Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1905-12-08

regulating rates Tor transportation VI
for storing or handling property or
commodities in transit The history
of the cases litigated under the pres
ent commerce act shows that its effi-
cacay has been to great degree des-
troyed by the weapon of delay, al
most the most formidable weapon
in the hands of those whose purpose
it is to violate the law
Safety Appliances.
In my annual Message to the Fifty
eighth Congress, at its third session
| called attention to the necessity for
legislation requiring the use of block
signals upon railroads engaged In
interstate commerce. The number of
serious collisions upon unblocked
roads that have occurred within the
past year adds force to the reeom-
mendation then made. The Congress
should provide, by appropriate legis-
lation, for the introduction of block
signals upon all railroads engaged in
interstate commerce at the earliest
practicable date, as measure of in
creased safety to the travelling pub
lic
Hours of Labor of Railroad En-
ployees.
The excessive hours of labor to
which railroad employees in train SER
vice are in many cases subjected is
also matter which may well engage
the serious attention of the Con-
gress. The strain, both mental and
physical, upon those who are engaged
In the movement and operation of
railroad trains under modern condi-
tions is perhaps greater than that
which exists in any other industry,
and if there are any reasons for limit
ing by law the hours of labor in any
employment, they certainly apply with
peculiar force to the employment of
those upon whose vigilance and alert
ness in the performance Of their du-
ties the safety of all who travel by
rail depends.
LABOR.
The National Government has as
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 authorities
and not by the National Government.
The National Government has con-
troll of the District of Columbia, how
ever, and it should see to it that the
City of Washington is made model
city in all respects, both as regards
parks, public grounds, proper regllla-
ton of the system of housing so as
to do away with the evils of alley
tenements, proper system of educa-
tion, proper system Of dealing with
truancy and juvenile offenders, pro-
| per handling of the charitable work
of the District. Moreover, there
should be proper factory laws to pre-
vent all abuses in the employment of
women and children in the District.
These will be useful chiefly as OBJ
ject lessons, but even this limited
amount of usefulness would be Of real
national value.
There has been demand for depriv-
ing courts of the power to issue in
functions in labor disputes. Such
special limitation of the equity pow
ers of our courts would be most un-
wise. 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 Department of Commerce and
Labor should also make thorough in
vestigation of the condition of
women in industry. Over five
million American women are now
engaged in gainful occupations; vet
there is an almost complete dearth
of data upon which to base any trust
worthy conclusions as regards a sub
i ject as important as it is vast and
complicated There is need of full
knowledge on which to base action
looking toward State and municipal
legislation for the protection or work
ing women. The introduction Of We
men into industry is working change
and disturbance in the domestic and
social life of the Nation.
Insurance.
The great insurance companies af-
ford striking examples of corpora
tions whose business has extended so
far beyond the jurisdiction of the
State which created them as to pre-
clnde strict enforcement of supervi-
sion and regulation by the parent
States. In my last annual Message,
| Tecopmended "that the Congress
carefully consider whether the pow
er of the Bureau of Corporations can
not constitntionally be extended to
cover interstate transactions in in
surance. y Recent events have en-
phasized the Importance of an early
and exhaustive consideration of this
question, to see whether it is not pos
sible to furnish better safeguards thar
! the several States have been able te.
furnish against corruption of the
fragrant kind which has been exposed
1t has been only too clearly shown
that certain of the men at the head
of these large corporations take but
small note of the ethical distinction
between honesty and dishonesty; they
draw the line only this side of what
may be called law-honesty, the kind
OF honesty necessary in order to avoid
| falling into the clutches of the law