Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-12-09
rn,aa,.n In soyernm.u, once.

There Is 10 objection 10 employees 81
the government forming or belohsins
20 unions. but tie government can mel
tier a .Scriainas- Tor nor disssininate
against uslguian s4,I who arc IN 90,
employment or who seek 10 he 81
played uufer Il. Moreover. II Is very
grave Improperly zoe gpsesuu.e.lt eii.-
pluyees 10 band Themselves t-seiLeT
Tor tie purpose % eNtorting Improperly
hlsh salaries from the government
Especially Is this true OF those within
tie classified serviCe. The letter ear
riers. both municipal and rural, are as
Whole an excellent I0dy Of public
servants. They should Ge amply paid.
But their payment must be obtained
10y arguin~ their claims fairly aud hon
Orably before tie congress and not 10y
banding together for the defeat Of
those congressman who refuse 20 give
promises which they cannot In cor
science give. The administration Las
taken steps 10 prevent and punish
abuses OF this nature, but il VIII be
wise for the congress 20 supplement
this action by legislation.
Bureau of Lsbor.
Much can lie done by the government
in labor matters merely by giving pub
LEFTY 10 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
vestiga ton Of the bureau of labor into
the Colorado mining strike. as this IL
strike in which certain very evil forces.
which are more or less at work every
where under the conditions OF modern
industrialism. became startlingly prom
inent. II Is greatly to be wished that
the department Of commerce and Ia
Dor, through tie 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 10 the con-
gress upon the labor conditions In the
manufacturing and mining regions
/ throughout the country. both as to
wages. as to hours OF labor, as to
I 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
In the case of labor, because great cor
porations can become such only by en-
gaging In interstate commerce, and in
terstate commerce Is peculiarly the
field of the general government 1t IS
an absurdity TO expect TO eliminate the
abuses In great corporations by state
action. 1t is difficult to be patient with
an argument that such matters should
be left to the states because more than
one state pursues the policy Of Great
ing on easy terms corporations which
are never operated within that state
at all, but In other states whose Laws
they ignore The national government
alone can deal adequately with these
great corporations. To try TO deal
with them in an incorporate. destruc-
tive or demagogic spirit would in all
probability mean that nothing what
ever would be accomplished, and with
absolute certainty that II anything
were accomplished II would be OF a
harmful nature. The American peo-
pie need to continue TO show the very
qualities that they have shown-that Is,
moderation, good sense. the earnest
desire TO avoid doing any damage and
yet the quiet determination to proceed.
step by step. without halt ard without
hurry, In eliminating or at least in
minimizing whatever of mischief or of
evil there Is TO interstate commerce
In the conduct of great corporations.
They are acting In no spirit OF hostility
to wealth, either individual or COR
porate They are not against the rich
man. On the contrary. they are friend
ly alike toward rich man and toward
poor man. provided only that each acts
In spirit Of justice and decenCy to-
ward his fellows Great corporations
are necessary, and only men OF great
and singular mental power can man.
age such corporations successfully.
and such men must have great re
wards. 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 pres
emit laws it must be done Where
these laws come short others should
be enacted to supplement them.
Bureau of Corporations.
The bureau Of corporations has made
careful preliminary investigation Of
many important corporations. 1t will
make a special report on the beef In
| lustry.
The policy Of the bureau is to &C
complish the purposes Of Its creation
by cooperation. not antagonism: by
making constructive LEGISLATION, not
destructive prosecution. the immediate
s5ject of its inquiries: by conservative
investigation of law and fact and by
refusal to issue incomplete and hence
necessarily inaccurate reports. Its pol
icy being thus one Of open inquiry into
and not attack upon business, the bu-
reau has been able TO gain not only the
confidence, but. better still, the COOP
GRAFTON, Of men engaged In legitimate
business.
The bureau offers to the congress
The means Of getting at the cost of pro-
drction Of our various great staples Of
commerce