Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-12-09

bate in any other way.
There should be publicity of the &C.
counts of common carriers. Only In
this way can violations or evasions of
| the law be surely detected. A system
Of examination Of railroad accounts
should be provided similar to that now
conducted into the national banks BY
the bank examiners. A few first class
railroad accountants, If they had prop
err direction and proper authority TO in
speet books and papers, could accom-
plish much la preventing wiilful viola
tons OF the law.
EMPLOYERS LIABILITY LAW
In my annual message 10 the Fifty
eighth congress at its second session
recommended the passage Of an EN-
ployers' liability law for the District &c
Columbia and in our navy yards. / re-
newed that Recommendation In my
message to the Fifty-eighth congress at
its second session and further suggest
ed the appointment of commission to
| make comprehensive study OF chi
ployers' liability with view to the en-
aetment OF q wise and constitutional
law covering the subject, applicable to
all industries within the scope of the
federal power hope that such law
will be prepared and enacted as speed
lily as possible.
There has been demand for depriying
courts of the power TO issue injuuetions
in labor disputes. Such special limita
| ton OF the equity powers of our courts
would be most unwise. 1t is true that
some judges have misused this power,
but this does not justify denial OF the
power any more than III improper eN-
ercise of the power to call 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 al the time and
place ordered. What Il due notice must
depend upon the facts Of the ease. 1T
should not he used as a pretext to per
NIT violation of law or the jeopardiz-
ing Of life or property OF course this
would not authorize the issuing of a
restraining order or injunction in any
case in which ii is not already author
lied by existing law
renew the recommendation | made
Ia my last annual message for an in
vestigation by the department Of com
neree and labor OF general labor condi-
tons, especial attention to be paid to
| the conditions of child labor and child
tabor legislation in the several states
Such an investigation should take into
account the various problems with
which the question Of child labor is
| connected In such 4 republic as ours
| the one thing that we cannot afford to
neglect is the problem Of turning out
decent citizens The future ,of the ma
ton depends upon the citizenship Of
the generations to come. Tile children
| Of today are those who tomorrow Will
| shape the destiny of our land, and we
cannot afford to neglect them. The leg
islature OF Colorado has recommended
that the national government provide
| some general measure for The protec-
| ton from abuse Of children and dumb
animals throughout the United States.
lay the matter before you for what /
trust will be your favorable consider
alton
AS 10 WOMEN WHO WORK.
| The department OF commerce and la
| Dor should also make a thorough inyes-
| LEGATION of the conditions of women in
industry. over 100000 American we
men are now engaged in gainful occu-
pations, yet there is an almost complete
| dearth of data upon which to base any
I trustworthy conclusions as regards q
| subject as important as it is vast and
| complicated. The introduction of wo-
men into industry is working change
| and disturbance in the domestic 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 eff
| fects on family life than is now the
| case. This whole matter in reality
forms one of the greatest sociological
phenomena of our time. 1t is a social
question of the first Importance, of far
greater Importance than any merely po-
/ lltical or economic question can be.
In any great labor disturbance not
only are employer and employee Inter-
ested, but also a third party-the gen
| eral public. Every considerable labor
difficulty in which interstate commerce
is involved should be investigated by
l the government and the facts officially
reported to the public.
| INSURANCE.
The great insurance companies afford
| striking examples of corporations
whose business has extended SO far
beyond the jurisdiction of the states
which created them as to preclude
| strict enforcement of supervision and
regulation by the parent states In my
last annual message | recommended
that the congress carefully consider
| whether the power Of the bureau Of
corporations cannot constitutionaily be