merely of capitalists among themselves and 'f wage-workers among themselves, but of capitalists and wage workers in their rela- lions to each other. and of both tn their re- ations to their fellows who with them make up the body polite. There are many cap tains of Industry. many labor leaders. who realize this. A recent speech by the presi- oent Of one of our great railroad systems to the employes of that system contains sound common sense It runs in part as follows;
 Tt is my belief we can better serve each other. better understand the man as well as his business. when meeting face to face, exchanging views. and realizing from per- sonal contact we serve but one interest that of cur mutual prosperity