The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1904-12-08
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Official Communication From The President is
Read in Congress

cumstances the right to commit vio-
fence upon those, whether capitalists
c. wage-workers who refuse to support
tnelr organizations, or who side with
those with whom they are at odds; for
mob rule is intolerable in any form.
EMPLOYERS LIABILITY LAW.
The wage-workers are peculiarly en-
titled to the protection and the encour-
agement OF the law. From the very ma
ture OF their occupation railroad men,
Tor instance, are liable to be manned in
Going the legitimate work of their pro-
fesslon, unless the railroad companies
are required by law to make ample
provision for their safety. The Admin
istration has been jealous in enforcing
Ithe existing law for this purpose. That
law should be amended and strength
ened. Wherever the National Govern
inent has power there should be a
stringent employers liability law,
which should apply to the Government
itself where the Government is an en-
ployer of labor
PREVENTION OF. RAILROAD ACcl
DENTS.
The ever-increasing casualty list
upon our railroads is 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 as good ser
vice as those of any other nation, and
there is no reason why this service
should not also be as safe as human in
eenuity can make it. Many of our lead
ing 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
avoidable accidents continues unGuly
large. The passage of law requiring
the adoption of blocksignal system
has been proposed to the Congress. |
earnestly concur in that recommends
ton, and would also point out to the
Congress the urgent need of legislation
in the interest of the public safety linn
iting the hours of labor for railroad
employees in train service upon rail-
4 roads engaged in interstate commerce,
and providing that only trained and
experienced persons be employed in po-
s;tions of responsibility connected with
! the operation of trains. OF course moth
| ing can ever prevent accidents caused
| by human weakness or misconduct;
and there should be drastic punish
ment for any ralirOaod employee,
whether officer or man, who by isSu-
ance Of wrong orders or by diSObedi-
ence Of orders causes disaster. The
law Of 1901, requiring interstate rail-
roads to make monthly reports of all
accidents to passengers and employees
On duty, should also be amended so as
to empower the Government to make a
personal investigation, through proper
fofficers, of all accidents involving loss
Of life which seem to require investiga-
ton, with requirement that the re-
suit of such Investigation be made
public.
UNIONS OF GOVERNMENT EN-
PLOYEES.
There is no objection to employees
of the Government forming or belong
ing to unions; but the Government can
neither discriminate Tor nor discrimi-
| nate against nonunion men who are in
its employment, or who seek to be en-
ployed under it. Moreover, it is a very
grave improperly for Government en-
plOyees to band themselves together for
the purpose of eXtorting improperly
high salaries from the Government Es-
pecially 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 SER
wants. They should be amply paid. But
their payment must be obtained by
arguing their claims fairly and hon
orably before the Congress, and not by
banding together for the defeat OF
those Congressman who refuse to give
promises which they can not in con-
science give. The Administration has
already taken steps to prevent and
punish abuses of this nature; but ii
will be wise for the Congress to sup
Element this action by legislation.
BUREAU OF LABOR.
Much can be done by the Government
in labor matters merely by giving pub
Ilicity to certain conditions. The Bureau
Of Labor has done excellent work OF
this kind in many different directions
shall shortly lay before you in a spe-
cial message the full report Of the in
Iyestigation of the Bureau Of Labor into
the Colorado mining strike, as this
is strike in which certain very evil
forces, which are more or less at work
everywhere under the conditions of
modern industrialism, became start
l:ngly prominent. 1t is greatly to be
wished that the Department of Com
nlerce and Labor, through the Labor
Bureau, should compile and arrange for
the Congress 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 conditions
in the manufacturing and mining re-
gions throughout the country, both as
to wages, as to hours of labor, as 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-labor legislation
in the several States.
CORPORATIONS.
When we come to deal with great
corporations the need for the Govern
ment to act directly is far greater than
lin the case Of labor, because great cor
jorations can become such only by en-
gaging in interstate commerce, and
interstate commerce is peculiarly the
field of the General Government. 1t is
an absurdity to expect to eliminate the
! ahuseS in great cOrporationSS.by State