The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-07

lie concern, and urgently calls for
action by the Congress. In the mat
ter of speed and comfort of railway
travel our railroads give at least as
good service as those of any other ma
ton, and there is no reason why this
service should not also be as safe as
human ingenuity can make it. Many
of our leading roads have been fore
most in the adoption of the most ap-
proved safeguards for the protection
of travellers and employees, yet the list
of clearly aVoidable accidents con-
tinues unduly large. The passage of
law requiring the adoption of block
signal system has been proposed to
the Congress. 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 railroad employees in train
service upon railroads engaged in in
terstate commerce. and providing that
only trained and experienced persons
be employed in positions of RESPONSE
bility connected with the operation of
trains.
Drastic Punishment Recommended
OF course nothing can ever prevent
accidents caused by human weakness
or misconduct; and there should be
drastic punishment for any railroad
employee, whether officer or man, who
by issuance 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 passengers and en-
ployes on duty, should also be amend
ed so as to empower the government
to make personal investigation,
through proper officers. of all acct
dents involving loss of life which seem
to require investigation, with a re-
quirement that the results of such in
vestigation be made public.
The safety-appliance law, as amend
ed by the act of March 2, 1903, has
proved beneficial to railway employees,
and in order that it's provisions may
be properly carried out, the force of
inspectors provided for by appropria-
ton should be largely increased. This
service is analogous to the Steamboat
Inspection Service. and deals with even
more important interests. 1t has pass
ed the experimental stage and demon
strated its utility, and should receive
generous recognition by the Congress.
For Open Shops.
There is no objection to emploves
of the government forming or belonging
to unions; but the government can
neither discriminate for nor against
non-union men who are in it's en-
ployment, or who seek to be employed
under it Moreover, it is a very grave
improperly for government employees
to band themselves together for the
purpose of extorting improperly high
salaries from the government. Especi-
ally 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 il
will be wise for the Congress to SUD-
plement this action by legislation.
The Bureau of Labor.
Much can be done by the govern
ment in labor matters merely by Civ
ing 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 a special message the full re-
port of the investigation of the Blu
reau of Labor into the Colorado min
ing strike, as this is strike in which
certain very evil forces, which are
more or less at work everywhere I'M
der the conditions of modern indus
trialism, became startlingly promi-
nent.
1t is greatly to be wished that the
Department of Commerce and Labor.
through the 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 to the Con-
gress upon the labor conditions
in the manufacturing and min
ing regions throughout the country
both as to wages. as to hours of labor,
as to the labor of women and chill
dren, and as to the effect in the va
rious labor centers of immigration
from abroad.
The Child Labor Question.
In this investigation especial atten-
tion should be paid to the conditions
of child labor and chld-labor legisla-
ton in the several states Such an in
vestigatipn must. necessarily take into
account many of the problems with
which this question Of child labor Is
connected. These problems can be ac-
tually met. I'm most cases. only by the
states themselves; but the lack of
proper legislation I'm one state IN such
a matter as child labor often renders
It excessively difficult to establish pro-
tective restriction upon the work In
another state having the same indus
tries, so that the worst tends 10 drag
down the better. For this reason, IL
would be well for the nation al least
10 ondcaVOr 10 secure COMMUNICATIVE