The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1905-12-08

anime into the accounts of any railroad
| unless for good reasons they were direct
ed to do so by the interstate commerce
| commission. 1t is greatly to be desired
| that some way might be found by which
an agreement as to transportation with
| in state intended to operate as fraud
/ upon the federal interstate commerce
laws could be brought under the juris-
| diction of the federal authorities. At
present 1t occurs that large shipments of
interstate traffic are controlled by con-
| cessions on purely state business, which
of course amounts to an evasion of the
law. The commission should have power
| to enforce fair treatment by the great
| trunk lines of lateral and branch lines.
Immediate Action Urged.
| urge upon the congress the need of
providing for expeditions action by the
| interstate commerce commission in all
these matters, whether in regulating
! rates for transportation or for storing
or for handling property or commodities
| in transit. The history of the cases liti-
!, gated under the present commerce act
shows that its efficacy has been to great
degree destroyed by the weapon of delay,
| almost the most formidable weapon in
| the hands of those whose purpose 1t Is
| to violate the law.
The president asks for legislation COM
Polling railroads to install block systems on
| their lines, and also calls the attention of
| congress to the excessive hours of labor
| of train service employees of the railroad
| companies are often subjected to. He rec
| ommends that commission be appointed
to study of employers liability with the OBJ
| ject of the enactment of law covering the
/ subject and applicable to all industries
within the scope of the federal power.
The Labor Question.
The labor question is treated of at con-
| n connection
| president says:
There has been demand for depriving
| courts of the power to issue injunctionS
in labor disputes. Such special limita-
| ton of the equity powers of our courts
would he most unwise. 1t is true that
| some Judges have misused this power;
! but this does not justify denial of the
| power any more than an improper exer-
! else of the power to call strike by
| 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 hear
| ing 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 as a pretext to permit violation
of law, or the jeopardizing of life or
property OF course this would not au-
| or injunction in any case in which 1t is
not already authorized by existing law.
| 1 renew the recommendation I made
| in my last annual message for an in
| vestigation by the department of COM
| merce and labor of general labor condi-
| tions, especial attention to be paid to the
conditions of child labor and child labor
| legislation in the several states. Such
an investigation should take into account
! the various problems with which the
question of child labor is connected. 1t
| is true that these problems can be actu-
| ally met in most cases only by the states
| themselves, but it would be well for the
| nation to endeavor to secure and publish
| comprehensive information as to the con-
| ditions of the labor of children in the diff
| ferent states, so as to spur up those that
| are behindhand, and to secure approx
| imately uniform legislation of a high
| character among the several states. In
! such a republic as ours the one thing
that we cannot afford TO neglect Is the
| problem of turning out decent citizens
| The future of the nation depends upon
| the citizenship of the generations to
come; the children of to-day are those
| who tomorrow will shape the destiny
| of our land, and we cannot afford to neg
| lect them. The legislature of Colorado
| has recommended that the national gov
| eminent provide some general measure
| for the protection from abuse of children
and dumb animals throughout the United
| States. I lay the matter before you for
what I trust will be your favorable con-
| sderation.
The department of commerce and labor
| should also make a thorough investiga-
ton of the conditions of women in in
dustry. Over 100000 American women
| are now engaged in gainful occupations;
yet there Is an almost complete dearth
of data upon which to base any trust
| worthy conclusions as regards subject
| as important as 1t is vast and comp1i-
| Gated. There is need of full knowledge
| on which to base action looking toward
state and municipal legislation for the
| protection of working women. The in
! PRODUCTION of women 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
| 1t. 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 Importance, of far greater i'm
| portance than any merely political or
economic question can be; and to solve
| it we need ample data, gathered in
sane and scientific spirit in the course
of an exhaustive investigation.
In concluding with the subject of labor
| the president says:
| In any great labor disturbance not only
| are employer and employe interested, but
also a third party-the general public.
Every considerable labor difficulty in
which interstate commerce is involved
should be investigated by the govern
ment and the facts officially reported to
| the public.
Kduah Rights for All.
The question. of securing a healthy,
self-respecting and mutually sympathetic
attitude as between employer and en-
ploye, capitalist and wage worker, is a
difficult one. All phases of the labor
| problem prove difficult when approached.
But the underlying principles, the root
principles in accordance with which the
problem must be solved are entirely SIM
ple We can get justice and right dealing
| only If we put as of paramount impor-
| lance the principle of treating man on
his worth as man rather than with
| reference to his social position, his occu-
| patton, or the class to which he belongs.
There are selfish and brutal men in all
ranks of life. If they are capitalists
| their selfishness and brutality may take
| the form of hard Indifference to suffer-
| ing, greedy disregard of every moral re-
| straint which interferes with the accum-
ulation of wealth, and cold-blooded ex-
ploitation of, the weak; or, If they are
| laborers, the form of laziness, of sullen
envy of the more fortunate. and of will
Il a,.r~~