The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-12-07

lO empower the government No u4ahS c personal investigation through proper officers, of all accidents involving loss of life which seem to require investiga- tion, with requirement. that the re- suits of such investigation 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 in- spectors provided for by appropriation should be largely increased. This ser vice is analogous to the steamboat-in- spection service, and deals with even more important interests. It has passed the experimental stage and de- monstrated its utility, and should re- eeiye generous recognition by the con- gress.
 Unions of Government Employees.
 There is no objection to employees of the government forming or belonging to unions; but the government can neither discriminate for nor discrimi- nate against non-union men who gre in its employment, or who seek to be employed under it. Moreover, 1t is a very grave impropriety for government employees 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 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 it will be wise for the congress to supple ment this action by legislation.
 ! Bureau of Labor.
 Much can be done by the government in labor matters merely by giving publicity to certain conditions. The Bureau of Labor has done excellant work of this kind in many different directions.
 l shall shortly lay before you in special message the full report of the investigation of the Bureau of Labor into the Colorado mining strike as this is a strike in which certain very evil forces, which are more or less at work everywhere under the conditions of modern industrialism, became startling fly prominent. It is greatly to be wished that the Department of Com merce 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 Congress upon the labor con- lditions in the manufacturing and min ling regions throughout the country, both as to wages. as to hours of labor lof women and children, and as to the leffect in the various labor centers of Immigration from abroad In this in Ivestigation especial attention should be lpaid to the conditions of child labor land child-labor legislation in the several States. Such an investigation must necessarily take into account many of the problems with which this question lof child labor is connected. These problems can be actually met, in most, cases, only by the States themselves; but the lack of proper legislation in one IState in such matter as child labor Ioften renders 1t excessively difficult to establish protective restriction upon the work in another State having the Isame industries, so that the worst tends Ito drag down the better For this treason, it would be well for the Nation lat least to endeavor to secure com lprehensive information as to the con- lditions of labor of children in the differ lent States. Such investigation and qualification by the National Govern Iment would tend toward the securing lof approximately uniform legislation of the proper character among the several States.
 Corporations
 l When we come to deal with great lcorporations the need for the Govern Iment to act directly is far greater than lin the case of labor, because great cor lporation can become such only by en- Tagging in interstate commerce, and in iterstate commerce Is peculiarly the Ifield of the General Government. It is an absurdity to expect to eliminate the labuses in great corporations by State faction It is difficult to be patient with Ian argument that such matters should lbe left to the States, because more ithat one State pursues the policy of lcreating on easy terms corporations (which are never operated within that iState at all, but in other States whose flaws they Ignore. The National Cow Iernment alone can deal adequately with these great corporations. To try to deal with them in an incorporate, destructive, or demagogic spirit would, lin all probability, mean that nothing whatever would be accomplished, and, Iwith absolute certainty, that if any thing were accomplished it would be of la harmful nature. The American people need to continue to show the I very qualities that they have shown lthat is, moderation, good sense, the learnest desire to avoid doing any damage and yet the quiet determination to proceed, step by step, without halt land without hurry in eliminating or at least in minimizing whatever of mis- lchief or of evil there is to interstate l commerce in the conduct of great cor lporations. They are acting in no spirit I of hostility to wealth, either individual Tor corporate. They are not against the
 rich man any more than against the