Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-12-08

There Is no objection to employees OF |
the government forming or belonging |
to unions, but the government can mel |
ther discriminate for nor discriminate |
against nonunion men who are In It's |
employment or whGa seek to be en-
ployed under It. Moreover, 1t is a 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
whole an excellent body OF public
servants. They should be amply paid.
But their payment must he 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 cannot in con-
science give. The administration Inns
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 or LABOR.
Much can be done by the government
in labor matters merely by giving pub
Lefty to certain conditions. The bureau
Of labor has done excellent work OF
this kind in many different directions
shall shortly lay before you In spe-
cial message the full report Of the in
vcstigation Of tho bureau Of labor into
the Colorado mining strike. rs this Is a
strike in which certain very evil forces,
which are more or less at work every
where under the conditions OF modern
industriallsm, became startlingly prom
inent. 1t is greatly to be wished that
the department of commerce and Ia
Dor through the labor bureau, should
compile and arrange for the congress
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 mining regions
throughout the country, both as TO
wages az to hours Of labor. as to
the labor Of women and children md
rs to the effect in the various labor
In this investigation especial attention
should be paid to the conditions Of
child labor and child labor legislation
In the several states.
Corporations.
When we come to deal with great
corporations the need for the govern
ment to act directly Is far greater than
. t,t hnn n
| porations can become such only by en-
/ gazing in interstate commerce, and IN
terstate commerce Is peculiarly the
field of the general government. 1t Is
an absurdity to expect to eliminate the
abuses in great corporations by state
action. 1t ia 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 Great
Ing 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 adequately with these
great corporations. To try to dea
with them in an incorporate. dcstruc
tive or demagogic spirit would In al
probability mean that nothing what
ever would be accomplished, and with
absolute certainty that IL anythins
were accomplished it would be Of G
harmful nature. The American peo
pie need to continue to show the very
qualities that they have shown-that is
moderation, good sense. the earnes
desire to avoid doing any damage ant
yet the quiet determination to proceed
step by step, without halt and withou
hurry, In eliminating OF at least II
minimizing whatever Of mischief or o
evil there is to interstate commerce
In the conduct of great corporations
They are acting in no spirit Of hostilit,
to wealth, either individual or cor
porate- They are not against the ricl
man any more than against the poo
man. On the contrary. they are friend
ly alike toward rich man and towart
poor man, provided only that each act
In spirit of justice and decency to
ward his fellows. Great corporation
are necessary, and only men Of grea
and singular mental power can man
age such corporations successfully
and such men must have great re
wards. But these corporations shoul'
be managed with due regard to tn
interest OF the public as whole
Where this can be done under the pres
ent laws It must be done. Wher
these laws come short others SHOULD
be enacted to supplement them.
bureau of Corporations.
The bureau Of corporations has mad
careful preliminary investigation o
many important corporations, 1t wi
make a special report on the beef IN
, dustry.
The policy Of the bureau Is to NJ
compllsh the purposes OF Its creatio
| by cooperation, not antagonism; b
making constructive legislation, nc
destructive prosecution. the immediat
object Of its Inquiries by conservatv
investigation Of law and fact and
, refusal to issue Incomplete and henc
: necessarily inaccurate reports, Its pc
, icy being thus one Of open inquiry Int
and not attack upon business, the bl
reau has been able to gain not only III
/ confidence, but better still. the COO
;. Grafton. Of men engaged ia legitimat
business.
= The bureau offers TO the congref
the means OF getting at the cost Of pr,
duction of our various great staples O
. commerce