The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-07

i'm the various labor centefS OF llnml-
grafton from abroad. In inns lllVeS-
tigation especial attention. snouiu De
Daid To the conditions of enid TABOR
and child-labor legislation in the sew
eral States. such an investigation
must necessarily take into account
many of the problems with Whlch inns
question of child labor is connected
These problems can be actually met
in most cases, only by the states lilell
selves; but the lack of proper leslsld-
ton in one state i'm such matter as
child labor often rehdcrs it excessively
difficult to establish protective re-
striction upon the work in another
State having the same industries, 50
that the worst tends 10 drag down tile
better For this reason, IL Wouid ne
well for the Nation at least 10 en-
deaVor to secure comprehensive III
formation as to the conditions OF Ia
Dor of children in the different states.
Such investigation and publication by
the National government would tenn
ward the securing of approximately
uniform legislation of the proper char
acter among the several States.
Corporations.
When we come to deal with great
corporations the neeG for the govern
ment to act directly is lar greater
than in the case of labor, because
greater COMPUTATIONS
only by engaging in interstate COM
merce, and interstate commerce is pc
culiarly the field Of the general gov
eminent 1t is an abSurdity to expect
TO eliminate the abuses in great cor
porations by State action 1t is diff
cult to be patient with an argument
that such matters should be left to the
States, because more than one State
pursues the policy of creating on easy
q
operated within that State at all, but
in other States whose laws they ig-
more. The national government alone
can deal adequately with these great
corporations. To try to deal with
them in an Incorporate, destructive,
or demagogogic spirit would, IN all
probability, mean that nothing what
ever would be accomplished, and,
with absolute certainty, that If any
thing were accomplished it would be
of a harmful nature. The American
! people need to continue to show the
very qualities that they have shown
| that is, moderation, good sense, the
| earnest desire to avoid doing any dam
age, and yet the quiet determination
to proceed, step by step, without halt
| and without hurry, in eliminating or
at least in minimizing whatever of
mischief or of evil there is to inter-
| state commerce in the conduct of great
! corporations. They are acting in no
| spirit of hostility to wealth, either in
| dividual or corporate. They are not
| against the rich man any more than
against the poor man. On the con-
| trary they are friendly alike toward
| rich man and toward poor man, pro-
! Vided only that each acts i'm a spirit
| of justice and decency toward his fell
| lows. Great corporations are neces-
sary and only men of great and sin
lHl1
| corporations successfully, and such
| men must have great rewards. But
| these corporations should be managed
| with due regard to the interest of the
public as a whole. Where this can be
! done under the present laws it must
| be done. Where these laws come
short others should be enacted to sup
l.plement them
Yet we must never forget that the
determining factor i'm every kind of
work, of head or hand, must he the
mans own good sense, courage, and
kindness. More important than any
legislation is the gradual growth of
feeling of responsibility and forbear-
ance among capitalists and wage
workers alike; feeling of respect on
the part of each man for their rights
of others; feeling of broad COM
munity of interest not merely Of cap
italists among themselves, and of wage
workers among themselves. but of
capitalists and wage-Workers in their
relations to each other, and of both
in their relation to their fellows who
with them make up the body polite.
There are many captains of industry,
many labor leaders, who realize this.
The Bureau of Corporations has
made careful preliminary investigation
of many important corporations 1t
will make a special report on the beef
| industry
Bureau of Corporations.
The policy of the Bureau is to ac-
complish the purposes of it's creation
| by cooperation, not antagonism; by
| making constructive legislation, not
destructive prosecution, the Immediate
object of its inquiries; by conservative
| investigation of law and fact, and by
refusal to issue incomplete and hence
necessarily inaccurate reports It's pol
| icy being thus one of open inquiry in
| to, and not attack upon business, the
Bureau has been able to gain not only
the confidence, but, better still. the CO.
operation of men engaged in legiti-
mate business.
The Bureau offers to the Congress
the means of getting at the cost Of
production of our various great staples
| of commerce.
OF necessity the careful investiga-
ton of special corporation will afford
the Commissioner knowledge of GER
tain business facts, the publication of
which might be an improper infringe
nent of private rights. The methods
OF making public the results of these
Investigations affords, under the law,
means for the protection -of private
rights. The Congress will have all
facts except such as would give to
another corporation information which
would injure the legitimate business
of a competitor and destroy the incen-
tive for individual superiority and
thrift
The Bureau has also made exhaus-
tive examinations into the legal con-
dition under which corporate business
is carried on in the various States:
into all judicial decisions on the sub
ject; and into the various systems of
corporate taxation in use l call spec
ial attention to the report of the chief
of the Bureau; and | earnestly ask
that the Congress carefully consider
the report and recommendation of
the Commissioner on this subject
Insurance.
The business of insurance vitality af-
fects the great mass of the people of