Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1904-12-09

Il
railroad employees in train service up
on railroads engaged in interstate COM
merce and providing that only trained
and experienced persons be employed
in positions of responsibility connected
with the operation Of trains.
Tie safety appliance law, as amend
ed by the act of March ?, 1908. has
proved beneficial to railway employees,
and III order that it's provisions may be
properly carried out the force of in
spectors provided for by appropriation
should be largely Increased. This serv
ice has passed the experimental stage
and should receive generous recogni-
ton by the congress.
Unionisln In Government Offices.
There is no objection to employees of
the government forming or belonging
to unions, but the government can nei-
Their discriminate for nor discriminate
against nonunion men who are in its
employment or who seek to be en-
ployed under it. Moreover, it is very
grave improperly for government en-
ployees to band themselves together
for the purpose Of extorting improperly
high salaries from the government.
Especially is this true Of those within
! 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.
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 cannot in con-
science give. The administration has
taken steps to prevent and punish
abuses of this nature, but it will be
wise for the congress to supplement
this action by legislation.
Bureau of Labor.
Much can be done by the government
In labor matters merely by giving pub
hcity to certain conditions. The bursa u
Of labor has done excellent work Of
this kind in many different directions.
I shall shortly lay before you in a spe-
cial message the full report Of ths in
vestigation Of the bureau Of labor into
the Colorado mining strike, as thu Is q
strike in which certain very evil sOrces,
which are more or less at work avery
where under the conditions Of zaodern
4ndustrialism, became startlingfy prom
inent. It is greatly to be wished that
the department of commerce and la
Dor, through the labor bureau, should
compile and arrange for the congress
q list Of the labor laws Of the various
states and should be given the means
| to Investigate and report tn the con
gress upon the labor conditions In the
manufacturing and mining regions
throughout the country, both as tt
wages. IS to hours Of labor. as tt
the labor of women and children ani
as to the effect in the various labor
eenters Of immigration from abroad
In this investigation especial attention
{ should be paid to the conditions O.
child labor and child labor Legislation
f IN the several states.
Corporations.
5 When we come to deal with grea
: corpora tons the need for the govern
! ment to act directly is far greater thai
In the case Of labor, because great cor
r porations can become such only by en-
- gaging in interstate commerce, and in
terstate commerce Is peculiarly tn
:, field Of the general government. 1t I
an absurdity to expect to eliminate TIL
: abuses in great corporations by stat
+ action. 1t is difficult to be patient wit
an argument that such matters SHOULD
=; :, be left to the states, because more thai
one state pursues the policy Of Great
ing on easy terms corporations whic]
are never operated within that stat
1T ali, but in other states whose law
l they ignore. The national government
alone can deal Adequately with thes
: great corporations To try to dea
with them in an Incorporate, destruc
: tive or demagogic. spirit would in al
probability mean that nothing what
t ever would be accomplished, and wit
= absolute certainty that If anythin
e were accomplished it would be Of
8 harmful nature. The American pee
r pie need 10 continue to show tho YER
g qualities that they have shown-that f
g moderation, good sense, the earnes
g desire to avoid doing any damage an
e ut the quiet determination to proceed
t step by step, without halt and withou
r hurry, In eliminating Or at least Il
. minimizing whatever Of mischief or o
!, evil there is to interstate commerc
j. In the conduct Of great corporations
j. They are acting In no spirit Of hosiht
e 10 wealth, either individual or col
j. porate They are not against the rio
D man any more than against the poo
: man. On the contrary, they are friend
h alike toward rich man and towar
poor man, provided only that each act
t I'm a spirit Of justice and decency tt
! ward his fellows. Great corporation
: are necessary, and only men Of grea
D and singular mental power can mar
] age such corporations successfully
J. and such men must have great RI
, wards. But these corporations shout
? be managed with due regard to tn
'. interest of the public as whole
: Where this can be done under the pre-:
ont lowe II rnuat no done Wher