Barton County democrat., 1904-12-09


sion. unless the railroad companies are
required by law to make ample provision
for their safety. The administra ton has
been jealous in enforcing the existing law
for this purpose. That law should be
amended and strengthened Wherever
the national government has power there
should be a stringent employers liability
law, which should apply to the govern
ment itself where the government is an
employer of labor.
In my message to the Fifty-seventh
congress, at its second session, I urged
the passage of employers liability law
for the District of Columbia. I now re-
new that recommendation, and further
recommend that the congress appoint
commission to make a comprehensive
study of employers liability with the
great and constitutional law to all en-
ployments within the scope of federal
power
Medals of Honor.
The government has recognized heroism
upon the water, and bestoWs medals of
honor upon those persons who by ex-
treme 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, upon an American
vessel. This recognition should be ex-
tended to cover cases Of conspicuous
bravery and self-sacrifice in the saving
of life in private employments under the
jurisdiction of the United States, and
particularly in the land commerce of the
nation.
Prevention of Railroad Accidents.
The ever-increasing casualty list upon
railroads is a matter of grave pubic
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
why this service should not also be as safe
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 avoidable
accidents continues unduly large. The
passage of a law requiring the adoption of
a block signal system has been proposed
to the congress. I earnestly concur in
that recommendation, and would also point
out to the congress the urgent need of
legislation in the interest of the public
safety limiting the hours of labor for rail-
road employees in train service upon rail-
roads engaged in interstate commerce, and
providing that only trained and experienced
persons be employed in positions of re-
sponsibility connected with the operation
of. trains. OF course, nothing can ever
prevent accidents caused by human weak
ness or misconduct; and there should be
drastic punishment for any railroad en-
pIoye whether officer or man, who by issu-
ance of wrong orders or 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
to make a personal investigation, through
proper officers. Of all accidents involving
loss Of life which seem to require investiga-
tion with a requirement that the results
Of such investigation be made public.
The safety appliance 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
appropriation should be largely increased.
This service is analogous to the steamboat
inspection service, and deals with even
more important interests. 1t has passed
the experimental stage and demonstrated
its utility and should receive generous
recognition by the congress.
Unions of Government Employees.
There is no objection to employees of the
government forming belonging to
unions; but the government can neither
discriminate for nor discriminate against
nonunion men who are in its employment
or who seek to be employed under it,
Moreover, it is very grave Improperly
for government employees to band them
selves together for the purpose of extorting
improperly high salaries from the govern
ment. Especially is this true of those with
in the classified service The letter car
riers, both municipal and rural are as
whole an excellent body Of public servants.
They should be amply paid. But their pay
ment must be obtained by arguing their
claims fairly and honorably before the
congress, and not by banding together for
the defeat of those congressman who re-
fuse to give promises which they cannot
in conscience give. The administration has
already taken steps to prevent and punish
abuses of this nature; but it will be wise
for the congress to supplement- this action
by legislation
Bureau of Labor.
Much he 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 l shall shortly
lay before you in special message the full
report of the inves tigation of the bureau
of labor into the Colorado mining strike,
this is a strike in which certain very
evil forces, which are more or less at work
everywhere under TIE conditions of modern
fndustriafsm. became startlingly prom
inent. 1t is greatly to be wished that the
department of commerce and labor, through
the labor bureau, should compile and ar
range 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 conditions
in the manufacturing and mining regions
throughout the country both as to wages
as 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 espe-
cial attention should be paid to the condi-
tions of child labor and child labor legis-
lation in the several states. Such an in
vestigation must necessarily take into
count 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 rem
ders it excessively difficult to establish
protective restriction upon the work in
another state having the same industries,
so that the worst tends to drag down the
better. For this reason, 1t would be well
for the nation at least to endeavor to Sc
cure comprehensive information as to the
conditions of labor OF children in the diff
ferent states. Such investigation and pub
iication by the national government would