Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-12-07

Ia tlllS purpose. That law should be
amended and strengthened. Wherever
should be stringent employers liability
law, which should apply to the govern
1nent itself where the government is an
employer of labor.
IN my message to the Fifty-seventh
congress. at its second session. | urged
Inc passage of an employers liability law
lor the District Of Columbia. 1 now re-
new that recommendation, and further
recommend that the congress appoint a
commission to make a comprehensive
study of employers liability with the
view of extending the provisions of a
Payments within the scope Of federal
power.
Medals of Honor.
me government has recognized heroism
upon the water, and bestows medals of
honor upon those persons who by ex-
IRENE 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
mas jurisdiction, or upon an American
vessel. This recognition should be ex-
tended to cover cases of conspicuous
bravery and self-sacrifce 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
our railroads is a matter of grave public
concern, and urgently calls for action by
the congress. In the matter of speed and
comfort Of railway travel our railroads
give at least as good Service as those of
any other nation. 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 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 law requiring the adoption of
block signal system has been proposed
to the congress. l 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-
ploye. 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
amended so as to empower the government
to make personal investigation, through
proper officers, of all accidents involving
loss of life which seem to require investiga-
ton, with requirement that the results
of such investigation be made public
The safety appliance law. as amended by
the act of March 2, 1909 has proved bene-
fNiQ1 t0 railway, IN or1o
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
it's 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 it's employment
or who seek to be employed under it,
Moreover, it is a 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 a
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 tazen steps to prevent and punish
abuses of this nature: but it will be wise
for q to &c
by legislation.
Corporations.
Wien we come to deal with great cor
porations 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 interstate
commerce, and interstate commerce is pe-
culiarly the field Of the general govern
ment. 1t is an absurdty to expect to elm
mate 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 creating 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 ade-
quately with these great corporations To
try to deal with them in an Incorporate.
destructive or demagogic spirit would, in
all probability, mean that nothing what
ever would be accomplished, and with alb
solute certainty that if anything were ac-
complished it would be Of a harmful ma
ture. The American people need to con-
tinue 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 and
without hurry, in eliminating or at least In
fofrV i1Sr hat -
there is to Interstate commerce in the con-
duct of great corporations. They are act
ing in no spirit of hostility to wealth, either
individual or corporate. They are not
against the rich man any more than against
the poor man. On the contrary, they are
friendly alike toward rich man and toward
poor man. provided only that each acts
in a spirit of justice and decency toward
his fellows. Great corporations are neces-
sary, and only men of great and singular
mental power; can manage such corpora
tons successfully, and such men must have
great rewards. But these corporations
should be managed with due regard to the
this can be done under the present laws it
must be done. Where these laws come
short others should be enacted to supple
ment them.
Yet we must never forget the determining
factor in every kind Of work, Of head or
hand. must be 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 the rights Of others; a feel
Ing Of broad community Of interest, not
merely of capitalists 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
relations to their fellows who with them
make up the body polite. There are many
captains of industry, many labor leaders,
/ who realize this.
Bureau Of Corporations.