The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1905-12-07
Labor.

The National Government has as
a rule but little occasion TO deal witk
the formidable group, of problems
connected more Or less directly with
what is known as the labor question,
for lii the great majority OF eases
these problems must be dealt with by
the State and municipal authorities
and not by the National Government
The National Government mas 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 reg,i!a
ton Of tie system of housing SO as
to do away with the evils of alley
tenements, a proper system of educa-
ton, a proper system Of dealing with
truancy and juvenile offenders, a 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 Tor 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 It is ir1le that some Judges
have misused this power: but this
does not Justify danial of the power
any more than an improper exercise
OF the power TO call strike by q
labor leader would Justify the denial
o. the right TO strike.
The Department Of Commerce and
Labor should also make thorough in
vestigation Of the condition Of
women in industry. Over Ave
million American women are now
engaged in gainful occupations; vet
there is an almost complete iearth
of data upon which to base any trust
worthy conclusions as regards a SUBJ
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 wo-
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-
clude strict enforcement of supervi-
sion and regulation by the parent
States. In my last annual Message,
recommended ''that the Congress
carefully consider whether the pow
Ell OF the Bureau Of Corporations can
not constitutionally be extended to
cover Interstate transactions IN in
surance. - Recent events have en-
phaslzed the Importance of an early
and exhaustive consideration of this
question, to see whether it is not pos
sible to furnish better safeguards than
the several States have been able to
furnish against corruption of the
f1agranf 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-hopesty, the kind
I'of honesty necessary in order to avoid
falling into the clutches Of the law,