Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-12-07

Is maze IN Tue rate 10 thhe ShSSt
Immediately, the arrangement result.
ing to the profit Of the one shipper
and the one railroad and TO the dam.
age of all their competitors; for 1t
must not be forgotten that the bis
shippers are at least as much to blame
as any railroad in the matter Of re-
bates. The law should make 1t clear
so that nobody can fail to understand
that any kind Of commission paid on
freight shipments, whether In this
form or in the form OF fictitious dam
ages, or of a concession, free pass,
reduced passenger rate, or payment OF
brokerage, is illegal. 1t is worth
while considering whether 1t would
not be wise to confer on the govern
ment the right of civil action against
the beneficiary Of rebate for at least
twice the value of the rebate; this
would help stop what is really black
mail. Elevator allowances should be
stopped, for they have now grown to
such an extent that they are demon
alizing and are used as rebates.
All private-car lines, industrial
roads. refrigerator charges, and the
like should be expressly put under the
supervision of the interstate com,
merce commission or some similar
body so far as rates, and agreements
practically affecting rates. are con-
cened The privatecar owners and
the owners of industrial railroads are
entitled to fair and reasonable com
pensation on their investment, but
neither private cars nor industrial rail
roads nor spur tracks should be util'
lied as devices for securing prefer
entail rates. A rebate in icing charges
or in mileage, or in division of the
rate for refrigerating charges Is just
as pernicious as a rebate in amy other
way. No lower rate should apply on
goods imported than actually obtains
on domestic goods from the Amerl-
can seaboard to destination except In
cases where water competition is the
controlling influence. There should
be publicity of the accounts of COM
mon carriers; no common carrier en-
gagged in interstate business should
keep any books or memoranda other
than those reported pursuant to law
or regulation, and these books or
memoranda should be open to the In
spection of the government. only
in this way can violations or eyasions
of the law be surely detected. The
president declaed; I'VE wish to in
sure as fair treatment for the small
town as for the big city; for the small
shipper as for the big shipper"
Block Signals.
Going to another subject the presi-
dent said that congress should pro
vide, by appropriate legislation, for
the introduction of block signals upon
all railroads engaged in interstate
commerce at the earliest practicable
date as a measure of increased safety
to the travelling public. The excess
sive hours of labor to which railroad
employees in train service are in many
cases subjected is also matter
which may we'll engage the serious at
tention of congress.
Child Labor and Women.
The future of the nation depends
upon the citizenship of the gener~
lions to come; the children of today
are those who tomorrow will shape
the destiny of our land, and we can
not afford to neglect them, The legis-
lature of Colorado has recommended
that the national government provlde
some general measure for the protec-
tion from abuse of children and dumb
animals throughout the United States.
The president lays the matter before
favorable consideration.
The department Of commerce and
labor should also make a thorough in
vestigation of the conditions of wo-
men in industry. Over 100000
American women are now engaged In
gainful occupations and there is need
of full knowledge on which to base
action looking toward state and mu-
nicipal legislation for the protection
of working women. The introduction
Of women into industry is working
change and disturbance In the domes-
tic and social life Of the nation. The
decrease in marriage, and especially
in the birth rate, has been coincident
with it. We must face accomplished
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
sociological phenomena Of our time;
it is a social question of the first i'm
portance, Of far greater Importance
than any merely political or economic
question can be; and TO solve it We
need ample data, gathered in a sane
and scientific spirit In the course OF
an exhaustive investigation.
In discussing the labor problem the
president said that, in addition to
mere obedience to the law, each man,
II he be really good citizen, must