The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1904-12-10

sage tie fun repu't 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 arc more
or less nj work everywhere under the
conditions Of modern iniustralism, be-
came startlingly prominent.
Corporations.
When we come TO deal with great cor
pora lions the need for the government to
act directly Is FAR greater than In the
case of labor, because great corporations
can become such only by engaging in in
terstatc commerce. and interstate com
mcrcc is peculiarly the field OF the gem
eral government II is an absurdity to cx-
pect to eliminate the abuses in great cor
pointions by state action. II IL difficult to
be patient with an argument that such
matters should be left to the states, be-
cause more than one state pursues the
policy OF creating on easy terms corpora
tons which are never operated thin
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. de-
structivc. or d,magogic spirit would. In
all probability, mean that nothing what
ever would be accomplished. and. with
absolute certainty. that II anything were
accomplished It would be OF 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 damage. and yet the quiet de-
termination to proceed. step by step.
without halt and without hurry. in elm
mating or ut least In minimizing what
ever of mischief or of evil there Is to in
tcrstate commerce in the conduct OF
great corporations. They nre 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 Ioor man. on the contrary.
they are friendly alike toward rich man
and toward poor man. provided only that
each acts In n spirit OF Justice and de-
ccncy toward his fellows. Great corpora
tons are necessary. and only men OF
great and singular mental power can
manage such corporations successfully.
and such man must have great rewards,
But these corporations should be man
aged with due regard TO the interest OF
the public rs a whole. Where this can
be done under the present laws 1t must
be done. Where these laws come short
others should be enacted to supplement
them.
The bureau Of corporations has made
careful preliminary Investigation OF many
important corporations. II will make a
special report on the beef industry
Above all else. we must strive TO keen
the highways OF commerce open to all
on equal terms: and to do this IL Is nee
csSary to put complete stop to all re-
hates. Whether the shipper or the nall
road Is TO blame makes no difference: the
rebate must be stopped. the abuses Of
the private car and private terminal
track and sidc-track systems must be
stopped. and the legislation OF the Fifty
eighth Congress which declares 1t to be
unlawful for any person or corporht ton to
oN"r. grant, give, solicit accept, or re-
ceivc any rebate. conc, ssion. or .iscrim-
nation In respect OF the transportation of
any property In interstate or foreign
commerce whereby such property shall
by any device whatever be TRANSPORTED
Mt less rate than that named In the
tariffs published by the carrier must be
enforced. While am q. the opinion that
Mt present I, would be undesirable ~ n
were not impracticahlc, finally to c.othc
the Interstate Commerce Commission
with general authority to fix railroad
rates, do not believe that. as n fair Sc
cuiiiy to shippers. the CommI-s should
be vested with the power where n given
rate has been challenged and after full
hearing found to be unreasonable. to de-
eide, subject to judicial review. what
shall be reasonable. rate to take Its
place. the ruling Of the commission to
unless and until II IL reversed by the
court o. review, In my judgment the
most important lsgisiativ. act now need
ed as regards the regulation OF corpora
tlons is this act TO confer on the Inter
state Commcrc. Commission the power
TO revise rates and regulations. the re-
yis.d rate to n; ono. go into effect. and
to stay In effect unless and until the
court Of review roy.fs.s IL.
Much x,... ,g hos.
consideration Of the problem OF the
proper housing OF the poor in our
great cities. and the importance OF 4
proper solution OF the question shown.
On this subject the message says:
There should be severe child labor and
ctory-inspection laws. II Is very d.sir-
able thst married women should not 'ofk
In factories. The prime duty OF the man
Is TO work. TO be the br-adwinner; the
prime duty Of the woman IL TO be the
mother. III. housewife. All questions OF
hrih and finance sink into utter inslx.
ninoance when compared with tho tire.
m"ndou-. the vital importance of trying
To shap" conditions 80 that these two
duties Of the man and OF tn. woman can
he fulfilled under reasonably !ayorabl,
circumstances.
Agriculture.
Inc Department OF Agriculture hns
grown Into an educational Institution
with n faculty of two thousand special.
lists making research into all tho neI.nc,,
OF production. Tn, consr.s, sppfoprIa
ntcs. directly and indirectly. six millions
OF dollars annually to carry on this work
u reaches every stat. and territory In
tho Union and the islands Of tho .oa late.
" com" under our nag. Corporation Ii
had with III. state experiment stations.
al n,V taat "a,
dividuals. The world IL carefully search
ed for new varieties O, grains. fruits,