The St. Louis Republic., 1904-12-07

safeguards for the protection OF travellers and
employees. yet tbs List OF clearly avoidable &C
cioents continues unduly large. The passage 6f
a law requiring the adoption OF a block-signal
system has been proposed to the Congress- /
earnestly concur in that Recommendation, and
would also roint cut to the Congress the urgent
need Of legislation Ia the interest OF the public
safety limiting the hours OF labor for rail-
read employees in trnin service upon railroads
engaged N interstate comuserce, and providing
that only trained and experienced persons ne
employed IN positions of responsibility con-
nected with the operation OF trains. OF course.
nothing can ever prevent accidents caused by
human weakness misconduct: and there
should ba drastic punishment for any railroad
employe, whether officer or man. who BY tssu-
ance Of wrong orders or By disobedience Of or
ders causes disaster. The law OF 1901. requir-
Ing interstate railroads to make monthly re-
ports of all accidents to passengers and en-
ployes on duty. should also be amended 50 a.
to empower the Government to make q per
sonal investigation. through proper ofHoer1 Of
all accidents involving loss Of life which seem
to require Investigation, with q RECRUITMENT
that the results Of such investigation be made
public.
The safety-applianos law. a. amended by the
act Of March 4 1909. has proved beneficial to
railway employees. and in order that Its pro-
Of inspectors provided for by appropriation
should b largely increased. This service =
analogous to the Steamboat inspection Service.
and deals with sven more important interests
It has parsed the experimental stage and
demonstrated its utility. and should receive gen.
erous recognition by the Congress.
There Is no objection to employees OF the Gov
ernment forming or belonging to unonA but
tie Government can neither discriminate for
nor asainst nonunion men who are In Its em-
pioyment. or who seek to be employed under
Il. Moreover. It IS q very grave improperly
for Government employees to band themselves
together for the purpose Of extorting imprcp-
erly high salaries from the Govern
ment. Especially IL this true Of those
within the classified service The letter car
fiera both municipal and rural are rs q whole,
an excellent body OF public servants They
should be amply paid. But their payment
must be obtained by
arguing their claims
Onions Of fairly and hooorably
Government before the Congress.
emDlOye1. and not by banding
together for the de-
feat Of those Con-
Rressrnen who refuse TO give promises which
they cannot In conscience give. The admins
t.ation has already taken steps to prevent and
punish abuses of this nature. but 1t will be
wise for the Congress to supplement this action
by lesialation.
Much can be done by the Government in Ia
Dor matters merely by giving publicity to GER
tain conditions. The Bureau Of Labor has done
excellent work Of this
kind in different d.
bureau VI i0ooE' rections. sh
shortly lay before
you in Q apscial message the full report Of the
Investigation Of the Bureau Of Labor Into the
Colorado mining strike. as this II a strike in
which certain vev ev1l forces, which are more
or less at work everywhere under the condi-
lions Of modern industrialism. became start
Iingly prominent. 1t is greatly to be wished
that the Department 1 Commerce and Labor.
through the Labor Bureau. should compile and
arrange for the Cougre0 . list Of the labor
Ixws Of the various States, and should be given
the means 10 investigate and report 70 the
Congress upon the labor conditions in the
manufacturing and mining regions throughout
the country, both ~ to wages. as to hours OF
labor, a. to the labor OF women and children
and as to the effect tn the various labor CEN
ters ol immigration from abroad. In this In
ysstiestion especial attention shculd Be paid to
thu conditions q child labor and child-labor
legislation In the several States. Such ~ in-
vsstieatiou must nece0Eily take into account
many ck the problems with which this c,ies-
ton Of child labor .is connected. These problems
can be actually met. In most cases. only By tho
States themss,yea but the lsck Of propsr leg.
i11sr aIs1n 1oooeu Z eEeesuovslS 6lfncu1s q