Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-06


national value.
Injunction Power Should stand
There has been demand for deprivins
courts of the power to issue injunctions
in labor disputes. Such special limita-
tion 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 an improper
exercise of the power to call a 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 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
as n pretext to permit violation of law,
or the ieopardizing of life or property.
OF course, this would not authorize
the issuing of a restraining order or
Injunction I'm any case in which it Is
not already authorized by existing
law.
Urges Labor investigation
I renew the recommendation / made
in my last annual message for an in
vestigaton 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 con-
nected 1t is true that these problems
can be actually met in most cases only
by the states themselves, but 1t would
be we'll for the nation to endeavor to
secure and publish comprehensive m
formation as to the conditions of the
labor of children in the different states,
so as to spur UP those that are behind
hand, and to secure approximately uni
form legislation of 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 today are those who
tomorrow will shape the destiny of our
land and we cannot afford to neglect
them. The legislature of Colorado has
recommended that the national gov
ernment provide some general measure
for the protection from abuse of chill
dren and dumb animals throughout the
United States. / lay the matter be-
fore you for what 1 trust will be your
favorable consideration.
Women in Industry
The department of commerce and
labor should also make thorough in
vestigaton of the conditions of wo-
men in industry. Over five million
| American women are now engaged in
gainful occupations; yet there is an
almost complete dearth of data upon
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 espe
| cially in the birth rate, has been CO.
| incident with it. We must face ac-
complshed facts, and the adjustment
I 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 impor-
tance than any merely political or
economic question can be; and to solve
1t we need ample data, gathered in a
sane and scientific spirit in the course
Of an exhaustive investigation.
In any great labor disturbance not
only are employer and employe 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
the government and the facts officially
reported to the public.
Employer and Worker
The question of securing a healthy,
self-respecting and mutually sympa-
thetic attitude as between employer
and employe, capitalist and wage work
er is difficult one. All phases of the
labor problem prove difficult when APP
preached. But the underlying princi-
pies, the root priciples, in accordance
with which the problem must be solved
are entirely simple. We can get JUS
tice and right dealing only If we put as
of paramount importance the principle
of treating a man on his worth as a
man rather than with reference to his
social position, his occupation or the
class to which he belongs. There are
selfish and brutal men in all ranks uf
life. If they are capitalists their sell
fishness and brutality may take the
form of hard Indifference to suffering
greedy disregard of every moral re.
straint which interferes with the ac-
cummulation of wealth. and cold
Dlooded exploitation of the weak: or
if they are laborers, the form of lazi-
ness, of sullen envy of the more for
tunate, and of Willingness to perform
deeds of murderous violence. Such
conduct Is just as reprehenslble in onC
case as in the other, and all honest ana
far seeing men should join in warring
against it wherever it becomes mani
fest. Individual capitalist and indi-
vidual wage worker, corporation and
union, are alike entitled to the protec-
tion of the law, and must alike obey
the law.
Sympathy for Ones Neiehbor
Moreover, in addition to mere ODE
dience of the law, each man, If hC
be really a good citizen, must show
broad sympathy for his neighbor anC
genuine desire to look at any question
arising between them from the stand
point of that neighbor no less thar
, from his own; and to this end it Il
essential that capitalist and wage
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