The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-12-08


those congressman who refuse to give
promises which they cannot IN con
science give. The administration ms
taken steps TO prevent ana punish
abuses OF this nature, but II VIII DE
wise for the congress to supplement-
this action hy legislation.
bureau OF Labor.
Much can be done by the government
I'm labor matters merely by giving pub
licitv 10 certain conditions. The bureau
OF labor has done excellent work OF
this kind i'm many different directions.
| shall shortly lay before you in q spe-
cial message the full report Of the In
vestigation OF the bureau OF labor INTO
the Colorado mining strike, as this Is
strike I'm which certain very evil forces
which are more or less at work every
where under the conditions OF modern
Industriaiism. became startlingly prom
incnt 1t is greatly to be wished that
the deDnrtment Of commerce ana In
Dor. through the labor bureau should
compile and arrange for the congress
n list Of the labor laws Of the various
states and should he given the means
to investigate and report to the con
gress upon the labor conditions In tie
manufacturing and mining regions
throughout the country, both as 10
wages. ms 10 hours Of labor, az to
the labor of women and children ana
ms to the effect in the various labor
centers Of immigration from abroad.
Tn this invest. CATION especial attention
should be paid to the conditions OF
child labor and child labor Legislation
In the several states.
Corporations.
When we come 10 deal with great
corporations the need for the govern
ment to act directly is far grenter than
I'm the case of labor. because great cor
porations can become such only by en-
gaglng in interstate commerce, ana IN
terstate commerce is peculiarly the
field of the general government. II is
an absurdity 20 expect TO eliminate the
abuses I'm great corporations by state
action. II 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 Great
ing on easy terms corporations which
are never operated within that state
NJ all. but In other states whose laws
they ignore. The national government
alone can deal adequately with these
great corporations To try to deal
with them in an incorporate, destruc-
tive or demagoglc spirit would in all
probability mean that nothing what
ever would be accomplished. and with
absolute certainty that II anything
were accomplished II would be OF a
harmful nature. The American peo-
ole need to continue TO show the very
qualities that they have shown-that Is,
moderation. good sense. the earnest
desire 20 avoid doing any damage anu
vet the quiet determination to proceed
step by step. without halt and without
hurry. I'm eliminating or at least III
minimizing whatever Of mischief or OF
evil there is to interstate commerce
I'm the conduct of great corporations.
They are acting in no spirit Of hostility
to wealth. either individual or cor
porate. They are not against the rlch
man any more than against the poor
man. On the contrary, they are friend
lv alike toward rich man and toward
poor man. provided only that each acts
In n spirit OF Justice and decency to-
ward his fellows Great corporations
are necessary. and only men OF great
and singular mental power can man
age such corporations successfully
and such men must have great re-
wards. But these corporations should
he managed with due regard to the
interest Of the public as a whole.
Where this can be done under the pres
ent laws IT must he done. Where
these laws come short others should
be enacted to supplement them.
bureau OF Corporations.
The bureau Of corporations has made
careful preliminary investigation Of
many important corporations. 1t will
make n special report on the beef in
dustry.
The policy Of the bureau Is to &C
complish the purposes OF Its creation
by cooperation. not antagonism; oy
making constructive legislation, not
destructive prosecution, the Immediate
object Of its inquiries; by conservative
investigation of law and fact and by
refusal to issue incomplete and hence
necessarily inaccurate reports. Its pol
Coy being thus one Of open inquiry into
and not attack upon business, the bu-
reau has been able TO gain not only the
confidence, but, better still. the coop
Grafton. of men engaged in legitimate
business.
The bureau offers TO the congress
the means OF getting at the cost Of pro-
duction Of our various great staples Of
commerce.
OF necessity the careful investigation
Of special corporations will afford the
commissioner knowledge of certain
business facts, the publication Of which
might be an improper infringement Of
private rights. The method OF making
public the results of these investiga-
tons affords, under the law, a means
for the protection of private rights.
The congress will have all facts except
such as would give to another cor
poration information which would In
jure the legitimate business OF COM
petltor and destroy the incentive for
individual superiority and thrift.
The bureau has also made exhaustive
examinations into the legal condition
under which corporate business is car
ried on in the various states, into all
judicial decisions ON the subject and
into the various systems OF corporate
taxation in use call special attention
to the report of the chief Of the bureau,
and | earnestly ask that the congress
carefully consider the report and rec
concentrations OF the commissioner on
this subject