New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-06


| of the federal power. 1 hope that such law
will be prepared and enacted as speedily as pos
sible.
GROUP OF LABOR PROBLEMS.
The national government has as a rule but
| little occasion to deal with the formidable group
| of problems connected more or less directly with
what is known as the labor question, for in the
! great majority of cases these problems must be
! dealt with by the State and municipal authori-
| ties and not by the national government The
national government has control of the District
| of Columbia, however and it should see to it
| that the city Of Washington is made a model
city in all respects, both regards parks, pub
| lie Fairgrounds, proper regulation Of the system
| OF housing to do away with the evils OF
| alley tenements, proper system of education.
proper system of dealing with trudncy and
| juvenile offenders, proper handling of the
charitable work of the district. Moreover, there
should be proper factory laws to prevent all
abuses in the employment of women and chill
dren in the district. These will be useful chiefly
as object lessons, but even this limited amount
OF usefulness would be of real national value.
There has been demand for deprtVing courts
of the power to Issue injunctions in labor dis
putes. Such special limitation of the equity
powers or our courts would be most unwtse. 1t
is true that some judges have misused this
power; but this does not Justify denial Of the
power any more than an improper exercise Of
the power to call a strike by a labor leader
would Justify the denial of the right to strike.
The remedy is to regulate the procedure by
requiring the judge to give due notice to the
adverse parties before granting the writ, the
hearing to be ex parte if the adverse party does
not appear at the time and place ordered What
is due notice must depend upon the facts of the
case; it should not be used a pretext to
permit violation of law, the jeopardizing of
life property. OF course this would not
authorize the issuing of a restraining order or
injunction in any case in which it is not already
authorized by existing law.
I renew the recommendation I made in my
lost annual message for an investigation by the
Department of Commerce and Labor of general
labor conditions, especial attention to be paid
to the conditions Of child labor and child labor
legislation in the several States. Such an in
Vestigation should take into account the various
problems with which the question of child labor
Is connected. It is true that these problems can
be actually met in most cases only by the States
themselves, but II would be Well for the nation
to endeavor to secure and publish comprehen-
sive information to the conditions OF the labor
of children IN the different States, so as to
spur up those that are behindhand, and to Sc
cure approximately uniform legislation of
high character among the several States. In
such Republic as ours the one thing that we
cannot afford to neglect is the problem Of turn
ing out decent citizens. The future Of the
nation depends upon the citizenship Of the gen.
erations to come; the children of to-day ere
those who tomorrow will shape the destiny of
land; and we cannot afford to neglect them.
The legislature of Colorado has recommended
that the national government provide some gen
eral measure for the protection from abuse of
children and dumb animals throughout the
United States I lay the matter before you for
what 1 trust will be your favorable considera-
ton.
The Department of Commerce and Labor
should also make a thorough investigation of
the conditions of women in industry. Over
in gafnful occupations; yet there is an almost
complete dearth of data upon which to base any
trustworthy conclusions as regards subject
as important as 1t is vast and complicated
There is need of full knowledge on which to
base action looking toward State and municipal
legislation for the protection of working women
The introduction of women into industry IS
working change and disturbance in the domestic
and social life of the nation The decrease In
been coincident with it. We must face accom-
plished facts, and the adjustment to factory
conditions must be made; but surely it can be
made with less friction and less harmful effects
on family life than Is now the case. This whole
matter in reality forms one of the greatest So
Geological phenomena Of our time; 1t is a social
question of the first Importance, of far greater
Importance than any merely political or eco
nomc question can be, and to solve it we need
ample data, gathered in a sane and scientific
spirit in the course Of an exhaustive investtga-
ton
employer and employee interested. but also a
third party-the general public. Every consid-
cradle labor difficulty in
PUBLIC THE which interstate commerce
THIRD PARTY. is involved should be investi-
gated by the government and
the facts officially reported TO the public.
The question of securing healthy, self-re-
speeding and mutually sympathetic attitude as
between employer and employee capitalist and
wageworker is difficult one. All phases OF the
labor problem prove difficult when approached.
But the underlying principles the root prin-
ci1les, in accordance with which the problem
must be solved are entirely simple. We can get
justice and right dealing only if we put as of
paramount importance the principle Of treating
a man on his worth as man rather than with
reference to his social position, his occupation,
or the class to which he belongs. There are self
ish and brutal men in all ranks of life. If they
are capitalists their selfshness and brutality
may take the form of hard indifference to suffer-
ing, greedy disregard of every moral restraint
wealth. and cold blooded exploitation of the
weak; or if they are laborers. the form of lazi-
ness, of sulen envy Of the more fortunate, and
of willingness to perform deeds of murderous
Such conduct is just as reprehensibIe |
in as in the other and all honest and !
farseeing men should join in warning against
1t wherever 1t becomes manifest. Individual |
capitalist and individual wageworker. corpora |
ton and union alike entitled to the protec- |
ton OF the law. and must alike obey the law |
Moreover, In addition to mere obedience to the /
law, each man, If he be really good citizen |
must show broad sympathy for his neighbor and |
genuine desire to look at any question arising /
between them from the standpoint of that neigh /
Dor no less than from his own; and to this end /
Ii is essential that capitalist and wageworker |
should consult freely with the other should /
each strive to bring closer the day when both |
shall realize that they are properly partners and I
not enemies.
To approach the questions which inevitably /
lrise between them solely from the standpoint /
which treats each side In the mass as the |
.nemy OF the other side in the mass Is both I
wicked and foolish. In the past the most dire
ul among the influences which have brought I
lbout the downfall OF republics has ever been
he growth OF the class spirit, the growth of
he spirit which tends to make subordin-
tie the welfare of the public as a whole 10 the
FeIIaTe or the particular class to which he be-